Recommendations/ questions from a beginner in no elevation

[babystepper]

Hello,

I lived in CO for 3 months as a travel nurse and hiked Mt. Bierstadt with another nurse and absolutely loved it. I am looking to hike another 14er.

1. My favorite part was the top where you had to climb the boulders. Is that a part of all 14ers? Or just Mt. Bierstadt? That would be what I am looking to do again.

2. I do not live there anymore and am no longer acclimated to the elevation. Would I still be able to hike another 14er? Do you have any recommendations on ways to train for higher elevation? I live only at 500 ft elevation with no mountains to practice on.

3. After Mt Bierstadt what would be a good next 14er to climb?

4. I really am new and don’t know much about mountaineering, so you have any recommendations on how I can learn more information for a beginner? I want to be smart and safe. I don’t want to do anything dangerous or die so advice would be appreciated.

5. Is there a group or people you can join to hike with? I would be slow, but I have a great attitude. honestly, I will probably be too out of breath to even talk.

Any help or information would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!

[nyker]

See my answers below:

Hello,

I lived in CO for 3 months as a travel nurse and hiked Mt. Bierstadt with another nurse and absolutely loved it. I am looking to hike another 14er.

1. My favorite part was the top where you had to climb the boulders. Is that a part of all 14ers? Or just Mt. Bierstadt? That would be what I am looking to do again. - plenty of them! Most of them and many 13ers as well

2. I do not live there anymore and am no longer acclimated to the elevation. Would I still be able to hike another 14er? Do you have any recommendations on ways to train for higher elevation? I live only at 500 ft elevation with no mountains to practice on.
Sure you can, just ease into it next time you come out, going progressively higher. Make sure you have a solid cardio base and add in some leg strengthening weight training.

3. After Mt Bierstadt what would be a good next 14er to climb? - Check this site for the Class 1 or Class 2 easier routes under the routes ranked by difficulty

4. I really am new and don’t know much about mountaineering, so you have any recommendations on how I can learn more information for a beginner? I want to be smart and safe. I don’t want to do anything dangerous or die so advice would be appreciated.
This site...post more specific questions as you get closer to your next trip with any specific peaks

5. Is there a group or people you can join to hike with? I would be slow, but I have a great attitude. honestly, I will probably be too out of breath to even talk.
You can post in the forum called Climbing Connection

Any help or information would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!

[hellmanm]

Yep, 14ers are really fun. Per your questions:

1. Most 14ers have some element of boulder-hopping. Bierstadt is generally considered to be one of the easier ones, but there are plenty of 14ers that are similar in terrain.

2. Altitude is a tough thing to prep for. You can train all you want, but nothing will substitute for a couple of nights at altitude before a hike. I had a buddy from sea level come visit me a few years back. He was in better cardio shape, stronger, and trained regularly. He was kicking my ass up until about 13k, where he hit a wall and I caught up easily. We both summited, but all that training can only get you so far.

3. Quandary, Democrat-Cameron-Lincoln, Yale, Huron, Columbia, Harvard. If you like boulder-hopping, anything class 2 will be enjoyable. The above won’t get you into too much trouble if you’re a beginner, though.

4. This site has lots of info for those starting out. Read route descriptions, look at gear lists, and see if you can join an experienced group on a medium-difficulty peak.

5. This is an issue that a lot of us face. The Facebook groups are notoriously hit/miss, and meetup is similar. Still, once you have a crew, you don’t need to ask around as much. I wish I could give a better answer, but if you’re not bringing a group from sea level, finding reliable partners can take time.

[mtree]

1 - Most class 2 hikes don't have the boulder field like Bierstadt's summit pitch. Those I can think of include Harvard and maybe Tabeguache and Columbia. Plenty of scrambling on Massive, but its not necessary. Certainly Blanca, but that's a different animal. You can FIND boulder scrambles all over, but they're not usually on the standard routes.
2 - Acclimation not happening. Even coming out a couple days early doesn't do it. Live with it. Just be in good shape and stay hydrated once out here.
3 - Lots of choices. Peruse the list and pick your target!
4 - Follow the advice on this forum, but don't go overboard. It ain't brain surgery. I just took a newby up and all he had was boots, a pack, rain jacket, water and food. I gave him some sunscreen. Easy peezy.
5 - You can usually pick up partners a couple weeks before your hike. If you're on any of the popular hikes you won't be alone.

