Crestone Needle and Crestone Peak. From Humboldt Peak, Colorado, 2015
There seems to be a general consensus that the following 14ers are the most difficult and potentially dangerous: Mt. Wilson, Crestone Needle, Capitol Peak, Little Bear Peak, Pyramid Peak, North Maroon Peak. Some might also add Sunlight Peak, Longs Peak, Snowmass Mountain, Kit Carson Peak, and [South] Maroon Peak. Just mentioning one of these names to a 14er neophyte will often set their stomach to achurnin’.
The reasons for this rating? They vary, but usually include some combination of: distance of the approach, crappy nature of the rock, challenging route-finding, technical difficulty of actually climbing the rock, rockfall hazard, and exposure.
To minimize the stomach gurgling, here are 10 Safety Guidelines I have come up with to help reduce these “threats”:
[Note: This all assumes you are already in good enough physical shape to deal with the basics: the altitude, the mileage, and the vertical relief. It also assumes you have appropriate equipment and clothing.]
1) Start with the easy 14ers and work up to Class 2, then Class 3, and finally the Class 4 summits. Gradually build experience with weather, altitude, and route finding. Don’t head straight to Longs Peak on your first outing!
2) Pay close attention to weather forecasts. Don’t go during unstable weather conditions, during frontal passages, or when T-storms are predicted to be at 50/60% chance or greater–especially if forecast to move in early in the day. Typically, T-storms happen during the afternoon hours, but they can continue throughout the night and into the morning as well. Lightning is NOT your friend.
3) Assuming good weather, get a very early start to avoid the T-storms. Fact: In summer, 7:30a.m. is not early. On Longs Peak, for example, it is not unusual to see folks leaving the trailhead at 2a.m., or even midnight. Obviously, if route finding is an issue, you’ll need to balance this with the need for something more than a Costco headlamp for the difficult sections (a fat full moon, or sunlight).
4) Don’t climb a peak when it is not in appropriate condition. For example, don’t plan on doing Little Bear via the Hourglass in early summer (slushy snow and wet, icy rocks). It is best done in late spring with consolidated snow in the gully (assuming competence at snow climbing), or late summer/early fall when the snow and ice have completely melted out and it is dry. Don’t plan to climb an “easy” peak in winter via an avalanche-prone route.
5) The rockfall hazard on many routes is significant. To reduce the risk, don’t climb in big groups, or directly beneath another group, don’t bring a dog on routes with loose rock, and wear a helmet. All this will help you avoid–but not eliminate–the danger.
6) Simply don’t do the more committing and scarier traverses–the Bells, or Little Bear to Blanca, for example. Maybe I shouldn’t say “don’t”, because some of these routes are considered classics. But, if you decide to go for it, just be very aware of what you are getting into in terms of rock quality, route finding, difficulty, time required, and weather. Generally, you’ll expose yourself to less danger if you first do these peaks one at a time via their “standard” routes. Seriously consider saving the traverses for when you finish the 14ers as you will then be more experienced, and you will already be familiar with the peaks that “tent pole” either end of the traverse route. Having previous experience with the planned descent route of of a traverse can be a literal life saver.
7) Have as much beta as possible about the route. Kit Carson, Crestone Needle, et al can force you off-route into dangerous terrain rather quickly. For beta, xerox the relevant pages of Roach’s book, print out the same from 14ers dot com, read all the trip reports you can and study the photos, and watch any available YouTube videos (although those wide-angled GoPro cameras tend to make the exposure and difficulty look worse), and download a GPS track if necessary.
8) Go with a partner or two and carry some sort of emergency signaling device like a SPOT Gen 3 or Personal Locator Beacon (PLB). Carry your cell phone, too, as sometimes you may actually have reception, especially higher up on the mountain (when not in use, keep it in Airplane Mode to conserve the battery).
9) Carry the Ten Essentials or something very akin. If you twist an ankle, can you survive a night out at 13,000′? Or higher?
10) Finally, there is one more thing you can do (also a fun diversion with its own rewards) to up your chances of climbing these more difficult peaks without having a total freakout about the exposure and steepness of the rock on the crux sections: start rock climbing at your local crag. Either find a very experienced, competent, and patient, friend to “teach you the ropes” or take classes from a reputable organization or certified guide service. One great option: Colorado Mountain Club (CMC) – Boulder (or in other cities) offers classes in Basic Rock Climbing, Trad Leading, Top-roping, Anchor Building, and so on.
Regularly climbing Class 5 rock will go a long way in preparing you mentally and physically to climb Class 3 and 4, unroped and exposed, high up on a 14er when the wind is blowing and a storm is threatening. I don’t mean gym climbing either (although that can be good strength and technique training, and a great social outing). I mean “trad climbing” on real rock. On the Hourglass, you won’t find the holds conveniently marked with blue tape–you’ll have to find and use them yourself, so get used to it on real rock that could be crumbly, loose, or wet. (Not familiar with the Hourglass? Check out this YouTube video of a typical ascent of this rotten chute.)
[In Part 2, I cover another activity, related to #10 above, that will help tremendously with your mental and physical health when confronted with more difficult rock moves on exposed terrain: unroped Class 3 and Class 4 scrambling on good rock. To that end, I review some popular local scrambling routes in the local Boulder, Colorado area that I have found to be fun and great training.]
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