Campus Press

Issue date: 9/23/08 Section: Sports

A look at Torreys Peak (14,267 ft) from Grays Peak (14,270 ft), from a climb on June 23, 2008. Photo by Ron Knabenbauer.

Boulder is probably best known for its Flatiron mountains and the amazing views that come with them at their summits. For those people who want a little more of a challenge, climbing one of Colorado's 55 fourteeners is exactly what you're looking for.

A fourteener is a mountain that has a summit that is 14,000 feet above sea level. In Colorado they range from the highest, Mt. Elbert (14,433 feet) near Leadville, to the smallest, Sunshine Peak (14,001 feet) near Ouray.

Boulder has its own fourteener nearby in Longs Peak (14,255 feet) in Rocky Mountain National Park, which is near Estes Park. But don't be fooled, Longs Peak can be a tough hike and can get crowded on the weekends with tourists.

Jenny Ball, a sales associate at Neptune Mountaineering in Boulder, has climbed 19 fourteeners and suggests that beginners get a guidebook and find easier ones to start out with first.

"There are some that are easy and then there are some that are hard, so get the easy ones first," Ball said. "Start that way, and then work up to the harder ones."

Hikes to the summit can range a variety of lengths from four miles to over 15 miles.

These hikes are not strolls in the park. Activity at or near the summits, close to three miles above sea level, can make even the best athletes breathe hard for air.

"It's really just knowing your limits and recognizing that a fourteener is not exactly the easiest thing to do in the world," said Ian MacDonald, the office manager for the CU Hiking Club.

Climbing a mountain may not seem dangerous, but there are some major risks that one needs to be aware of when climbing these humungous pieces of rock. Trails that look to be trails can turn out not to be trails, and they can lead you onto loose rocks that can cause you to slip or cause rocks to fall and endanger hikers below you.

Lightning is another major risk.

Colorado averages three deaths and 13 injuries per year from lightning, according to Colorado's Department of Local Affairs. Climbing a mountain that is over the timberline makes you the tallest object in miles, so when dark clouds start to form, try to get down into the valley.

Some other tips you should know when climbing are never hike alone and start early. Even if it means beginning your climb before the sun rises, you want to summit before noon to avoid afternoon thunderstorms.

Also, make sure you have adequate first-aid to help get you back to your car in an emergency, because rescue may take hours if you get trapped on the mountain.

When climbing in the early spring, watch out for avalanches, as the mountains still get a lot of snow in the spring. Try to be equipped with an avalanche beacon, because having a beacon can increase the chances of someone finding you if you become trapped.

There are important items other than a beacon that are needed for one of these spring climbs.

"You need to be prepared for all kinds of weather, even in the summer time," Ball said. "It can snow on you, so you need to have wind and rain protection, insulation, extra food, water and sunscreen. You're at high altitude so you need to protect your skin and lips and wear sunglasses. You need to have all the equipment with you and not in your car."

Other good items to have include a guidebook, comfortable shoes, one or two maps of the mountain, compass, a backpack of some sort, flashlight, first-aid supplies, knife and some kind of fire starter.

"Basically if anything changes while you're out and about, you should be able to take care of yourself," said Shala Sommerville, another sales associate at Neptune Mountaineer.

Climbing one of Colorado's 55 highest peaks is not an easy challenge, but once you've reached the summit, MacDonald said it becomes worth it.

"You're going up, your lungs are burning, you're tired, you're just like, 'Oh, man I'm never going to make this, and 'I'm just going turn around now,'" MacDonald said. "You get to the top and it's an amazing view, and you're like, 'Alright I made it.' You look down and you're like, 'Damn, that was a long hike, but it was totally worth it.'"

Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Ron Knabenbauer at Ron.Knabenbauer@colorado.edu.

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