14,000 feet

Mt Bierstadt 14,065 feet (4,287 m)

Standing at over 4000 meters high Mt Bierstadt was my first 14er (Mountains above 14000 feet) in Colorado and an amazing climb, although not technically demanding Bierstadt has an aesthetic beauty to it which makes it a wonderful climb.
I set off with my housemate Eddie at around 6 o clock to get to the mountain, the sky was cloudless as we drove through Golden and out through the village of Morrison towards the mountain, upon reaching the mountain village of Georgetown we stopped to grab some protein bars and drinks, following this stop we made our winding way up the Guanella Pass towards the beginning of the trail. We had parked the car and where ready to go by quarter to 8 in the morning.



Trail from car park to the summit

We had something quick to eat got ready and set out, the mountain was still at this stage of the season covered in snow and so within the first ten minutes of the climb we were pushing through snow which went halfway up our legs. We trudged on upwards towards the switchbacks which marked the start of the real climb, the weather was ideal clear skies and crisp cool air made for a great start by around 9 o clock we were making steady progress up the switchbacks making our way past many other climbers as we went.
This altitude was something I wasn't used to and I could feel my lungs burning as we made our ascent up the mountain, 14 times higher then the tallest mountain in Ireland a crazy thought.
We stopped halfway up the switchbacks to have something to eat and to take in our surroundings, a blanket of snow stretched out in each direction we looked, a plateau of high mountains all around us. Having eaten we set off once more.

We continued on to the top of the switchbacks at which point we entered the final push for the summit, for a while at this point the snow that covered the ground lower down was not there, but once we reached the final ridge we once again had to trudge through at times knee deep snow.
The air was thinner at this height then below I felt slightly dizzy and tired. I was taking more and more breaks the closer we got to the summit.
At half 11 we had reached the summit, having sat and eaten and taken in the surrounding peaks of Mt Evans and other 14ers we took some pictures and set off on our descent, just below us lay the saw-tooth ridge which connected Mt Evans and Bierstadt.
Many miles away from us we could see a storm moving in towards us and so once we reached the switchbacks we took into a run to get down as quickly as possible.



Me and Eddie on top of the summit

Push towards the summit of Bierstadt

We pushed on as the snow storm began to fall on the mountain, getting down in half the usual time it is supposed to take, we ran for well over a half  an hour and stopped for something to eat a bit of the way down but, by half 12 we were back at the car atop the Guanella pass.
We packed up and hit for home, a great trek and a good 14er to do as a first.

“Every mountain top is within reach if you just keep climbing.”
― Barry Finlay, Kilimanjaro and Beyond



Cliff Hanging



Carrot Ridge (Longest rock climb in Ireland)

Setting off at 4 in the morning I once again headed for the beauty of the Twelve Bens, leaving the car in the same place as I usually leave it for an  ascent of Benbaun I headed out towards the valley surrounded by the horseshoe upon which Benbaun sat.
It was a beautifully clear crisp day and as soon as I entered the valley I could see the rising sun lighting up the tip of Carrot Ridge and the white quartz shining at the bottom of the climb. I headed out across the marshy planes entrenched within the horseshoe, after a short while the ground began to rise and to become more and more rocky as I made my way towards the white quartz bottom which was to be the beginning of my climb.


route up towards the white quartz bottom of the climb

At this stage the day had all but fully began the sun was shining in the valley but in the distance a dark cloud formation was making its way towards me, which I assumed would break over me at around about lunch time.
Having crested the small ridge before the straight road towards the climb I flew towards the bottom reaching the ridge at half 7 that morning. I had something quick to eat and prepared for the climb and at 8 o clock I set off up the ridge.
Although not the steepest the ridge proved to be fairly technical and without ropes or harnesses I had to rely on my own hands and skill, the start of the climb required a lot of vertical climbing and a shimmy to the right along a ledge towards a flat space where an assault on the rest of the climb could be made.
it was a fantastic feeling, finding different holds in the surface of the rock and climbing higher and higher, all the while knowing that a small slip up could be potentially disastrous, the weather remained immaculate as I climbed a slights wind had picked up and the dark clouds were beginning to role in, towards me but at this moment in time the weather was perfect and so I pushed on towards the top of the ridge at a high pace.

 

The top of the climb sways towards the right and I found myself towards the end of the climb going sideways and upwards with the sway of the ridge, by this stage my fingers were beginning to tire and grow sore, it was almost quarter to ten in the morning I had been climbing for well over an hour, I reached the very tip of Carrot Ridge at ten o clock that morning.

As I turned around to stare at my surroundings, while the final rays of morning sun still remained, I was in awe the bright pink of the sky contrasted sharply with the blackness of the skyline piercing mountains, the valley below looked even greener with the small white dots of sheep covering the landscape.

I made the small remaining ascent up to Binn an Tsaighdiura and sat for something to eat, it was a great morning and it was only as I began to make the decent down the scree slopes beside the ridge that the rain began to fall.

Having reached the bottom of the slope I made my way across the valley and home.