The Fourteener Virgin’s Essential Hiking Guide
How to plan, train and pack for your first summit above 14,000 feet. Article Sandra Henderson | Photography Provided
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ou aren’t living the Colorado lifestyle (like you mean it) until Photos: Left: Cindy Outlaw (left) and Jen MacKeigan (right) on a trainyou have summitted one of the state’s 54 fourteeners. You’re ing hike on Mt. Sanitas. Middle: Jeffrey Donenfeld on his way to the summit of Mt. Sneffels, a still a fourteener virgin? Then this is the season to finally cele- fourteener near Telluride. brate this local rite of passage. Right: Mattie Schuler (right) and her friend Brittany Kloss (left). The Hiking a fourteener, though, is not an activity to sponta- pair plans to climb 14 fourteeners. They did a half marathon in Steamboat to prepare/train for their fourteener quest. neously set about after Sunday brunch. Conquering a peak above 14,000 feet—and making it down safely—takes prepaover larger boulders and walking on loose rock require more ration and skills. A good reason and a good friend are helpful, too. Fourteener strength and flexibility. Fear of failure, of reaching your endurance limit before reachfirst-timer Mattie Schuler has both: The travel writer and outdoor gear reviewer piggybacked on her friend’s New Year’s resolution ing the summit, is no excuse for Outlaw and MacKeigan. Becoming physically stronger is indeed what motivates them to embark to climb 14 fourteeners in 2014. “It’s intimidating,” says the 25-year-old Wisconsin native. “But on this quintessential Colorado adventure. The longtime exercise anyone can do one fourteener. This is something bigger. I want to pals have done weekly training hikes since the spring and enlisted their TRX trainer at the YMCA to create an exercise plan to imtake my hiking to the next level.” prove core strength and balance by mixing Climbing that one fourteener, their first, cardio workouts with weight exercises and is dare enough for friends Cindy Outlaw and Bryan Johnson dynamic stretches. Jen MacKeigan. REI Outdoor School, Boulder Store Similarly, REI Outdoor School instructor “It’s one of those things you should try when 1789 28th St., Boulder Bryan Johnson recommends following the you live in Colorado,” says Outlaw. “We’ll ap303.583.9970 acronym F.I.T.T. to get fit for a fourteenpreciate being able to say, ‘We did it.’” REI.com/outdoorschool er: vary frequency, intensity, type and time Fourteener Fitness (length) of workouts. Jeffrey Donenfeld Like most fourteener virgins, though, Adventure consultant Jeffrey Donenfeld, Four North the two Lafayette moms wonder, “Are we who has climbed most of Colorado’s Front 1942 Broadway St., Ste. 300, Boulder fit enough to do this?” And for a reason. Range and San Juan fourteeners, considers 720.515.4679 Climbing a fourteener is more than hikMt. Sanitas and Royal Arch excellent trainFour-North.com ing uphill. Scrambling up rocks, climbing ing hikes right here in Boulder. 34 Boulder Lifestyle | July 2014