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| Report Type |
Mini |
| Peak(s) |
Quandary Peak - 14,272 feet
|
| Date Posted |
07/12/2026 |
| Date Climbed |
08/21/2025 |
| Author |
nfourroux |
| #1 - Quandary Peak |
|
My first 14er! Did it solo, which I probably shouldn’t have due to the fact that it was my first, but I completed it safely and successfully. Although it is a busy trail in the summer, going alone was not a good choice; while it’s dangerous in and of itself, it was also challenging mentally. I acclimated in Breckenridge the week leading up to the climb, doing various hikes with longer distances and moderate elevation gain. This helped, but I definitely still struggled a bit with the altitude. Quandary has a lot of elevation gain in a fairly short distance! There were some wildfires going on nearby, so it was very smoky and you could definitely smell it. Visibility was also very limited, so unfortunately my views weren’t as spectacular for my first 14er (but, then again, I’m at 14,000 ft so it’s still beautiful). My pace was terrible and it took me 6 hours to summit, getting to the top around noon, then 3 more to go back down. I took frequent breaks, and my speed was not very refined. I was feeling beat on the way back, and the last quarter mile from the trailhead to the parking lot was probably the hardest part of the whole hike! I also got a very bad sunburn because I neglected to put sunscreen on once I took my long sleeves off, which is super embarrassing. The majority of the trail being above tree line, plus being at elevation, definitely did not help. If I were to do Quandary again, I would do an easier 14er first (even though it’s supposed to be one of the easiest), do even more elevation training, try to establish a better and more consistent pace over the course of my preparation, and take someone with me.
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