Man Summits Every Colorado 14er in a Single Winter

[Toxigen]

https://unofficialnetworks.com/2023/03/28/summit-14er-in-one-winter/?fbclid=IwAR1ZpqhQrgjcvGt0lhYj3PHAa-nvPxJewzJprSKEaMnyiMiE3Vljr9rqjiw

As someone who has done a few summer 14ers, the effort required to do this is on a whole different level of insanity. Its borderline incomprehensible.

253k vertical feet gain/loss in 72 winter days...on terrain that would make every single person here shit themselves.

Capitol peak alone has a knifes edge with a 2,000 foot drop on either side. Nine people have died in the last 20 years.

His view on the ascent:
https://i.imgur.com/JCpTsVH.png

But coming down:
https://i.imgur.com/U3qoypJ.png

And the only guy to ever do it before was there with him on the tougher peaks towards the end to help him along and beat his own record. Just amazing good feels all around.

[Basanos]

A fascist who likes mountain climbing... where have I heard this one before?

[Toxigen]

A fascist who likes mountain climbing... where have I heard this one before?

High BMI city dwellers don't matter. Sorry you don't got summits.

https://i.imgur.com/XE4ju4n.jpg

[Botten]

https://unofficialnetworks.com/2023/03/28/summit-14er-in-one-winter/?fbclid=IwAR1ZpqhQrgjcvGt0lhYj3PHAa-nvPxJewzJprSKEaMnyiMiE3Vljr9rqjiw

As someone who has done a few summer 14ers, the effort required to do this is on a whole different level of insanity. Its borderline incomprehensible.

253k vertical feet gain/loss in 72 winter days...on terrain that would make every single person here shit themselves.

Capitol peak alone has a knifes edge with a 2,000 foot drop on either side. Nine people have died in the last 20 years.

His view on the ascent:
<picture>

But coming down:
<picture>

And the only guy to ever do it before was there with him on the tougher peaks towards the end to help him along and beat his own record. Just amazing good feels all around.

meh- all that white I can see why you like it up there so much

[aussenseiter]

meh- all that white I can see why you like it up there so much

lol

A fascist who likes mountain climbing... where have I heard this one before?

I've heard about mountaineering too (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mountain)

[unsunghero]

I’ve heard what feels like most Everest/K2/Nanga Parbat/Annapurna/etc death stories. I have a morbid fascination with these

Little known facts I’ve learned from them:

- some Sherpas carry a shot of what is likely amphetamine/adrenaline that they will give to anyone they see who is sitting down in the death zone unable to move or respond. If the shot doesn’t help you get down, you are 100% dead. And it usually doesn’t. But it’s cool that some try this as a last ditch effort

- Snow Blindness up there isn’t the reflection of the sun on the snow, and it’s not snow so thick you can’t see, that’s called a white out. Snow blindness is where the tissue of your eyeballs freeze, and it’s permanent. Once it happens, you have to somehow still try to continue on down blind but most die at this point

- People get dehydrated incredibly quickly when organs aren’t getting enough oxygen. And there’s all that tempting snow around to drink. That’s also a death warrant, because drinking snow will vastly increase your rate of hypothermia. If you can’t heat it, you shouldn’t drink it

- when dying of hypothermia, it feels like your body is burning up. This is why people are often found in various state of being disrobed

- climbers frequently face a moral dilemma when seeing a dying climber. They have to decide to risk their own very limited energy and oxygen to help them down or step over them and leave them there to die. They used to be chastised by other climbers when they don’t help. There was a famous case of a climber sitting there dying that was passed by dozens of other climbers who left him there to die


This dude from Co is a baller. But I think you have to be borderline suicidal/crazy to attempt these feats. I love challenging hikes but being a desert rat I don’t do well in the cold or at altitude so….pass

[unsunghero]

Cool pics too btw

[Patriam1066]

Pretty bad ass, I’d be terrified. Did some back country skiing up here with some people who have done it forever and that shit can be scary / sketchy. I saw an avalanche a bit away from us one time and yeah, wasn’t a huge one, but if you were caught under it you’d die immediately

I would love to attempt to Summit Denali one day, but even back country skiing got a bit crazy for me so I probably won’t haha

[Toxigen]

Pretty bad ass, I’d be terrified. Did some back country skiing up here with some people who have done it forever and that shit can be scary / sketchy. I saw an avalanche a bit away from us one time and yeah, wasn’t a huge one, but if you were caught under it you’d die immediately

I would love to attempt to Summit Denali one day, but even back country skiing got a bit crazy for me so I probably won’t haha

Denali is on my list too. Need a lot of training though.

I know I'll never summit Everest or any of the 8000m peaks. I'm all set with the Death Zone.

Would like to do Kilimanjaro too some day...but Denali is #1.

