The non-standard14er Podcast

The latest episode we discuss one of the great unresolved 14er questions of our time, ranking just above “Why do I own so many backpacks?”: Can you responsibly climb Castle and Conundrum from the Hot Springs side, or does the loose rock turn the whole endeavor into a sufferfest that can't even be assuaged by a hot springs soak?  To investigate, we’ve brought in two certified 14er finishers who hav...

A ceremonial moment for the Non-Standard 14er Podcast — our 58th episode, and we’re using it to ruin your summit résumé. We talk with Eric Gilbertson — engineering professor, global mountaineer, Centennial finisher, and, apparently, the man who just told every Colorado 14er climber: “Actually, that's not the true summit.” Eric’s new measurements reveal that the true summit of Crestone Peak isn’t t...

In this episode we tackle Wetterhorn Peak the non-standard way — from the Ridgway side over Coxcomb Pass — instead of the usual Lake City stroll up Matterhorn Creek. (Well, “stroll” if you consider 3,000 feet of climbing and a Class 3 finale a stroll.) We break down the logistics of each route: the Lake City standard, versus the Owl Creek/Ridgway approach, where you get solitude, wildflowers, and...

How does someone self-power themselves from the lowest point in Colorado to the highest point? Ricardo Pena joins the podcast to teaches us how. (Hint: It requires 350 miles and 23,000 elevation gain.) Ricardo is a mountain guide who has climbed the 14ers, Centennials, the 50 high points, and most of the seven summits. We hear how he came up with the unique climb of Mt. Elbert, stories from Everes...

The 14ers Fall Gathering has been held at Mill Creek Campground outside of Lake City for the past 10 years.  Short-Rope chatted with the organizers of the event: TaylorHolt and Ryguy on the latest episode in which they discussed topics from fitting into the group as a newbie to the unique shuttle routes you can design to bag some awesome 14ers and 13ers in the Lake City area. We also hear about th...

Joining the podcast is a guy who has climbed the 14ers and every single 13,000-foot peak in Colorado: Alex Henes. We talk about his recent trip to Denali, what it is like to ski classic 14er ski lines like the Cross Couloir and the Bell Cord, and backpacking trips that involved multiple nights in a tent and multiple passes. Alex has a full description of all the 13ers on his website as well as man...

What's it like crossing the snow-covered Narrows section on Longs Peak in crampons? David (daway8 on 14ers.com) joins the podcast to talk about climbing Longs Peak in both the winter and the summer. We chat about the Loft route vs. the Keyhole. We also hear some advice for those who may be intimidated by Longs. You can find David's detailed trip report here: Longs Peak Trip Report 01/04/2024 | 14e...

Joining the Non-Standard 14er Podcast in this episode is Darin Radatz, Field Operations Manager of the Colorado Trail Foundation to chat about trail adopters, trail crews, re-routing hiking trails, and the challenges of maintaining trail in designated wilderness areas. We even got to learn about using dynamite to clear avalanche debris fields. If you're looking to get involved as a volunteer to do...

Why will the 14ers Democrat, Lincoln, Cameron, Bross, and Lindsey be restricted this summer because of a liability issue? Why was there a bill in the state legislature to modify the Colorado Recreational Use Statute? How did Covid and parking restrictions on popular 14ers changed the hiker use numbers?  Brian Sargeant re-joined the podcast to talk all about it. 

The most remote 14ers in Colorado are up for discussion in this crowded episode of the Non-Standard 14er Podcast: Eolus, N. Eolus, Sunlight and Windom.  We talk about non-standard routes into the Chicago Basin, animals at your camp sites, and tips for riding the train.  We also talk about a rite of passage of the 14er journey: the leap of faith on Sunlight.  

David Witte, 14er finisher and author of the book "World War II at Camp Hale," rejoins the Non-Standard 14er Podcast to chat about the site's latest designation as a National Monument.  We get to learn about the 10th Mountain Division, why they chose the Leadville area, and how they utilized the 14ers in the Sawatch Range for training. 

Short-Rope Stiffler got the trail name “Nugget” while hiking the 486-mile Colorado Trail over 5 weeks this summer. Wangler, another CT hiker whom Stiffler met on the trail, joins the podcast along with the Exiled Michigander.  We talk a lot about the camaraderie of fellow hikers, what it’s like to hike for 35 days straight, trail names, motivation, gear and the prettiest sections of the trail. If...

What's Wetterhorn like in winter?  What's the winter route on Holy Cross?  Will_E is back on the podcast to talk about hiking the 14ers in calendar winter.  He is two 14ers shy of completing them all as snowflakes---and most of them he's done solo. 

