How to Get Started with 14er Climbing in Winter
Winter 14ers in Colorado: Complete Guide to Alpine Climbing Peaks
As the seasons change people wonder whether you can still climb 14ers in winter or whether they have the skills to do so. Winter climbing on Colorado 14ers is a significant challenge but is also great training for the greater ranges like Alaska. There is a lot that changes once the snow falls and ice clings to the mountains but with a little help and maybe some instruction those with experience can certainly attempt to climb the 14ers in winter. Because of the altitude and cold there are specific technical skills and preparation necessary. First we'll start with the why before the rest of the guide below covers some of the most essential information such as:
-Logistical Challenges
-Equipment Selection
-Altitude and Cold Preparation
-Essential Climbing Skills
-Where to Start
Why Winter Alpine Climbing in Colorado
If you live in Colorado then you've likely heard of 14ers. They attract roughly a quarter million people to their lofty summits every year. While most of these occur in summer conditions winter ascents separate experienced mountaineers from casual hikers. The combination of extreme cold, avalanche terrain, and altitude creates an environment where proper preparation, judgement, and more specific skills determine success and safety.
Logistical Challenges
Approaches and TH's
Many of Colorado 14ers are located in isolated areas well off the beaten path. In summer many of the roads can be approached with a regular passenger vehicle with a few exceptions where high clearance or 4WD might be required. In winter roads are frequently unplowed and one of the first things to consider is how much bigger of a day that might be and whether it can be realistically finished in a day or whether overnight equipment should be considered. We frequently guide some of the Sangre De Cristo Peaks like Crestone Needle as an overnight. But we can often drive to the upper trailhead making for a 12 mile day. In winter you are pretty much stuck parking at the 2WD trailhead and that makes for a much more significant approach adding on an additional 8 miles. Certain peaks in the San Juans may require a multi day approach just to get to the basin in which those peaks like such as the Chicago Basin area. Meanwhile Long's Peak TH is usually as accessible in winter as in summer due to being in a National Park. Regardless, with shorter days and longer approaches the window for opportunity is much narrower. It's not all bad though. Generally in winter there is very limited concern about afternoon thunderstorm activity.
Navigation
With frequently high winds, snow storms, and significant avalanche danger it's important to have good navigation skills. A summer trail may not be the best choice for avalanche hazard so navigating that challenge becomes important. Knowing how to follow handrails or navigate using different tools is more important where whiteouts and uniform terrain will make landmarks less obvious. GPS is a great tool but cold batteries don't last and manipulating it with cold hands can be painful. One of the things we challenge guides with during trainings is how to navigate using terrain as well as map and compass skills.
Equipment Selection
Winter Camping Gear Specifics
Camping and climbing in winter is not as simple as in summer. Where forgetting a rain jacket or forgetting a little food might result in an unpleasant experience in the warmer season these become critical errors in winter. A big part of the experience is clothing. Layering is a big part of winter mountaineering and understanding how to do so is the way to stay dry. Being dry means you can stay warm. This makes cotton often not a functional choice. The increased layers may also require a bigger backpack to hold that extra clothing. This goes for sleeping bags as well. We usually recommend a -20 degree bag for clients doing winter 14er trips with us. A 0 degree bag is probably as warm as I would consider feasible.
Beyond clothing tent choices become a little more important. You need a tent that can deliver some safety. On a winter 14er climb the winds and snows that are common will drift into a 3 season tent making it's guests wet and miserable. A solid 4 season tent is the way to go. We did a review of some tents we've used but it's definitely something you want to set up where it's warm and dry. Having chased a tent up a snowfield in the wind it's also worth knowing how to make a snow shelter which is something we spend a lot of time on in our winter mountaineering courses.
Lastly you want to make sure you have a stove that works in winter conditions. While canister stoves can work fine in summer they become much more challenging to use in winter, particularly at altitude. White gas stoves can be more reliable since there are no concerns about condensing gases or keeping canisters warm. Ever put an ice cold canister against your skin? Not fun. Knowing how much extra you will need for melting snow is an additional gear challenge to learn. Cold will also kill batteries so you may end up with a few things in your sleeping bag to keep them warm.
Flotation and Footwear Options
Because the deep snow in Colorado is often faceted it's important to have some form of flotation. Wallowing through chest deep snow will sap the energy of even the most hardened alpine climber. Flotation allows you to get on top more and can make things much less strenuous. You essentially have two options for quality flotation. Snow shoes or skis. A good set of approach skis or regular backcountry ski or splitboard setups can be a fun and fast way to deal with 14ers. Instead of taking hours on slow shoes you get to glide down in 15 minutes. While skiing or boarding is a fun and valuable skill it is not required and many people don't feel comfortable if they're not very experienced. Skiing and boarding do bring some additional risks to the table when we're considering injuries to the lower extremities but if you are a strong skier they can be well worth the risk for the much better function and movement. If you're using a regular backcountry set up then this kind of decides your footwear for you and since backcountry boots normally are double boots it's also good for overnight.
If you're sticking with snow shoes though you have another choice to make between single and double boots. Either way you need insulated boots, most likely mountaineering boots. Double boots, due to their warmth and the ability to put the liner in your sleeping bag are an ideal option. Winters in Colorado can have mild days though so it's possible to climb in a single boot if you're careful with how you treat them. This means keeping the snow out of them via gaiters or tie downs on your pants as well as keeping them warm enough to put on. A sweaty, frozen boot is not fun to put on and isn't great for keeping your toes.