[unsunghero]

Pretty bad ass, I’d be terrified. Did some back country skiing up here with some people who have done it forever and that shit can be scary / sketchy. I saw an avalanche a bit away from us one time and yeah, wasn’t a huge one, but if you were caught under it you’d die immediately

I would love to attempt to Summit Denali one day, but even back country skiing got a bit crazy for me so I probably won’t haha

Yea even good weather can kill on the peaks because sun out = snow melts = avalanche city

Some climbers still carry avalanche cords that they throw in the air as the avalanche is about to bury them in the hopes it will be spotted by rescuers before they suffocate…

[nostalgiaquest]

lol at the avalanche cord. Wonder how many times it actually worked.

When i go backcountry skiing i refuse to go with anyone who doesn't have a beacon, shovel, and collapsible probe. And training on how to use them. For my sake not theres. If i go down i want my dipshit friends to find me.

A fun game to play is bury a backpack full of beer with a beacon out in the snow somewhere, then have all your friends try to find it. First one gets the beer!

[Patriam1066]

Yeah it’s wild, first time I prepared to do it I had no idea how dangerous it is and what it entails, having been in Texas my entire adult life. I’ve gone three times up here and one of those times I was scared shitless for a bit

[Patriam1066]

Denali is on my list too. Need a lot of training though.

I know I'll never summit Everest or any of the 8000m peaks. I'm all set with the Death Zone.

Would like to do Kilimanjaro too some day...but Denali is #1.

Those are on my list for sure. My son and I plan on doing Aconcagua next year or the follow, supposedly that one is easier

[Smoofers]

If I'm looking to unnecessarily risk my life to get an adrenaline high, I'll just travel to a ghetto and pull some shit like John McClain did in Harlem in Die Hard 3.

Cheaper, and you can be back in home to raid EQ by nightfall.

[Lune]

I summited every Cascade peak but Baker in my twenties, plus Whitney which isn't a volcano. Never made it out to Colorado's peaks... I never found Rocky Mtn peaks all that scenic compared to the West coast's volcanoes which are awesome because they really tend to dwarf the surrounding terrain.

Climbing Shasta is a religious experience and I can totally see why every group from Squanto to New Age Meth Oracles think the mountain is inhabited by trans-dimensional spirit creatures. It just has a mystical aura, you can feel it, like a strange energy.

[Topgunben]

I’m guessing 14 er is a peak over 14k elevation?

I’ve climbed Mt Adams in Washington state several times. It’s got to be one of the coolest memories I have of being out doors.

What this guy has done is definitely top level. It’s not something I think most people in this world have that guts to do, nor are capable.

[Toxigen]

I summited every Cascade peak but Baker in my twenties, plus Whitney which isn't a volcano. Never made it out to Colorado's peaks... I never found Rocky Mtn peaks all that scenic compared to the West coast's volcanoes which are awesome because they really tend to dwarf the surrounding terrain.

Climbing Shasta is a religious experience and I can totally see why every group from Squanto to New Age Meth Oracles think the mountain is inhabited by trans-dimensional spirit creatures. It just has a mystical aura, you can feel it, like a strange energy.

Headed out to Yosemite for the first time in late June. Waiting for the Half Dome lottery draw next week. Also planning on doing Clouds Rest and the 4 mile trail to Glacier Point and down Panorama.

Staying right there in the valley at Curry Village.

Any must-see / dos along the way? I'm renting a car from San Diego (im there for business the week prior) and driving north, then driving to San Fran (may swing south a bit and hit Santa Cruz / drive up Rt 1 North to san fran).

[Lune]

Headed out to Yosemite for the first time in late June. Waiting for the Half Dome lottery draw next week. Also planning on doing Clouds Rest and the 4 mile trail to Glacier Point and down Panorama.

Staying right there in the valley at Curry Village.

Any must-see / dos along the way? I'm renting a car from San Diego (im there for business the week prior) and driving north, then driving to San Fran (may swing south a bit and hit Santa Cruz / drive up Rt 1 North to san fran).

Yosemite is great to do once in your lifetime, but it's likely going to be a zoo during the season. The real gem of the southern Sierras imo is King's Canyon and Sequoia National Parks, particularly the Rae Lakes Loop (https://www.nps.gov/seki/planyourvisit/rae-lakes-loop.htm), all 40 miles or just a piece of it depending on time available and your pace. Popular as well but it's not going to be as jammed as Yosemite, and you can truly find wilderness, solitude, and some epic views on this hike. You really can't go wrong in this region, it's all great.

