A pre-dawn start, a strict food-and-water plan for the altitude, and a false summit before the real one above 14,000 feet.
Seasoned hikers and mountaineers all over the world often travel to Colorado, USA, because they are drawn by the lure of the magnificent Rocky mountains. Stretching across the western part of the United States, the Colorado Rockies is renowned for its towering peaks, pristine lakes, and unique wilderness.
Amidst the many peaks of the Rocky Mountains, Quandary Peak in Colorado stands tall and proud. The highest peak in the Tenmile Range of the Rockies, it rises to an impressive height of 14,262 feet, and presents a challenge for anyone who attempts it. Quandary Peak is also part of the elite group of mountains, dubbed “Fourteeners,” which are all at least 14,000 feet high. There are only 96 of them in the United States. In terms of overall elevation, Quandary Peak comes in at 15th place.
What makes these mountains increasingly more challenging is that at 14,000 feet, you have the normal challenges that you may experience during any other climb, but there is also the added possibility of suffering from altitude sickness.
The trailhead begins at an elevation of approximately 10,800 feet, and the round trip distance covers roughly 6.8 miles. While this may seem like a moderate distance, it’s important to remember that Quandary Peak reaches a staggering height of 14,262 feet. Thus, it takes an average of 5–7 hours to complete.
We (my Dad and I), knew we had a very long day ahead of us, and thus decided to begin this hike very early in the morning at approximately 6 AM. This hike began with nothing more than rugged, rocky trails, but very steep slopes. For the first mile of this hike, we hiked through the treeline. However, my lack of acclimatization to the high elevation was evident as I would always be huffing loudly and have to take frequent breaks. To combat this problem, my Dad began putting me on a strict water and food schedule after approximately 30 minutes into the hike. Although this schedule may sound a little absurd, it was definitely one of the main reasons I was able to summit Quandary in the first place.
We went from hiking in the treeline to hiking over a rocky trail. However at around 1.5 miles into the hike, the terrain dramatically transformed to become a landscape of ice and snow, which demanded careful footing and adaptability. The icy conditions also demanded for a crucial gear adjustment — crampons and hiking poles. This was my first time using crampons so I was a little nervous to start out. The crampons provided traction needed to navigate the slippery slopes, while the poles provided extra support that was desperately needed.
In this photo, you can see the beginning of the steep, snowy incline upwards for the last 1,200 feet.
I was fooled by the false summit, not realizing there was still the final 1,200 feet ascent to the true summit to contend with. The open ridge also made it increasingly windy, and there were several strong gusts of air. Hands down, this was the most difficult part of the hike.
We even had to heave ourselves up from rock to rock. At this point, the trail was so steep — around a 40 degree incline — and we couldn’t see the top. There were many times I truly thought I would never make it to the top, and many times that I thought we should just turn around. But with those thoughts also came the realization that we were so close — what was the point in giving up now?
Here you can see the icy conditions of the climb. In the distance, you can also see the false summit.
However, the feeling of finally reaching the top is indescribable. Standing at the top of the peak truly feels like you are standing on top of the world, and the 360 degree view around you is unparalleled. However, due to the cold and huge gusts of wind, we could not stay for long. We devoured a quick snack while admiring the beauty in front of us and then hurried down, where it would be significantly less windy.
On the way down, we enjoyed sliding down the snow on paths that were already paved in the snow from other people doing the same (or similar) things. One person even skied down the mountain. Both of these were fun and quick ways to get down the snow safely, as with the temperature increasing and the snow melting, we dealt with tricky slush and post-holing, which made walking down the snow extremely difficult and exhausting.
Climbing Quandary Peak was a significant achievement in my mountaineering resume, and definitely will continue to hold significance in my life. As I stood atop the summit, I couldn’t help but feel proud of my accomplishment. The journey to the summit was both physically and mentally demanding, and tested my perseverance, strength, determination, but most importantly, my ability to climb at higher altitudes and trickier terrains.
Me at the top of Quandary Peak!