Will_E joins the Non-Standard 14er podcast to talk about his recent solo Winter ascents of the Chicago Basin 14ers---Eolus, N. Eolus, Sunlight and Windom.  We talk about the summer routes vs winter routes, avalanche danger, the Purgatory approach, winter camping, and climbing to the summit block of Sunlight in crampons. 

Snowmass Mountain was the topic of discussion in the latest episode of the Non-Standard 14er Podcast.  Recent 14er Finisher and longtime listener NatDog joins JacerJack, TayJack, Short-Rope and AWOL Pat to talk about his experience on the S-Ridge and the Geneva Lake Side.  We compare the standard route from Snowmass Lake to the S-Ridge in an attempt to influence TayJack’s decision on the best way...

After both spending 43 days connecting all of Colorado’s 14ers in one self-supported wheel-less thru-hike and winning a bout against rhabdomyolysis, Pawel Szafruga joins the Non-Standard 14er Podcast.  His record-breaking journey started at Barr Trail and ended at the bottom of Longs Peak.  We got to learn all about his ultra-lite gear, his route-planning, some unique connecting ridges, road hikin...

With JacerJack's recent completion of the 14ers a few weeks earlier on Handies Peak, a "Finisher" episode was in order. Mike Phelps, host of the Return's Mandatory Podcast, joins us with our discussion about the 14er finisher journey.  Amongst a bunch of laughs and 14er stories, we talk about the "finisher blues," the highs and lows, and life lessons we've learned climbing the 14ers.  

In part two of our conversation with Andrew and Andrea, our discussion starts with their “rock bottom” moment on their Centennial Peak record adventure.  How and why they did the Blanca/Lindsey group the way they did and getting a car battery jump deep in the Ten Mile Range were just a few of the stories on this podcast that the pair enthusiastically tells in tandem.  You’ll understand why the say...

A few weeks removed from doing Colorado’s highest 100 peaks in under 23 days, the team of Andrew Hamilton and Andrea Sansone join the Non-Standard 14er Podcast to talk all about it.  We learn why they started the record-breaking Centennial Peak challenge on Culebra, got details on their Elk Centennial Traverse, heard about the trouble accessing the Decalibron and got to hear what it’s like running...

We always noticed that we feel more calm, more collected and happier after a 3-day backpacking 14er trip, but now we have all the studies/research that explain why.  This is thanks to the recently-released book “The Comfort Crisis” by Michael Easter.  In the book, Michael articulates all the research on “rewilding” and why things like: being in nature, doing hard things, pushing your comfort zone,...

In part 2 of our conversation with the Colorado 14er Speed Record Holder, Andrew Hamilton, we learn all about the logistics and about his support team during this 2015 record breaking attempt. We also get to hear more about doing “Holy Nolans” and got a sneak peak of his plans for the Centennial Record attempt set for late June this year.  We also got to ask Bad Dad what advice he’d give to everyo...

Colorado 14er Speed Record Holder (9 days, 21 hours and 51 minutes), Andrew Hamilton joins the Non-Standard 14er Podcast.  We got to learn about the evolution of the speed record, his 1999 attempt, his interactions with previous record-holders and the logistics of climbing all the 14ers in under 10 days in July 2015.  Andrew or “Bad Dad” also holds the Winter record for Nolans 14 and has set summe...

Mountain runner, Centennial Peak Finisher, Colorado Trail Through-Hiker, and High School Cross Country Coach, Sean O’Day joins the Non-Standard 14er podcast to discuss ultra running and his 25-mile loop around Mt. Yale.  You might know Sean better by his 14er handle: Doggler.  Mt. Yale was the center of our discussion and the various ways (Denny Creek, Avalanche Gulch, Kroenke Lake approaches) up...

U.S. National Forest Ranger, Katy Nelson, joins the Non-Standard 14er Podcast in this episode to talk about the permit system at Conundrum Hot Springs, Leave No Trace, bear bags, overcrowding, and life in the White River National Forest.  Katy is the Wilderness and Trails Specialist in the Aspen-Sopris Ranger District of Colorado.  We got to learn about the data of 3 years of Conundrum Hot Springs...

The author, Jeri Norgren, and the photographer, John Fielder, of the new book entitled “Colorado's Highest: The History of Naming the 14,000-Foot Peaks” joined the Non-Standard 14er Podcast.  We learned about the Hayden Surveys of Colorado in the 1870s, discussed the naming history of some 14ers, debated the renaming of some peaks, got some photography tips, and got to learn what prompted Jeri to...