Avalanche and Climbing Gear
Because of the snow and ice you'll also likely need some traction and some risk mitigation for avalanche terrain. Often snow shoes will have crampons that work up to maybe 20 degrees and same for the crampons you can attach to backcountry set ups. once you're getting steeper than that you'll need crampons which is another reason to get mountaineering boots since automatic crampons are our personal favorite.
More important is avalanche equipment and the knowledge on how to use it. Because of the cold temperatures, wind, and upside down snowpack Colorado is well known for it's avalanche hazard. Taking an avalanche rescue course with us and learning the skills to navigate avalanche terrain is paramount for any climber considering winter 14er climbs. While there are some places you can really avoid it they are few and far between and it's too easy to get into micro terrain features or get off route and get into the angles where things can slide.
Altitude and Cold Preparation
With altitude and cold being the two of the biggest environmental hazards here are a few tips for dealing with it.
For altitude speed and consistency are the two things to work with. You can either go up slower or be there more often to get the physiological adaptations. If you're coming from Colorado and have no major health problems you probably won't have any issues. On the other if you don't get to altitude that often or are from a low altitude place it's worth doing several acclimatization hikes. There is also some level of adaptation to cold. If you're coming from a warm area then spending a few days doing hikes at a slightly lower altitude will also help your body adjust to the cold.
A couple things we've learned over the years to help being cold and make things a little more comfortable. One is to use the guide pouch. Instead of just tossing gloves on the ground or squeezing them between your thighs you can shove them down the front of your jacket. This keeps them warm and you'll better know where they are. Works better with a harness but if you're not moving around they should stay ok. Another tip is to boil a liter of water and fill your bottle before bet. This can make things plenty warm. Don't forget to adjust your calorie intake to account for additional physical output and the sun still shines here so protect any exposed skin and in particular your eyes. Snow blindness is not great for navigation.
Essential Skills for Winter 14er Climbs
Basic Winter Layering: If you have only hiked in summer you absolutely need to learn the basics of layering and ensure you have weather appropriate clothing. A ski jacket might not cut it. You also want gear that won't fail. I remember cracking a cheap softshell in half during one of my first winter outings.
Snow Climbing and Crampon Skills: With the wide variety of snow and ice routes as well as mixed climbing you need to know how to do things like self arrest and put on crampons at the very least. Ice climbing and anchor building are good for when you want to get on rowdier winter climbs.
Avalanche Rescue and Avoidance: A lot of folks like to mention they've taken a level 1 course through a service provider like AIARE. The information can be presented in a number of ways so these specific courses aren't a requirement but some avalanche rescue training and knowledge are important so you know the basics of recognizing avalanche hazard and what to do in the event you are called to rescue someone.
Winter Camping/Backpacking: There are only a handful of winter 14ers that can be done in a day if you don't have a good pace. Because of this it's worth learning how to set up a tent on snow and how to camp outside in the cold, wind, and snow.
Whiteout and Winter Navigation: Unless you're just lucky you are likely to find yourself off trail or in a whiteout in winter. Basic navigation skills are a must.
Where to Start
Working with a Professional Mountain Guide
Hiring guides for winter 14er ascents offers significant advantages. Professional guides provide real-time decision-making expertise, weather interpretation skills, and route-finding knowledge specific to winter conditions.
Guided climbs also structure acclimatization and pacing appropriately. Guides manage group dynamics when fatigue and altitude create stress and mental changes that impair individual decision-making. They carry rescue equipment and possess more advanced avalanche and wilderness medical training.
When selecting guides for Colorado winter 14ers, verify their specific experience on your target peak. Ask directly about winter ascents they've led, conditions they've encountered, and how many winter summits they've completed. Reputable guiding services with avalanche certifications and guiding certifications through the American Mountain Guide Association are a good choice.
Climbs to Start
There are only a handful of climbs that don't feature either really big approaches or much harder climbing. A few of them are ones we guide like the San Juan Peaks around Lake City like Sunshine, Handies, or Redcloud. Humboldt and Sherman are a little bit of a step up but several of the other 14ers in the Front Range have reasonable access and short routes to keep things a little more reasonable until you gain confidence and get more practice with layering systems.
Advancing Your Winter 14er Journey
A guided winter ascent of an easier peak like Sunshine Peak will help establishes baseline understanding of your physical capabilities and cold-weather performance. From there doing a few longer but more straightforward peaks like Handies or Sherman is a good step up. Progress to more technical peaks only after accumulating experience and receiving specific training for challenging terrain. Climbs like Longs Peak or Crestone Needle require significant experience before attempting. Hiring a professional guide service for guided alpine climbs on peaks like Crestone Needle is a great way to eliminate the learning curve and share the challenge with someone more skilled who can offer a lot of tips.
Final Thoughts
Climbing in winter is a whole different animal. Even when well prepared and capable the success rate is lower. Things tend to take longer and are tougher. The most successful winter 14er climbers combine respect for objective hazards with realistic assessment of personal capabilities. Colorado's winter 14ers reward careful preparation, technical skill, and sound decision-making with some of North America's most satisfying alpine achievements.
After gaining a little basic experience taking a class like Winter Alpine Skills Clinic or an avalanche rescue course you'll feel better prepared to tackle more advanced objectives.
is a great step towards learning to climb winter 14ers on your own.
