Rock climbing & 14ers

[RockyRoad]

I'm curious who here has pursued vertical rock climbing to accompany your mountaineering skills? I have honestly only tried rock climbing on a climbing wall a handful of times, but I am very much interested in pursuing this type of climbing outdoors. Free climbing while setting anchors in pitches along the way seems like a unique experience.

Anyway, I'm curious if this skill would help one's mountaineering skills? Or is it something that is simply different? I'm mostly curious about the harder class 3/4/5 14ers since the peaks I've bagged have only required maybe some basic scrambling beyond just hiking.

[d_baker]

I'm curious if this skill (rock climbing) would help one's mountaineering skills?

Yes, absolutely. Having a well rounded set of climbing skills (rock, snow, & ice) will help in mountaineering, and hiking up the 14ers via their standard routes in summer.
To me, mountaineering is not the latter. I think summertime conditions on the standard routes of 14ers doesn't exactly approach mountaineering.
However, I think having rock climbing skills can help people with climbing moves and possibly help their minds with the exposure, due to having the climbing skills to proficiently maneuver with confidence through the terrain.

is it something that is simply different?

Somewhat different, or it can be.
Climbing in the gym usually doesn't get people excited (i.e., scared) about exposure. Take them outside, it's generally a different reaction when they're 30' off the deck. At least from my experience that's the case. Not always though, because it varies from person to person.

Also, when mountaineering, probably most times the climbing is done in mountaineering boots. At least low 5th class for general mountaineering here in CO.
At the local crag or in the gym, you would be in rock shoes. That's not to say one can't take rock shoes with them for a tougher section (4th to low 5th class sections) on a peak. Comes down to comfort level and how much time you can afford to take on and off rock shoes for short pitches.

I suggest if you get the chance to get outside on a TR (top-rope), try climbing in your hiking boots or mountaineering boots to experience what you're capable of climbing in the boots.

I'm mostly curious about the harder class 3/4/5 14er

If you're hiking 14ers via their standard routes, you won't encounter 5th class. If you find yourself on 5th class terrain, you're probably not on the prescribed "standard route."
And again, as aforementioned, you will likely be doing the 3rd & 4th class terrain in hiking boots and a pack. The pack could be cumbersome, and the boots may not have the sticky rubber that you're accustomed to on your rock shoe. Get used to it!
With that said, I hike with Asolo's GTX boot, and I've climbed low 5th class in them and I think they stick pretty well.

Lastly, proper balance and transferring of weight applies with scrambling as it does in rock climbing, or all climbing for that matter.

my two pennies for ya'

Darin

[TomPierce]

I think Darin covered the issue well. I'll add that while rock climbing skills are not necessary to climbing 14ers by the standard route, if you rock climb over time you will pick up good micro routefinding skills, e.g. often you can tell which route option is loose/rotten just by looking at a section, you'll know what a hollow hold sounds like, you can more easily mentally sketch out the sequence of moves, etc. Necessary to hike/climb a 14er? No. Nice to have? I think so.

I think the single biggest difference between a gym and climbing outside is just that, the micro routefinding. In a gym it's easy, just follow the orange taped holds. Outside of course, you find your own way and have to link the moves. Similar, yes. But much harder? I definitely think so.

I love tech climbing, get out there and try it. Safely of course! Just my opinions,
-Tom

[d_baker]

Tom, good point on route finding.
I get discouraged when I can't find the next colored tag when I'm in the mountains!

[Scott P]

I'm not a very good rock climber, but....

Anyway, I'm curious if this skill would help one's mountaineering skills?

Of course it will. It is a good idea not to judge all mountains by simply the standard routes on the 14ers. There are several peaks in Colorado that can't be reached without climbing skills and most other states in the west have a higher precentage of summits that require such skills and even even many walk up peaks have technical routes. If you want to get to many of the great summits in other states (and as mentioned several in Colorado), you will need the skills and won't regret having them. There are many mountains (or routes) that I would love to climb, but that I don't have the required strength, skills or ability and some of my favorite peaks that I've climbed in Colorado are technical. If you want to really spread your wings in the climbing world, technical skills are a must.

