10 Tips to Climb a Fourteener for the First Time
A fourteener is what you call a mountain that's at least 14,000 feet.
In the United States there are 96 fourteeners. Colorado has the most fourteeners in the country
(53 fourteeners), followed by Alaska with 29 fourteeners.
If climbing a fourteener is on your bucket list, here are a few things that will help you prepare for this adventure.
Choose the right fourteener for you
Not all fourteeners are the same. Every mountain has its own difficulties and challenges. It's important to choose a fourteener that aligns with your level of comfort and your level of experience.
The Yosemite Decimal System categorizes the difficulty of high mountains from class 1 to class 5. The higher the class, the more difficult the climb is, the more technical skills you need to make it happen.
As a beginner, class 1 and class 2 are a good place to start. On a class 1 climb, you are walking on a maintained trail, where no scrambling is required.
Yosemite Decimal System from class 1 to class 5
Here are some examples of class one climbs in Colorado:
Mount Elbert (the highest peak in Colorado standing at 14,439 feet)
Grays Peak
Pikes Peak
Mount Evans
Study the trail before your climb
Read about the trail that you are choosing to understand the trail profile, the elevation gain, the length and how much time you will be spending on the mountain on an average.
For popular climbs, I like using the app AllTrails to study the trail, read reviews from recent climbers and take notes about what to expect on the trail (Trail conditions, wildlife encounters, parking situation...)
If you use the pro version of AllTrails, you can download the trail's map to use for offline navigation if you don't have access to the internet.
The more information you have about the trail, the easier it will be to plan and prepare, the more prepared you are, the more confident you will be.
Train for your climb
Training for your climb will make your time on the mountain a lot more pleasant.
There are three important things to focus on when it comes to training for a climb:
Strength
Endurance
Cardio
Needless to say that nothing beats training at high elevation, in conditions that are close to the conditions of the fourteener that you are climbing.
Hiking for long hours with a significant elevation gain is the best way to train and get your body in the habit of enduring long hours of walking.
Start your climb early in the day
There are many reasons why it's a good idea to start early in the morning.
It's easy to find parking
For some popular fourteeners, there is a time window during the year when conditions are optimum to attempt a climb.
During this time, foot traffic on the mountain is at its highest and it can get difficult to find parking.
It's a good idea to get there as early as possible to secure parking or even better, camp near by the night before.
Enough time on the mountain
Starting early will give you enough time on the mountain to take breaks when needed and to take it slow if your pace is slow and if you are not feeling your best.
Risk of lightning and thunderstorms
At high elevation, especially above the tree line, the risk of thunderstorms increases.
A common rule is to make your way down from the summit by noon and no later than 2 p.m. It depends on the time of the year and the weather patterns, but that's a rule I like to follow to be safe.
Check the weather forecast
Checking the weather forecast is very important to make well informed decisions.
The weather on the mountain might be very different than from where you start. I like to use websites like mountain forecast to check the weather.
Checking the weather will also help you pack and prepare your gear accordingly.
Be aware of risks of high altitude sickness
Starting at 8,000 feet high, the human body can start experiencing symptoms of high altitude sickness. The higher we go up in elevation, the thiner the air becomes, the less oxygen there is for our bodies to consume.
At high elevation, breathing becomes difficult. Some of the symptoms of high altitude sickness are: dizziness, nausea, sleepiness, loss of appetite.
Here are a few things you can do to avoid or reduce high altitude sickness:
Give yourself time to acclimatize. If you are traveling from a city with low elevation to higher elevation, give yourself a day or two to acclimatize before your climb.
Hydrate very well before during and after your climb
Pack some pain killers to alleviate the pressure in your head
Talk to your doctor about the possibility to take high altitude medication. Here in the USA, it’s known as Diamox and it really makes a big difference. The first time I took Diamox was on Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa and it certainly made climbing a lot more bearable.
Pack the 10 essentials of hiking
For any hike, it's important to carry the 10 Essentials for hiking:
Navigation
Headlamp
Sun protection
First aid
Knife
Fire
Shelter
Extra food
Extra water
Extra clothes
If you are a beginner hiker, check this video out.
Dress in layers
At high elevation, the weather changes constantly. You can start your hike when it’s sunny and pleasant out and it can be rainy on the way back.
Dress in layers, this way you can add on or remove layers as necessary. Gear like a rain jacket, a wind breaker and a rain cover for your backpack are always good to have, even during summer.
Check the weather on the mountain and pack accordingly.
Eat well before, during and after your climb
Before your climb, it's important to eat well and hydrate to have enough energy on the mountain.
The day of your climb, a solid breakfast will go a long way.
During your hike, make sure you have enough food with you, including both salty and sweet snacks.
While hiking, we lose a lot of salt through sweat. It's important to consume salty snacks or electrolytes to replenish.
Use trekking poles
When I started hiking, I didn't appreciate the importance of trekking poles.
Now, I take them with me pretty much everywhere especially on trails where I know that there is no scrambling necessary.
Trekking poles are helpful when you are making your way up the mountain but also when you are descending.
Most injuries happen when you are descending. When you are using trekking poles, you have two more points of contact in addition to your feet. This will help you with stability and with reducing pressure on your knees and lower back.
Practice leave no trace
If you're not familiar with leave no trace, it's a set of 7 principles to make sure that you are enjoying the outdoors responsibly.
Plan ahead & prepare
Travel & camp on durable surfaces
Dispose of waste properly
Leave what you find
Minimize campfire impact
Respect wildlife
Be considerate of others
Have fun
Enjoy your time on the mountain. Knocking off that first fourteener can be the beginning of more adventures to come. Take it one step at a time, take plenty of photos and be safe!
