14er in a kilt?

**GMan** · 3rd August 09, 10:51 AM

Have made a few of them to the top, very few Kilted.

This thread has inspired me to climb them all Kilted.

**MacKay71 Wife** · 3rd August 09, 11:01 AM

Congrats and great pics! I have done quite a lot of hiking, but all on the East Coast (Appalachian Trail, etc.). Also, I teach rock climbing and rappelling.
My husband has an aunt and uncle that live in Loveland, but despite a few invitations, we've never made it out there. Your pictures just might change my mind!

**Livingston** · 3rd August 09, 01:00 PM

Your husbands Aunt and Uncle would be less than an hour away from where we are right now.

**irishcoloradoan** · 3rd August 09, 01:51 PM

Like McNulty says, hiking in a kilt is the ONLY way to go. If I go with my tank I usually wear some boxers to keep the rubbing down, but the PVs are great. I'm thinking of getting a Survival kilt for long hikes (but definitely not 14ers).

My only suggestion for doing the 14ers is be sure to check the weather before hand. The wind can get quite high up on top, and the rain/snow can be very treacherous. But I've not had any problems with my tank in that regard.

GMan, lets get out and show people more kilts on the 14ers! I got nothing but nice comments for mine.

**GMan** · 4th August 09, 07:13 PM

In the planning stages now.

**pastorsteve** · 5th August 09, 01:49 PM

When you did Gray's Peak did you take the extra hour and do Torrey's also? They are side-by-side so when I do one I do the other. Long's Peak is on the slate for this month before we get too close to snow. Thanks for including the photos.

**irishcoloradoan** · 5th August 09, 02:03 PM

Originally Posted by pastorsteve

When you did Gray's Peak did you take the extra hour and do Torrey's also? They are side-by-side so when I do one I do the other. Long's Peak is on the slate for this month before we get too close to snow. Thanks for including the photos.

Unfortunately, we didn't get to Torrey's since the wife got altitude sickness. But next time for sure!

**Livingston** · 5th August 09, 04:03 PM

When you climb Long's, feel free to drop a line and let us know. We can always fire up the BBQ when you get down to give you a chance to relax before heading back to the big city.

**Cerebite** · 8th August 09, 12:43 PM

[QUOTE=ForresterModern;769592]
Any 14er is quite an accomplishement at any time of year as they generally remain snow covered the year round, and the air becomes dangerously thin of O2 after about 11000 feet, making every foot step upward exponentially harder, without supplemental O2.
QUOTE]

I am afraid I will have to disagree with these two points. Most if not all of the snow is gone from all 54 14ers by late June. The only glacier [i.e. permanent ice field] in Colorado is acutally quite low in elevation. The climbing season for most people is June through the end of September.

There is a point where the O2 level gets too low but it is closer to 18 or 19K not 11. If it were only 11 K the entire nations of Bolivia, Nepal and large chunks of Peru and Mongolia would be in trouble.
As happened to Mrs. IrishColoradan there is always a risk of altitude sickness no matter how long you have been at relative altitude.

I climbed all of the 14ers before I was 16 and had about 80 of the 100 highest in the state done before I left for college, have not climbed any since

. My father was well on his way to the top 300 when he died and I ahve a friend who is one of ~10 people who have climbed all of the 13ers in Colorado [~380 peaks]