Enjoy!

[jrbren_vt]

2 - Acclimation not happening. Even coming out a couple days early doesn't do it. Live with it. Just be in good shape and stay hydrated once out here.

You post a lot of good info on this site that I enjoy reading. But can you elaborate on this ?
This is contrary to my own experience and everything I have read. Acclimatization starts the second you get off the plane.
A couple of days acclimatizing at moderate altitudes is an immense help. Sorry if I misunderstand. Thx.

[CheapCigarMan]

2 - Acclimation not happening. Even coming out a couple days early doesn't do it. Live with it. Just be in good shape and stay hydrated once out here.

You post a lot of good info on this site that I enjoy reading. But can you elaborate on this ?
This is contrary to my own experience and everything I have read. Acclimatization starts the second you get off the plane.
A couple of days acclimatizing at moderate altitudes is an immense help. Sorry if I misunderstand. Thx.

I always agree with mtree on this topic.
Think of it like this. You’ve never ran before and there’s a marathon you want to do next week. So you get up and run a mile or two. Yes, immediately you’re starting to improve but you’re no where near in the shape you need to be in for a marathon.
Acclimating is the same way.
Also, science says 25% of the population is hit harder. I’m in that category. Took me 6 months to fully acclimate here. Nausea with a dull headache during that time.
Takes more than three 2 mile runs to get in shape for a marathon. Takes more than three days to fully acclimate at 13 - 14k’.
Though, if you climb at that altitude for 6 weekends you’ll see a huge improvement.

[jrbren_vt]

2 - Acclimation not happening. Even coming out a couple days early doesn't do it. Live with it. Just be in good shape and stay hydrated once out here.

You post a lot of good info on this site that I enjoy reading. But can you elaborate on this ?
This is contrary to my own experience and everything I have read. Acclimatization starts the second you get off the plane.
A couple of days acclimatizing at moderate altitudes is an immense help. Sorry if I misunderstand. Thx.

I always agree with mtree on this topic.
Think of it like this. You’ve never ran before and there’s a marathon you want to do next week. So you get up and run a mile or two. Yes, immediately you’re starting to improve but you’re no where near in the shape you need to be in for a marathon.
Acclimating is the same way.
Also, science says 25% of the population is hit harder. I’m in that category. Took me 6 months to fully acclimate here. Nausea with a dull headache during that time.
Takes more than three 2 mile runs to get in shape for a marathon. Takes more than three days to fully acclimate at 13 - 14k’.
Though, if you climb at that altitude for 6 weekends you’ll see a huge improvement.

You don't have to be 100% acclimatized to climb a 14er. If you are coming from sea level a couple of days sleeping at 5-8K makes a huge difference, based on 100% of the literature I have read (not counting internet forums). Being 20-50% acclimatized is better than 0%. Enough to keep you from getting sick. I don't think the curve is linear. I think the curve is very steep early on (hit 50% or more in a few days) then it asymptotically approaches 100% later. I would be interested in seeing actual curves, I have not found them. Personally I have never really had any severe problems with altitude, which I attribute to slow acclimation of several days every time I have tried it. Granted I have never tried to climb a 14er the day after getting off the plane from sea level (that is a mystery I am comfortable to live with, now that I live in COS not an experiment available to me anymore), and many people claim to do it. I think most get sick and have a much less enjoyable time then they would have had they eased into the altitude. A lot of variables in play. To anyone coming from sea level, I will always recommend at least a couple of days acclimatizing. I don't get the marathon analogy. I used to run marathons myself, 29 in my lifetime total. Totally different animal.

[Hiker Mike]

2 - Acclimation not happening. Even coming out a couple days early doesn't do it. Live with it. Just be in good shape and stay hydrated once out here.

