I Hear Them Calling...

Spring is on its way. Already, the days are lengthening and warming a bit as we slowly emerge from the heart of winter. True, we'll still have a few more snow storms here in Denver, and we'll have a even more cold snaps. It will be another few months before we completely emerge from winter. Even so, already, I can hear them calling.

"Them," of course, being the 14ers.

For those of you not fully versed in Colorado climbing concepts and topography, a "14er" is any mountain with a summit above 14,000 feet. Colorado has 54 of them by the official, undisputed lists, a few more if you use a slightly different standard. I could discuss the calculations used to determine, topographically, how 14ers are determined. I could talk about peak constants and the power of individual peaks and why lower power numbers differentiate an official 14er from an unofficial one. But really, how many 14ers there are is secondary to the fact that they exist at all. And for me, they have an amazing siren song that I simply cannot ignore.

Some of these summits are true monarchs, like Longs Peak or Pikes Peak. Those two, in particular, are widely known, mostly because they easily tower above every other peak near them and they're easily seen from several points along the Ft. Collins-Denver-Colorado Springs Urban Corridor. Every 14er has a register placed in a sealed container at the summit, so that when you reach the top, you can sign the register and thus preserve for posterity the fact that you were actually there. Signing the register is always the first thing I do once I reach the top; it might be shallow, but it's special to me. It's my trophy, part of my reward for making it to the top.

As I am a very focused, goal-oriented person, I see these peaks as the ultimate goal. You're going somewhere incredible, doing something not many other people are willing or able to do. I'm not someone who has always been able to enjoy wandering aimlessly along trails, like many others I know. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but I just get bored. I'm not actually GOING anywhere...well, maybe to see a lake or something. But I can see lakes other places. Maybe I'm seeing wildlife on my hike, but I can drive into the mountains and see just about the same amount of wildlife. I'm not unappreciative of what I see when I'm just hiking, it just doesn't give me the same spark. I guess you could call me a peak-bagger. But to me, there's really nothing else like climbing a 14er, getting to the top, signing the register, surveying the surrounding landscape, having a nice leisurely brunch/lunch from the summit, talking with other climbers, then slogging back down the mountain, and collapsing in your car, completely exhausted but feeling like a million dollars.

The 14ers are also a great reward because they are so physically and emotionally challenging. While on a 14,000 peak, you're on a real mountain. It's you against the mountain and everything it can throw at you... against the weather, against your body, against your mind, against your fear, against the route you're on, against the rock. You're usually giving up a day to climb one...only the most in-shape, regular climbers are capable of going up and down multiple times in a day. There are very real dangers on 14ers, and that adds to the physical and emotional challenge. You never want to stay on a 14ers much past noon, if you can avoid it; the weather around a 14er can change at a moment's notice, even in the summer on a cloudless, sunny day, and it's much worse in the afternoon than in the morning. If you're afraid of heights, a 14er is definitely not the place for you. Granted, some routes on some 14ers are gentler and less exposed than others, but you're still way up high, and you can't avoid noticing. If you aren't physically in good shape, you should NEVER try to climb a 14er. Most importantly, if you can't keep a cool head when things get difficult, if you don't have a steady temperament and a strong will, you shouldn't even think of trying to get to the top. As I said, the dangers on these peaks are real, and not to be undertaken lightly.

In my life, I've only had one moment where I was truly gripped by mortal terror, by the fear that I was about to die. It was my first trip up Longs, my first trip up ANY 14er, and I was late getting down. We'd seen the storm coming in from the summit, estimated we had about an hour, and began to go down, hoping we'd make it a safe way down before the storm got to us. I was on the peak's west face, making my way along a ledge about 1500-2000 feet above Glacier Gorge. I was almost to a safe spot, when the storm hit. It was thundering, and worse, it was raining and sleeting. The wind began to blow, and the rocks became slick with the rain and sleet. The point I was at, I had my feet on a very narrow ledge, perhaps 8-9 inches wide, and I was holding on to another ledge about a foot above my head. And I was inching my way VERY SLOWLY along the increasingly slick rock, through the rain and sleet and wind, looking down at Glacier Gorge below me, hearing the thunder, and thinking, "Man, I hope I get out of this alive."

But don't let me scare you off. If you've never climbed one, you can go with experienced folks who can help you, and if you can keep your head, you're in good physical shape, and the day looks good, you may as well give one a go. I have climbed 8 14ers, 9 if you count unofficial ones. Here's my list, in the order in which I climbed them, along with the summit elevation and the dates I made attempts:

1. Longs Peak, 14,255 (1998 successful, 2003 aborted)
   
2. Grays Peak, 14,270 (1999 solo, 2001)
   
3. Torreys Peak, 14,267 (2001)
   
4. Quandary Peak, 14,265 (2002 solo)
   
5. Mt. Yale, 14, 196 (2002 solo)
   
6. Mt. Democrat, 14,148 (2003)
   
7. Mt. Cameron, 14, 238 (2003, unofficial 14er)
   
8. Mt. Lincoln, 14,286 (2003)
   
9. Mt. Bross, 14,172 (2003)
   

In those I have climbed, I've always managed to come away with some interesting story or experience, or learn something about myself I never knew before. My Longs Peak story above is a prime example. I think that's what makes these peaks so great to me; they have so much to offer you, and more than simply climbing to the top of a peak. As with all things, it's the journey, not the destination, that make the trip what it is.

I'm hoping this summer to climb at least eight 14ers...maybe, if I do well, hit the big 20 mark on my list. I know Barry, one of my best friends and my climbing partner, will be up for a few. I also hope to make another run up Longs, maybe with my girlfriend Heidi. I often tell Heidi that she's like Longs Peak. Longs is unpredictable and temperamental at times, but in a good way. It is very alluring and beautiful. It always has something new to offer me; I could climb it a thousand times and not know every part of it. And I'm incredibly, irresistibly drawn to it, unlike any of the other 14ers (even my close second favorite, Torreys). Heidi shares all of these characteristics with Longs Peak, and this summer I hope to take her up and introduce her to her "twin" in a very close way that will be special for all of us. We'd better start training, Heidi. :-)

I've got time for some training, lots of time until climbing season. And I'll be ready...oh yes, I'll be ready.

Thanks for reading along.