I’ve been getting some questions from friends recently in regards to how much hiking experience a person needs before tackling a 14er. My initial reaction is to say “none at all!” then frolic around the room. After putting some thought into it I’d have to say that may not be entirely true.
My first trip up was Mt. Quandary and I went with a couple that thought it sounded like a fun day trip. We approached the mountain with no knowledge, no background, ill prepared and untested. As far as experience goes they where in better physical condition then I was, but I had been hiking all last summer. This was my first hike of the season, it was late May.
The mountain was still absolutely draped in snow so we brought along our snow shoes just in case. The hike up was long, slow, and plagued with frequent stops to take snow shoes on and off. We broke for a mid day snack just above tree line and assessed our situation. The peak looked attainable from our position but never having done Quandary we were unaware of the false summits and not having spent a lot of time in the back country we were unable to gauge the distance.
The trip to the summit took much longer then expected and I started to get altitude sickness/delirious. I sat about 300 ft. shy of the top and waited for my friends. On our way down the once frosty snow started to melt and become slush. Our snow shoes were post-holing (when you punch through the surface of snow pack and end up thigh deep in snow) and were becoming extremely difficult to use.
We did eventually make it safely back to our car a lot worse for wear. I had severe sun burns all over my face and was fatigued to the point of illness the next day. We did a lot of things wrong and ended up making the trip 10 times more difficult then it needed to be. Had we prepared better, arrived on time and took current conditions into consideration getting back to the car safely would have been less of a survival story and more of a walk in the mountains.
Truth be told almost any one in moderate condition can make it up a 14er but there are a few things to keep in mind. I do not recommend 14ers for anyone with existing heart conditions, light sensitivity, pregnant women, or any kind of diminished lung capacity. The conditions near the top are extremely exposed and the air is thin. Even a healthy non smoking person will notice right away that it gets harder to breath the farther you go up.
If you have never hiked a day in your life I also do not recommend starting with a 14er. Some people might be naturally gifted athletes and claim it’s a cake walk, but for the rest of us its something you might have to work up to. I recommend gaining a little experience with some high elevation hikes in the mountains. If you’re in Colorado Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) is a fantastic place to start. There are hundreds of trails with varing degrees of difficulty that are not only beautiful, but up in the mountain air. It’s important to remember that the better prepared (physically) you are the more fun you’ll have on game day.
Once you feel like you’ve put a few miles on your boots and are ready for the big first sumit just remember this: Hit the trail head as early as possible (before 8am at the latest), Don’t start too early in the season (shoot for June or July) because there is a lot more snow up there then you think and always wear sun block. For the love of god, do not forget the sun block.