That is the title of an inspiring guide by Laura Clark. Laura, a single mother in her late 30s (firstly of the guide), dwelling within the Colorado Springs space, began by mountain climbing or climbing all 58 of Colorado’s “Fourteeners” (peaks with an elevation over 14,000 toes). She did all of those solo. I had thought there have been 53 of them, it turns on the market are 53 “official” and 5 “unofficial, as described right here. The unofficial ones have peaks over 14000 toes, however the peaks don’t rise not less than 300 toes from the closest saddle. I lived in Colorado within the early Eighties, and I did 3 Fourteeners in three years. She did the 58 in simply over one 12 months. She then went on, over the following couple of years, to summit the 200 highest peaks within the state, throughout 13,000 toes, once more solo.
That is a tremendous feat from only a logistical standpoint, Colorado is an enormous state and these peaks are unfold throughout. Laura needed to do a number of lengthy drives and get by on little sleep to squeeze these adventures into her schedule, between working and taking good care of her youngsters. And it’s an unimaginable endurance problem, with many miles of mountain climbing and 1000’s of toes of elevation achieve. Loads of these peaks could be summitted simply by mountain climbing with possibly some scrambling over rougher terrain. I nonetheless bear in mind the problem of crossing the boulder fields on Lengthy’s Peak and route-finding by on the lookout for bullseyes on the rocks after going by the keyhole. That is robust sufficient. However a substantial variety of these peaks require technical climbing expertise, together with some above class 5. So Laura additionally needed to study these expertise in a climbing fitness center and hone them by practising exterior with mates which can be skilled climbers. It’s astonishing what somebody can accomplish when they’re obsessed with what they do.
