Your trip to a Colorado Fourteener starts long before you reach the trailhead. From gathering information to carrying appropriate gear, proper preparations will help you enjoy a safe and minimum impact trip to Colorado’s high country. Virtually all backcountry accidents and their corresponding damage to the environment can be prevented through careful pre-trip planning. Take the time to ready yourself before you leave home.

The Colorado Fourteeners Initiative and Leave No Trace, Inc. recommend that all hikers attempting to ascend Fourteeners consider the following before any climb:

  • Define Goals and Expectations for Your Hike
  • Know the Area and What to Expect
  • Carry and Use Appropriate Clothing and Equipment
  • Reduce Litter at the Source, Repackage Food into Reusable Containers
  • Consider the Weather
  • Consider Altitude, Snowfields, and Hypothermia

Define Goals and Expectations for Your Hike

Before departing to climb a Fourteener, your group should discuss and agree upon the goals for the hike. Clarifying the group’s expectations will assist with your preparations and give everyone involved an understanding of their role as a member of the group. Also, keep in mind that a group travels only as fast as its slowest member. Understanding each person’s abilities will ultimately allow to you have a safe, successful trip to Colorado’s high country.

Know the Area and What to Expect

Begin the trip by consulting with local land managers, guidebooks, and hikers who have already climbed your chosen peak. Land managers will be able to explain any permit requirements or regulations that pertain to the area. Gather information about the area – the trailhead location, the most appropriate route, seasonal closures, wildlife concerns, designated campsites, etc. Be sure to choose a route that is appropriate for your group’s skill level and which will enable you to minimize your impact on the environment. Always decide on a contingency plan – the method and route you plan to use in case of an emergency. Gather topographic maps for the area and make sure you are proficient with the use of a map and compass. Be sure to leave your itinerary with friends or family and sign the trailhead register to facilitate any rescue efforts. Stick to your plan so that others can find you in case of emergency.

Carry and Use Appropriate Clothing and Equipment

Ill-prepared backcountry users who find themselves in uncomfortable situations will often sacrifice minimum impact considerations for safety and comfort. To minimize your impact and maximize your safety, carry gear that will allow you to be comfortable in all weather conditions. For example, good rainwear, a warm hat, and insulating layers will help you cope with wet and cold conditions. Likewise, carrying a lightweight camp stove, tent, and collapsible water container will allow you to camp at the most appropriate, durable site. What follows are some specific equipment recommendations that will help you leave no trace while climbing Fourteeners.

  • Brightly colored equipment and clothing may look attractive in store windows, but above timberline it can be seen from a long distance, creating a visual impact to other Fourteener hikers. Earth-colored clothing and equipment is less visibly obtrusive.
  • Rugged, water-resistant boots and gaiters are a must because they allow you to stay on the main trail when conditions are snowy, wet, or muddy.
  • A small garden trowel is indispensable for digging a minimum-impact cathole to bury human waste below timberline. Above timberline, a paper bag containing kitty litter (odor reducing/drying agent) and a sealable, plastic bag will enable you to pack out your solid human waste (see section Dispose of Waste Properly for more detailed instructions).
  • Carry binoculars and telephoto camera lenses to observe or photograph wildlife from an unobtrusive distance.
  • Carry a small strainer to remove all food particles from dishwater before dispersing it (see section Dispose of Waste Properly for more detailed instructions).

For a more detailed list of recommended clothing and equipment, please refer to the [/resources/notrace/gear Fourteener gear list].

Reduce Litter at the Source, Repackage Food into Reusable Containers
Wind on the summit of a Fourteener can quickly rip food packaging from your hand and deposit it beyond your reach. To minimize the amount of potential trash or litter you bring into the backcountry, plan your meals carefully and repackage foods from boxes, bottles, and cans into reusable containers or plastic bags.

Consider the Weather

Weather in Colorado’s high country can change quickly and dramatically. A balmy 70-degree day can turn stormy with hail and high winds in a matter of minutes. Unprepared Fourteener climbers often do damaging things like cutting switchbacks in order to descend the mountain rapidly and escape severe weather. Expect dramatic changes in weather and prepare yourself by carrying appropriate waterproof, windproof, and warm clothing.

