Fourteeners refer to mountain peaks exceeding 14,000 feet elevation, primarily in Colorado (58 peaks), California (15), and Washington (2). The hashtag documents summit attempts, training regimens, and the quest to climb all of Colorado’s 14ers.
Culture
“Bagging peaks” became a bucket-list obsession in the 2010s. Colorado’s 58 fourteeners range from class 1 hikes (Quandary Peak) to technical class 4 scrambles (Capitol Peak). Completing all 58 earns membership in the Colorado Fourteeners Initiative’s finishers club (10,000+ members as of 2023).
Popular Peaks
- Quandary Peak: Most climbed 14er (~30,000/year)
- Mount Elbert: Colorado’s highest (14,440 ft)
- Longs Peak: Rocky Mountain National Park icon, technical Keyhole Route
- Pikes Peak: “America’s Mountain,” accessible by car/cog railway
- Maroon Bells: Most photographed peaks, deadly loose rock (“Deadly Bells”)
Safety Issues
Summer lightning storms (afternoon thunderstorms), altitude sickness, loose rock, exposure, and underestimating descent times. The “alpine start” (3-5 AM) became standard to summit before afternoon weather.
Notable Events
- 2013: Social media surge drives overcrowding concerns
- 2017: Record summer season with perfect weather
- 2020: Pandemic drives unprecedented crowding on popular peaks
Sources: 14ers.com, Colorado Fourteeners Initiative