Rockies: Colorado Fourteeners

Colorado is home to 58 mountains over 14,000 feet, 53 of which have at least 300 feet of prominence. These are known as the ‘Colorado Fourteeners’ and climbing them is a rite of passage for Coloradans and mountaineers that visit the Centennial State. It’s estimated that there were over 350,000 ‘hiker days’ on the Fourteeners in 2018 with 20 percent of the routes seeing 55 percent of climbs. This means you can expect some serious crowds on the most popular mountains, but you can also find solitude on less frequented peaks, especially those far from Denver. If you’re looking for a ‘bucket list’ mountaineering challenge, climbing all 53 Fourteeners with at least 300 feet of prominence is one that will push the limits of your skill and endurance, while remaining achievable. While the exact number of people who have summited all 53 peaks isn’t known – since some do not add their names to the Colorado Mountain Club’s list – best guesses are around 2,500. While joining this elite group requires facing off against scraggly rock, exposed scrambles, and sometimes private landowners, the views along the way are consistently breathtaking. And if it feels too difficult at times, just remember that Andrew Hamilton climbed them all in less than 10 days in 2015!