Understanding weather patterns can assist in trip preparation. Most people hike Fourteeners June through September. These months are also marked by afternoon thunderstorms. These storms, caused by rising warm air masses, are marked by heavy rain, hail, and lightning. Proper preparation for such storms includes carrying all-weather gear and anticipating weather changes. Always get an “alpine start” by leaving early enough in the morning to descend from the summit by noon. This pattern of travel minimizes your exposure to thunderstorms and allows you plenty of daylight to return to the trailhead. In the event you are caught on a ridge or summit during a thunderstorm, descend quickly from the ridge or summit, stow any metal gear away from your body, and crouch down with your feet together and head low. If available, place an insulating layer, such as a foam pad, between your feet and the ground. Groups should spread out at least 15 feet apart to minimize the chance multiple lightning strike victims. (detailed information on lightning safety is available from the US Forest Service Rocky Mountain Region’s web-site at [http://www.fs.fed.us/r2/psicc/spl/safety]).

Weather patterns in winter, spring, and autumn are also of special concern. Shorter days, colder temperatures, avalanches, and severe snowstorms are all factors to consider. Hikers in spring and autumn will likely encounter standing water, mud, ice, and any number of other varied conditions.

Up to date weather forecasts for Colorado are available over the internet at:

The Weather Channel – [http://www.weather.com]
Weather Underground – [http://www.wunderground.com]
National Weather Service – [http://www.crh.noaa.gov]

Consider Altitude, Snowfields, and Hypothermia

Altitude – As you gain altitude when hiking Fourteeners, the amount of oxygen your body takes in and processes with each breath decreases. While oxygen content in the air remains constant at 21%, as you gain altitude the barometric pressure decreases, causing air to expand in volume. The result in the change of barometric pressure is that you intake 12% less oxygen with each breath at 14,000 feet than at sea level. Reduced levels of oxygen in the bloodstream combined with the exertion of climbing a Fourteener causes many climbers to experience symptoms of altitude sickness such as light-headedness and nausea. Uncommon but real, severe effects from altitude include high altitude pulmonary and cerebral edema, which can result in death. The best prevention of altitude sickness is to stay hydrated and well fed. Stop your ascent if you experience symptoms: they will become worse if you continue your climb. Many climbers have been seriously injured from altitude sickness because it negatively effected their judgment and caused them to make poor decisions regarding route finding or weather.

Altitude also effects air temperature. For every 1,000 feet in elevation gained, the temperature will decrease approximately 3.5 degrees Fahrenheit. Thus, if it is 60 degrees at the trailhead at 10,000 feet, it is 46 degrees on the summit not considering wind chill or other factors.

Snowfields – Snowfields exist along Fourteener hiking routes in all seasons. Research your climb and know whether or not you will encounter snowfields. If you will encounter snowfields, you should carry an ice axe and crampons and know how to use them (mountaineering classes are offered annually by the Colorado Mountain Club, for more information visit their web-site at www.cmc.org). Additionally, you should receive avalanche awareness training. Every year, avalanches in the mountains needlessly kill hikers. To learn more about avalanches or to check avalanche forecasts for the state of Colorado contact the Colorado Snow and Avalanche Center at [http://www.csac.org].

Hypothermia – Hypothermia is the rapid loss of body temperature and can result in death. The high winds and rain typical of mountain weather put ill-prepared hikers at risk of becoming hypothermic. Early symptoms are shivering, apathy, mental confusion, slurred speech, and stumbling. Individuals exhibiting these symptoms should be removed from exposure to rain and wind as quickly as possible, given warm and or sugary foods and drinks, and changed out of wet and into warm and dry clothes. More severe symptoms are unresponsiveness, decreased pulse and respiration, cessation of shivering and physical collapse. Individuals exhibiting these symptoms must be transported to a medical facility immediately where they can be re-warmed.