You post a lot of good info on this site that I enjoy reading. But can you elaborate on this ?
This is contrary to my own experience and everything I have read. Acclimatization starts the second you get off the plane.
A couple of days acclimatizing at moderate altitudes is an immense help. Sorry if I misunderstand. Thx.

Part of the problem here is acclimation can be a very individual thing. For myself, coming from the flatlands of Indiana, I have found that staying at 7500' to 8000' for about a week, works pretty well for me. However, I often don't have that much time but that does not stop me from climbing. I just take it slow and take hikes that gain a little altitude each day. Climb to 9k one day, 10k the next. You get the idea. I take has much time as I have available to work up to altitude. If I have only three days then that is what I have. If I have six days, then so much the better.

For me, climbing to 14k the second day would find my heart trying to explode out of my chest!

[mtree]

1 - Most class 2 hikes don't have the boulder field like Bierstadt's summit pitch. Those I can think of include Harvard and maybe Tabeguache and Columbia. Plenty of scrambling on Massive, but its not necessary. Certainly Blanca, but that's a different animal. You can FIND boulder scrambles all over, but they're not usually on the standard routes.
2 - Acclimation not happening. Even coming out a couple days early doesn't do it. Live with it. Just be in good shape and stay hydrated once out here.
3 - Lots of choices. Peruse the list and pick your target!
4 - Follow the advice on this forum, but don't go overboard. It ain't brain surgery. I just took a newby up and all he had was boots, a pack, rain jacket, water and food. I gave him some sunscreen. Easy peezy.
5 - You can usually pick up partners a couple weeks before your hike. If you're on any of the popular hikes you won't be alone.

Enjoy!

Acclimation starts as soon as you reach altitude. But, as CheapCigar says, it takes awhile to acclimate... as in weeks or months. A few days does very little. What you CAN do is get your body and mind adjusted for an altitude climb! Just a nice run or a minor hike over 8000 ft should help. You'll see how your lungs and muscles react to the altitude and this may help for the hike. Basically a warmup or test drive. But, yeah, sleeping in your car the night before does nothing.

Tons of folks come out here from the coast and climb 14ers the next day. Not unusual and very doable. Just embrace the suck.

[justiner]

This is contrary to my own experience and everything I have read. Acclimatization starts the second you get off the plane.

Acclimatization is slow, as the main drivers towards acclimatization are also slow to improve. A big part of acclimatization is the production of additional blood cells (as well general metabolic fitness). Another is strengthening the lungs/diaphragm. That'll start to make a difference within a few weeks. No athlete that wants to do an altitude intervention to enhance fitness thinks that a few hours at altitude before a race will help. More likely than not, a few days will actually hurt performance, since things like recovery at altitude can really be impacted (as sleep can also be impacted from altitude). The usual advice for athletes who compete at altitude is either: go to the event and race right away, or go weeks and weeks in advance and properly acclimatize.

You can certainly feel better at altitude, but that's more getting used to the new parameters of less oxygen b/c of less air pressure. You learn to move perhaps slower, adjust your breathing patterns, etc. Those are probably mostly steps you do without even thinking of it. Other steps; drinking more water, drinking less booze (you may even find adjusting what you can eat can help!) can also help but you have to remember to do so.

[mtree]

This is contrary to my own experience and everything I have read. Acclimatization starts the second you get off the plane.

You can certainly feel better at altitude, but that's more getting used to the new parameters of less oxygen b/c of less air pressure. You learn to move perhaps slower, adjust your breathing patterns, etc. Those are probably mostly steps you do without even thinking of it. Other steps; drinking more water, drinking less booze (you may even find adjusting what you can eat can help!) can also help but you have to remember to do so.

This is spot on.

[mtalll]

I realize it's anecdotal, but my experience as one who lives at sea level, is that I notice a marked improvement after about 5 days of sleeping at 8k. It is definitely nowhere near total acclimatization, but I am stronger when hiking, even though I'm probably actually weaker (since I've been hiking several consecutive days which I don't normally do, and recovery is slower at altitude). I also start to sleep better and feel more alert overall. My personal experience matches what jbren describes, faster improvement in the beginning, them more continued gradual improvement if you stay longer.