Or is it something that is simply different?

It could be argued that sport climbing is completely different, but others may dispute this.

I'm mostly curious about the harder class 3/4/5 14ers since the peaks I've bagged have only required maybe some basic scrambling beyond just hiking.

The standard routes on the 14ers don't really require technical skills. Many children ages 6-8 have climbed even the hardest of the 14ers. Of course that doesn't mean that caution isn't warranted. Many climbers have been killed on the 14ers as well and they can be very dangerous. Longs Peak has taken about as many lives as K2.

Good luck to you and may you have many climbing adventures. :D

[Alan Ellis]

Having rock climbing skills will greatly expand the variety of the mountains and routes that you can potentially do. Otherwise, you are limited to only climbing routes or peaks which are class 3 and below. I love doing walk-ups and scramble routes, but my favorites are the class 5 routes that challenge me physically and technically. With rock climbing skills you can tackle great routes such as The Prow on Kit Carson, Ellingwood Arete on Crestone Needle, the Inwood Arete on Quandary Peak, or Vestal Peak's Wham Ridge (13er). Good luck!

[Brian C]

Some good comments have been made.

Is your goal to climb technical peaks, make scrambling safer with a rope, or just experience it? Although climbing won't hurt your skills even on easy 14ers, if your goal is just to climb the 14ers on standard routes then you will not need technical skills. It's all about what your personal goals are and what would make you happy in the mountains while still being safe.

[Skip Perkins]

I believe technical skills also help with the "comfort" factor. When you can make moves with more fluidity you will use less energy and be more relaxed for the rest of the climb and the descent.

[Two Headed Boy]

Trad climbing changed my life and changed the way I veiw the world. Strongly recommend.

[RockyRoad]

Is your goal to climb technical peaks, make scrambling safer with a rope, or just experience it? Although climbing won't hurt your skills even on easy 14ers, if your goal is just to climb the 14ers on standard routes then you will not need technical skills. It's all about what your personal goals are and what would make you happy in the mountains while still being safe.

Thanks for all the responses...

My goal is is to learn new skills that will help me on the mountain overall. Not to mention how much fun it seems like it would be.

But really, another big reason I ask is that I think I would feel much more comfortable in an area with high exposure if I was more accustomed to traditional climbing. Would class 4, high exposure routes up Capitol Peak or Sunlight Peak for example use related technical skills? I ask because I'm planning on some backpacking trips down in southern Colorado this summer so these peaks are on my mind...

[Dave B]

Would class 4, high exposure routes up Capitol Peak or Sunlight Peak for example use related technical skills? I ask because I'm planning on some backpacking trips down in southern Colorado this summer so these peaks are on my mind...

99% of the time roped technical climbing on 4th class is more of a hindrance than a help. On Capitol a rope would certainly increase confidence but the incredibly reduced rate of travel makes it not worth it. Other routes such as the Blanca-Little Bear traverse get moves in the lower 5th class range and it's just not practical to do belayed pitches (from what I've heard and read, I've not done the traverse). Setting belay stations is time consuming and often simu-climbing is impractical due to the terrain.

As mentioned above there are certain routes on many a Colorado mountain that require climbing skills. But the development of alpine climbing skills takes time and shouldn't be rushed into.

[ClimbandMine]

I started rock climbing (and ice climbing) because I wanted to hone my skills for alpine mountaineering. I didn't know much about 14ers at the time, but I knew I wanted to climb big mountains, and rock and ice skills would be essential at some point. Turned out that my first fourteener was Longs peak, via Keiners Route (5.3). Confident crampon, ice axe, and trad climbing skills were definitely necessary. The further along I got in mountaineering, the more helpful general rock climbing was - just confidence with exposure and smooth movement over 3rd and 4th class terrain. Ice climbing too - being comfortable on steep ice helps when you are soloing up a couloir and run into a cornice or something that you may not have expected. I think that rock and ice climbing allows you to take a little quicker path to more challenging routes in the mountains, than if you just work your way up otherwise.