(There used to be a poll here asking people how high they had hiked, but I took it down because it seemed to be causing system difficulties. I’m leaving the text intact because the questions generated interesting feedback).
My highest is California’s White Mountain, site of last year’s famed 4WheelBob wheelchair summit.
I know lots of you have been on sexy hikes to high peaks around the planet, so what how about cluing the rest of us in on your exploits?
Vote and comment on the adventure if the mood strikes.
(Don’t worry, the polls aren’t going to take over around here — it just seemed that yesterday’s poll on distance begged for a follow-up on elevation gain.)
Extra credit to those who list the most elevation gain they’ve ever experienced in one day.
Useful link: Outdoor Action’s Guide to High Altitude Acclimatization and Illnesses.
Let’s see, not being any sort of real, true, honest to God mountaineer (as opposed to mountain man), I have had a couple of opportunities to gain perch atop high peakage or passage, including:
– White Mountain’s 14,000+ summit
– Passes in Peru and Bolivia at 13,000+
Sadly, never climbed Mt. Whitney.
The most elevation gain and loss in a day = 10,000 ft. at – believe it or not, Henry Coe State Park (albet it on my mountain bike)
Don’t know that I’ll ever get above 15,000′ on my own two-heel drive, but I did reach 14,150 on Mt. Sneffels in Colorado’s San Juan Range back in ’04. And I would do it again!
Mt. Sneffels: Sounds like something from a children’s book. I’m guessing though, at 14k-plus, getting up there is not child’s play.
I guess Mt Dana was my highest. Just over 13K.
I went from 9k to 14k on Shasta in about 9 hours and didn’t summit. The only good thing about that hike was coming down.
Mt. Whitney’s my high point done last Sept. when I was 49-11/12 years old (up Mountaineer’s route, down Whitney Portal trail on 17 mile day hike). Well worth doing and I got a walk-in permit no problem (weekday). I highly recommend it and think Sept/Oct is prime time; less people, excellent weather. Also, several 14er’s in Colorado including Sneffels (very nice and great views!)
12 – 18,000 is a pretty big bucket. I barely make it in, with East Pecos Baldy in the Pecos Wilderness at 12,500.
Looking at the numbers, the trail up Rito Sebadilloses doesn’t look that bad, but it was a bear when I was 13 and carrying 40 pounds in an external frame pack. Straight up the creek, rutted, 1500 feet in the first two miles. They closed the trail the year after that. I’m a bit surprised to see it listed again:
http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/sfe/recreation/districts/pecos/trails/245_losSebadillosos.html
The highest I know for sure is 13,199 Forrester Pass in Kings Canyon.
I tried to summit Mt. Elbert 14,443 IIRC but I had been living at sea level until 3 days before. I think I got into the 13,000+ft range but really do not know. It is hard to go from sea level to 10,000 ft level.
My friends & I did Alta Peak in Sequoia NP. It’s 11,204′ and a strenuous 13.8 RT hike. It’s a killer hike but the views were great at the top.
We hope to do Mt Dana & White Mtn this summer. I hope to do Mt. Whitney in my lifetime.
Whitney is my highest overall.
My highest starting the day at sea level I think was Leavitt Peak at 11.5k
I made it to 18,000 ft on Mt Orizaba (Mexico) with two undergrads and a professor back in ’65. We left at 4:00AM from a hut at 13,000 ft. Did it without sunglasses and paid royally.
Day hiked Mt. Dana from basically sea level- Merced.
I guess I’m a slacker here. I haven’t done any real hike above 8000 feet yet. I hauled my camera and tripod some short distances (a few hundred feet) up around 11,000 feet while trying to do photography in the Bristlecone pine forest on White Mountain. That was enough to let me feel the altitude but I’m sure, not enough to count.
Whitney, which, according to the patch purchased at the portal store, is 14,497.61 feet high. I suppose that put my head over 14,500 feet.
White Mountain, of course, 14,246′.
Not that I’m resting on my laurels. Have been in talks with benefactors about doing either (or both) Kilimanjaro and Aconcagua (22,800′) in Argentina.
There’s still so much to do…why do I have to work all the time?