I love hiking and going on outdoor adventures! One of my favorite adventures has been learning to hike 14ers. 14ers are mountains that are over 14,000 ft in elevation and Colorado has 54 of them (give or take depending on how you classify them, but that’s not a necessary conversation here). Anyways, I have hiked, as of 2019, 10 of these 14ers in Colorado and my goal is to hike them all!

I love bringing people with me when I hike. Yes, that is mostly because it is dangerous to hike alone, but it also allows others to experience something great too! Many times these friends are ones who have never hiked a 14er before, and they have all made it to the top! So in this post, I wanted to give some tips for hiking and preparing to hike a 14er for all the friends that will go with me on an adventure one day!

1. Find someone to hike with. Obviously you want to find a buddy to go hiking with you, but it is even more helpful if you can find someone who has hiked, climbed, or backpacked before …especially if you have never done those things! This friend will be a major help along the way, both with tips and encouragement.
2. Get in shape! You don’t have to be in the best shape of your life to hike a 14er. Mountains have a variety of types (or “classes”) of routes. These routes all vary in difficulty meaning that there are easily mountains that are much shorter than a 14,000 ft but are classified at a much higher rank in difficulty. Just because you are hiking a 14er doesn’t mean you are hiking the biggest, baddest mountain out there….just the one with the best view (in my opinion). So prepare for this adventure by getting in shape. Go on a walk every day for a few miles at a steady, quick pace. Going for a run a few times a week is even better! Do some lunges, run some stairs, swim a few laps, hit the bleechers. Anything that is going to get you working at a level with less oxygen than normal is the key. Be consistent with your training and remember the joy you will have at the top of the mountain! That is your motivation!
3. Drink water! At least one week before you hike, you need to start drinking more water than normal. This is essential for anyone just going to visit a high altitude location, and so it is life saving for those going to an even higher altitude (aka: 14,000 ft above sea level)! Drink lots of water, and then drink more. My coach in college used to tell us, “Drink water like it’s your job.” So do that.
4. Know the mountain. Before you head out to the trailhead, you need to do some research! Every mountain has multiple routes. Study the route you want to take and know where the trailhead begins. Check out 14ers.com or alltrails.com to see recent reports from people who have hiked. Learn from their mistakes and take their advice!
5. Gather your gear. Each 14er is different and the length of the trails and difficulties are also different. So for longer hikes you will need to bring more food and a wider variety of clothing. But here’s a general list that should get you through most one-day 14er hikes: camelback backpack (if you have this, it’s a life saver!), 1-2 extra water bottles in your pack, easy access snacks (granola bars, fruit snacks, apple, trail mix, PB sandwich, etc. …things you can eat while you walk), sunscreen, first aid kit, toilet paper, ziplock bags (for trash…pack it and keep it with you please!), LAYERS (tshirt, long sleeve shirt, jacket, rain jacket, etc.), hat/sunglasses, hiking boots (or good running shoes will work if it’s an easier 14er), hiking poles (optional), headlamp, good socks, gloves (if you are like me and have Elsa hands that are always cold) and of course, a sign that has the name of the 14er along with the height so you can take a picture at the top!
6. HIKE! Now you are ready to hike! Before you head out for the day, make sure to check the weather! Storms tend to roll in around 2pm in Colorado most afternoons. Therefore, you need to summit before the storm arrives. My personal rule is to summit every mountain before noon. So if you are doing a double or triple, you must leave early. The most common call for a rescue from the top of 14ers is due to lightening, so please, please, stay safe and forget about the summit if a storm rolls in unexpectedly early. Now, when I say start early, I mean early. I typically want to be at the trailhead by at least 5am, but that changes depending on the difficulty of the mountain, the number of peaks, and the weather. So just be smart and start as early as you can. (Which is why you need a headlamp because it will be cold and dark.)

So friends, those are my tips for having a great 14er hike! It really is worth it! Our God created these tall mountains, and I pray that as you stand on the top, you would realize how vast and unsearchable our God is! He is bigger than the mountains and yet He knows every detail of our lives! We will never understand all that He is and yet we can know Him personally. And I praise God, that He has given us mountains to enjoy and incredible views to see His creation! May the Lord bless you and keep you on your journey!