Thanks for the shout out! Never feel bad about doing things the safe way. For what it's worth, I recently interviewed Jeremy Ashcroft, a UK climber and illustrator. He says a lot of European climbers look at Coloradans like absolute lunatics for climbing some of these spots unroped.
I also love your sentiment about climbing because it calls to you, not to fulfill someone else's checklist. Amen!
See there, no Walter Mitty moments for you, all for real for real. Good going. So, here is my trivial question, are you doing this in Stinson's? No judgement, promise ...lately I have been fast packing in Mafates and enjoying the float. Since I have been moonlighting at REI and have access to beta waaaay too many shoes I am always staring at feet. Which makes me sound...yeah., anyway I wondered if you feel nimble in a stack height associated with a maximal cushion Hoka model. And did you bring a set of Kahtoola or other brand of easily doffed/donned traction devices? These epic stories from Colorado are rad btw. Two weeks ago I topped out in Virginia and bagged our highest peak, Mt Rogers..ahem, around 5000 feet. Whoop whoop, not worthy of a King Kong chest thumping, regrettably. Does anyone say rad anymore?...oops, getting older. Thanks for the narrative per usual.
Yep, I'm wearing my Hoka Stinstons, which I'm totally comfortable in. I did bring Katoolas (the more minimalist Exospikes, not the Microspikes), and I put them on when we encountered the snow, but they felt awkward and less grippy than just the shoe so I took them off. Thanks for reading!
What a great recounting of your experience on the mountain! Thanks for sharing it. I love the mountains, but I definitely have a problem with the transition to steep vertical climbs. Just looking at the picture of the ice covered rock on your path up got my heart rate up.
I'm slowly doing some 14-ers just because they are here, yet I have no plans to ever get to class 4 (or probably even 3 - that means Wilson for me is a no go). I am actually not enamored at all by that last 500 ft on any of those (and I've done 23 individual peaks). Pile of rocks and scree. Yet, alas, I am doing some, more of a challenge. Pikes Peak definitely has my heart because I live here - I guess like Wilson for you (and thankfully, Pikes is a hike, good day for training). No shame in admitting to yourself your fears and using help at all, if the summit means a lot to you! Glad made it ok, that's the important part. I am looking forward exploring 13-ers next summer, more grass, wild flowers, and less steep sliding descends that always make for a quarter-mile unpleasant time and memories.
Olga, well said! Reading & watching the recent coverage of the PP Ascent/Marathon makes me want to go up Pikes, since I never have, but not with the crowding of a race. I’d like to do it solo—or with you?!
Pls email me your # so we can text :-) Oct 21 could work for me. But I’m not interested if it’s already pretty snowy by then. I’d wait til next year. Thanks!
Nice job, Sarah. Any plans for climbing in the Eastern Sierra? There's a ridge called Thunderbolt to Sill that is one of my long-term goals. You hit 5 14,000 foot peaks on one traverse. I was up on Sill this year and these two boys were basically running it. This is some class 4 and 5 climbing. No rope. I talked to them as they finished on Sill. Of course they were from Telluride.
Hi Dax -- I'm grateful for my Eastern Sierra experiences earlier in life, but realistically am unlikely to go back. If/when I return to CA, it's to visit my daughter in LA or friends in the Bay Area. I know from your recent post you have climbing experience, unlike me, so you likely could tackle a linkup of 14ers way better than I. Good luck!
Thanks for the shout out! Never feel bad about doing things the safe way. For what it's worth, I recently interviewed Jeremy Ashcroft, a UK climber and illustrator. He says a lot of European climbers look at Coloradans like absolute lunatics for climbing some of these spots unroped.
I also love your sentiment about climbing because it calls to you, not to fulfill someone else's checklist. Amen!
Thanks Cole! Keep up the good coverage of the 14ers.
Thanks!
See there, no Walter Mitty moments for you, all for real for real. Good going. So, here is my trivial question, are you doing this in Stinson's? No judgement, promise ...lately I have been fast packing in Mafates and enjoying the float. Since I have been moonlighting at REI and have access to beta waaaay too many shoes I am always staring at feet. Which makes me sound...yeah., anyway I wondered if you feel nimble in a stack height associated with a maximal cushion Hoka model. And did you bring a set of Kahtoola or other brand of easily doffed/donned traction devices? These epic stories from Colorado are rad btw. Two weeks ago I topped out in Virginia and bagged our highest peak, Mt Rogers..ahem, around 5000 feet. Whoop whoop, not worthy of a King Kong chest thumping, regrettably. Does anyone say rad anymore?...oops, getting older. Thanks for the narrative per usual.
Yep, I'm wearing my Hoka Stinstons, which I'm totally comfortable in. I did bring Katoolas (the more minimalist Exospikes, not the Microspikes), and I put them on when we encountered the snow, but they felt awkward and less grippy than just the shoe so I took them off. Thanks for reading!
What a great recounting of your experience on the mountain! Thanks for sharing it. I love the mountains, but I definitely have a problem with the transition to steep vertical climbs. Just looking at the picture of the ice covered rock on your path up got my heart rate up.
I'm slowly doing some 14-ers just because they are here, yet I have no plans to ever get to class 4 (or probably even 3 - that means Wilson for me is a no go). I am actually not enamored at all by that last 500 ft on any of those (and I've done 23 individual peaks). Pile of rocks and scree. Yet, alas, I am doing some, more of a challenge. Pikes Peak definitely has my heart because I live here - I guess like Wilson for you (and thankfully, Pikes is a hike, good day for training). No shame in admitting to yourself your fears and using help at all, if the summit means a lot to you! Glad made it ok, that's the important part. I am looking forward exploring 13-ers next summer, more grass, wild flowers, and less steep sliding descends that always make for a quarter-mile unpleasant time and memories.
Olga, well said! Reading & watching the recent coverage of the PP Ascent/Marathon makes me want to go up Pikes, since I never have, but not with the crowding of a race. I’d like to do it solo—or with you?!
Come over! Might go for one more 3rd Fri of October!
Pls email me your # so we can text :-) Oct 21 could work for me. But I’m not interested if it’s already pretty snowy by then. I’d wait til next year. Thanks!
Nice job, Sarah. Any plans for climbing in the Eastern Sierra? There's a ridge called Thunderbolt to Sill that is one of my long-term goals. You hit 5 14,000 foot peaks on one traverse. I was up on Sill this year and these two boys were basically running it. This is some class 4 and 5 climbing. No rope. I talked to them as they finished on Sill. Of course they were from Telluride.
Hi Dax -- I'm grateful for my Eastern Sierra experiences earlier in life, but realistically am unlikely to go back. If/when I return to CA, it's to visit my daughter in LA or friends in the Bay Area. I know from your recent post you have climbing experience, unlike me, so you likely could tackle a linkup of 14ers way better than I. Good luck!