If you are a fan of desert views, both Telescope Peak (https://www.nps.gov/deva/planyourvisit/telescope-peak.htm) and Mt. San Jacinto have extraordinary prominence. You can see basically all of Death Valley from Telescope Peak and San Jacinto has great views as well-- on a clear day you can see all of Southern California's mountain region from San Jacinto. These hikes are slogs, however, so be fit. If you are a masochist, try the Cactus to Clouds Trail on Jacinto-- 10,400' of elevation gain, among the highest amount of traversed prominence to be found on any single peak approach in the world. In June, the valley shouldn't be full of smoke but I'd check before you do either of these hikes so the view isn't ruined by haze.

If you like ghost towns, the Panamint City hike via the surprise canyon trail (https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/surprise-canyon-trail) is a good challenge and imo makes for one of the best ghost town experiences in the US because you're very likely to be the only person there. Fun scramble up a creek, too. Watch the weather.

Route 1 from LA to SF is known as the Pacific Coast Highway, or PCH, and is a world class drive. Big Sur is a gorgeous region worth a stop, and if you've got $$$, I can't recommend Post Ranch Inn (https://www.postranchinn.com/) highly enough, especially if you're with a ladyfriend. It's something else.

https://i.imgur.com/uctxOnK.jpg

I don't have much good to say about San Francisco proper as a destination, except when it comes to food. Yank Sing is some of the best dim sum you're going to find in California, and Sushi Ran, in Sausalito, some of the best sushi. Sushi Ran is Michelin star I believe, and deservedly so. On a sunny day, Mt. Tamalpais to Stinson Beach is a beautiful hike that offers some great views of the city across the bay. You have the option to park in Stinson Beach, uber up to Mt. Tam, and hike back down. Needless to say, don't leave valuables in your car anywhere near SF lol

[Toxigen]

Yosemite is great to do once in your lifetime, but it's likely going to be a zoo during the season. The real gem of the southern Sierras imo is King's Canyon and Sequoia National Parks, particularly the Rae Lakes Loop (https://www.nps.gov/seki/planyourvisit/rae-lakes-loop.htm), all 40 miles or just a piece of it depending on time available and your pace. Popular as well but it's not going to be as jammed as Yosemite, and you can truly find wilderness, solitude, and some epic views on this hike. You really can't go wrong in this region, it's all great.

If you are a fan of desert views, both Telescope Peak (https://www.nps.gov/deva/planyourvisit/telescope-peak.htm) and Mt. San Jacinto have extraordinary prominence. You can see basically all of Death Valley from Telescope Peak and San Jacinto has great views as well-- on a clear day you can see all of Southern California's mountain region from San Jacinto. These hikes are slogs, however, so be fit. If you are a masochist, try the Cactus to Clouds Trail on Jacinto-- 10,400' of elevation gain, among the highest amount of traversed prominence to be found on any single peak approach in the world. In June, the valley shouldn't be full of smoke but I'd check before you do either of these hikes so the view isn't ruined by haze.

If you like ghost towns, the Panamint City hike via the surprise canyon trail (https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/surprise-canyon-trail) is a good challenge and imo makes for one of the best ghost town experiences in the US because you're very likely to be the only person there. Fun scramble up a creek, too. Watch the weather.

Route 1 from LA to SF is known as the Pacific Coast Highway, or PCH, and is a world class drive. Big Sur is a gorgeous region worth a stop, and if you've got $$$, I can't recommend Post Ranch Inn (https://www.postranchinn.com/) highly enough, especially if you're with a ladyfriend. It's something else.

https://i.imgur.com/uctxOnK.jpg

I don't have much good to say about San Francisco proper as a destination, except when it comes to food. Yank Sing is some of the best dim sum you're going to find in California, and Sushi Ran, in Sausalito, some of the best sushi. Sushi Ran is Michelin star I believe, and deservedly so. On a sunny day, Mt. Tamalpais to Stinson Beach is a beautiful hike that offers some great views of the city across the bay. You have the option to park in Stinson Beach, uber up to Mt. Tam, and hike back down. Needless to say, don't leave valuables in your car anywhere near SF lol

Awesome, thank you.

Not a city guy anyway, just my return airport.

That Jacinto jaunt looks badass. If I had known about that I would have fit that into the itinerary for sure...already saved it on my alltrails app.

[unsunghero]

Post some nice scenery pics when ya do. I can live vicariously through other people’s travel photos

[Toxigen]

Post some nice scenery pics when ya do. I can live vicariously through other people’s travel photos

hiked the tallest mountain in colorado last summer (elbert, pretty easy hike tho) and had a killer "undercast" on the way back down

it kinda felt like being on another planet

https://i.imgur.com/L68SLcs.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/HzHXmEi.jpg

[Patriam1066]

That’s bad ass man

[Toxigen]

That’s bad ass man

thanks chief

one of my favorites in NH: Franconia ridge to Mt. Lafayette...this is up on lafayette's summit looking south

https://i.imgur.com/1FkgKry.jpg

[unsunghero]

Yea sweet to be above the clouds like that, jealous