Outdoors4Life

For those people aspiring to climb 14ers (as well as evaluate their abilities at high altitudes), the Rockies in the Colorado area offer some great options. Some people look to cover all of them while some look to hit the better ones. There are some good websites that share thoughts on various 14ers in the area and you can use this to narrow down depending on your plans.

We had done a short trip over the summer and across biking, hitting key national parks and just absorbing the gorgeous Rockies, we didn’t have enough days to hit multiple 14ers. We picked the fantastic Quandary Peak (somewhat beginner friendly since we had some younger kids in our group as well) and have blogged our experience below. This is within driving distance of Breckenridge and can be done in 1 day.

In order to prep for it, we packed our hydration bladder, some nutty snacks, Cliff bars, Cellfood liquid concentrate drops (that we put in our bladder) and a small oxygen tank we picked up in Breckenridge (or can be pre-ordered from Amazon).

Blogging Day of the Climb!

5:15 am. I hear my alarm go off. Instinctively, I reach my arm out to hit snooze, but my half-conscious brain remembers: I’m climbing Quandary Peak today! I’m awake now, and excitedly, I jump out of bed. I knew I had a long day ahead of me, but I didn’t know just how long it would be. I throw on thermals to keep warm, and a couple layers on top of that for good measure. After I’m done changing, I unplug my phone and store it in one of the many convenient pockets my cargo pants has. I put together a small backpack, with all my essentials. I throw in a couple of Nature Valley bars, some Nutella sandwiches, my camera, and a lot of water, and I have to move fast, I’m already behind schedule. I flip my hood up, walk out of the AirBnB I’m staying in, and into the garage where I hop into the 2006 Ford Siesta I’ve rented. I slam the gas, and I have to move quickly if I want to make it.

As I drive past the Breckenridge scenery, it makes me feel oddly at home, even though I’m thousands of miles away. The nature of this small town is really comforting, and that thought was in my mind as I hop out of the car and sprint towards the shuttle. They come every 30 minutes, and this is the only way to reach the start of this mountain. Just in time, with just enough space, I’m able to sit in the bus, crammed next to fellow daring adventurers. Now, as the shuttle backs out, I’m finally able to take a deep breath, clear my mind, and prepare for what is about to come. I am about to embark on the most physically challenging feat of my life, and I can feel the blood coursing through my veins. 20 minutes later, the bus arrives on a gravelly path, and everybody stands up. We all disembark the bus and start making our way to the trailhead. There are a few other hikers around, but it’s still relatively quiet and peaceful.

As I begin my hike, I take in the stunning views of the surrounding mountains and the crisp, clean air. The trail is relatively easy at first, but I know it will get much harder as I get higher up the mountain. I try to keep a steady pace and focus on my breathing. The higher I get, the more I feel the burn in my legs and the shortness of breath. But I don’t let that deter me. I remind myself of why I’m doing this, and the feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction I’ll get when I reach the summit.

As the hours pass and I get closer to the top, the trail becomes steeper and more rocky. I have to use my hands to scramble over some of the larger boulders. The altitude is starting to affect me too, and I take more breaks to catch my breath. But finally, after what feels like an eternity, I reach the summit. The view from up here is absolutely breathtaking. I can see for miles in every direction, and the feeling of accomplishment is indescribable. I spend some time at the top, taking photos and enjoying the view before I begin my descent.

The hike back down is just as challenging, but in a different way. My legs are tired from the climb up and the rocky trail makes it difficult to find my footing. But eventually, I make it back to the shuttle stop, exhausted but exhilarated. The shuttle wait is a bit annoying after a wonderful climb – and we get the 3rd shuttle after waiting in the line. As I sit on the shuttle back to my car near the airport, I can’t help but smile and think about how glad I am that I pushed myself to do this hike. It was tough, but it was so worth it.