Erik Schlimmer tells the story of how he learned to fastpack the Adirondacks, a grueling 110 miles and 19,000 vertical feet of climbing, in five days with only 11 pounds on his back.
When this issue hits the gyms and stores, the story that inspired this column will be old news, but I’m writing about it anyway because I think it raises some really important issues in the active community.
The Denim Dude
Why shouldn’t your first 14er be the challenging Longs Peak—in jeans? “The most impressive thing about the hike for me, upon reflection, is how amazingly unprepared I was,” says Tayer, 42, of his virgin 14er ascent. “I hiked in blue jeans and a flannel shirt with a canvas army pack.” His fuel of choice? A roast beef sandwich with mayonnaise. “The worst part of the day was how that sandwich made my stomach feel on the way down. I still remember that hike as a long and painful trip,” says Tayer.
While he learned one uncomfortable lesson from mayonnaise, he learned another potentially life-threatening one on the 1.5-mile hike up from Fourth of July campground in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains to Little Bear. Leaving at 3 p.m. to push for the summit, Tayer and a friend tagged the top and returned to the main ridge-line as sunlight disappeared. Tip-toeing the exposed ridge-line in pitch dark, the duo peeked over the edge multiple times in search of the trail unti finally stumbling on it. “The next day as we looked up to the ridge, we could see the different spots we had initially considered heading down, consisting of a short slide of steep scree followed by a huge free-fall plunge to the valley floor,” says Tayer.
The importance of safety and smart choices set in deep that day, but as far as the “peak-bagging” mentality that runs rampant in Colorado, Tayer can sympathize with the mindset. “Mountain hikes are my meditation. I just let my mind wander while I soak in the outdoor experience, which includes the mountain beauty as well as the challenges that each peak throws at you,” says Tayer. “Definitely, too, the summit is my target and I’m very serious about attaining that goal, beginning early enough to beat the afternoon thundershowers and moving at a consistent pace. So I can relate to the peak-bagging mentality. However, the two motivations really go hand-in-hand for me.”
This 43-year-old lives to climb. She relocated her family back to Colorado from Tucson and found a part-time job—and an understanding boss—that allows her to fulfill her passion. Her mountaineering resume is intimidating; she’s completed all of Colorado’s 14ers and set the speed record for summiting all 584 (including an unranked peak) of the state’s 13ers. And she accomplished these feats with exercise-induced asthma. “The first one did not go well. I discovered my asthma could handle distance hiking much easier than it could elevation,” says Gergen. “I swore off, for two weeks, and then found myself unable to keep from going back. I’ve now learned to manage the asthma well enough to climb almost daily in summer and several times per week the rest of the year.”
Of thousands of summits, Gergen says the Belford and Oxford day hike in February was one for the record books. “The stats were something like 17 hours, 17 miles and 7,000 feet of gain for the day—at a time of year when there is minimal daylight,” she says. Her style of climbing isn’t for everyone, but it suits Gergen just fine. “Maybe my way of climbing isn’t perfect; it certainly makes me happy,” she says. “I hike slowly because of the asthma, which gives me time to enjoy each hike, but I race through the peak lists, which gives me more days in the mountains.”
While her vast mountaineering experience is undeniable, Gergen still considered herself a “newbie” when she finished the 14ers list. “It is worth saying that it is not only newbies who occasionally make mistakes,” says Gergen. Her advice for first-timers? Take a basic mountaineering course covering clothing, altitude-related issues and weather. N
For a bored professional extreme skier, there was an obvious challenge hanging out there: Lots of people had hiked Colorado’s 14ers, but very few had skied them all. This past winter, Aspen’s Chris Davenport, 36, realized that dream in just one year.
After skiing the world for nearly a decade, one of the most appealing aspects of his Ski the 14ers project was coming home. “These are among the most beautiful mountains in the world,” says Davenport. “I love Colorado’s mountain culture. There’s such a great spirit and people live close to the environment, and that’s really unique.”
Although he imagined burnout would set in by the end of the yearlong adventure, Davenport says, “In the end I actually came out more inspired and excited to ski more peaks.” Besides mental exhaustion, one would think an accident would be inevitable when skiing 54 peaks, many in the winter, in one calendar year. But the crew had virtually no mishaps, according to Davenport. “I think it comes from really good planning and making sure everyone’s healthy and has the right gear,” he says. “You kind of create your own luck in the mountains.” Read about his adventures at www.skithe14ers.com.
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