Colorado's Thirteeners: 13,800 to 13,999 Feet: From Hikes to Climbs

Everybody wants to Climb a Colorado Fourteener but a Colorado Thirteener is just as spectacular, the views are just as good or even better on the Thirteeners I have been on top of. This is a must for anybody wanting to explore the Colorado High Country.

This book is the authoritative, indispensable guide for climbing the "centennial thirteeners" in Colorado. That is, those of the 100 highest peaks which aren't quite fourteeners. Gerry Roach has written several excellent guide books, including Colorado's Fourteeners, which is still the standard guide books on that subject. I believe this book is his best work. 59 major peaks are covered, with multiple routes, distances, elevation gain, level of difficulty, and detailed route descriptions. What more could you ask for? Beautiful color plates and annotated topo maps? They're in there also. The appendix is also valuable as it includes three lists of all 800 or so Colorado summits over 13,000'. The lists are organized by elevation, quadrangle, and alphabetically. The lists identify parent peaks, rise, and other data. Printed on high quality, slick paper, the book wears well. I refer to it frequently and so far I have found all the information contained in it to be accurate.

First, a note of caution. If you're a casual hiker, this book will not be beneficial. This is geared more for the elite hiker or climber. However, if you're in this league, the book is informative, instructive and accurate, Gerry Roach writes well and gives the hiker all the essential information needed to make the trek. I live outside of Colorado and only visit for a few weeks each year, specifically to climb 13-ers and 14-ers. Being unfamiliar with the Colorado roads and most of their trailheads, I necessarily rely on this guide to get me to the trailhead with no hassle and accurate driving directions. Roach has never disappointed me. He gives exhaustive directions and includes a map for each trek. If you need a four-wheel drive vehicle to get to your destination, he will let you know. If you have a drive on a dirt road for 6 miles to reach the trailhead, that information will be included. He also describes the trail conditions, whether it's rocky, has scree, is exposed and has a ranking system for how difficult the hike is. If there is scrambling involved or permanent snow fields, he lets you know. If it's a class 3 hike but listed in other guides as class 4, Roach makes the correction and explains why he feels this way. There are separate chapters on the unique and often volatile weather in the Colorado peaks. This is imperative for out-of-state hikers who aren't familiar with the frequent, violent afternoon thunderstorms in the Rockies. When I did Pike's Peak for the first time, I photocopied Roach's chapter on this mountain and took it with me in my pack, and was glad I did. When the thunderstorms began, I descended ASAP, following his advice. This is an outstanding hiking guide. I wouldn't hike in the 13-ers in Colorado without it and neither should you. Enjoy!

Colorado's Thirteeners: From Hikes To Climbs is a superbly presented, full-color guidebook to Colorado's highest mountains in the 13,800 to 13,999 feet range. Presented for the edification of outdoor enthusiasts, Colorado's Thirteeners includes 59 major peaks in six of Colorado's mountain ranges (Front Range, Tenmile-Mosquito Range, Sawatch Range, Sangre de Cristo Range, Elk Range, San Juan Range); 202 routes to the major peaks (71 routes on 71 additional peaks); 96 trailheads with detailed driving directions; twenty-two different approaches to the remote peaks; distance, elevation gain, difficulty scale, and effort ratings for each route; thirty-three full-color, annotated topographic maps; more than sixty full-color, annotated photographs; and three comprehensive tables of Colorado's highest peaks. If you are planning an outdoor vacation of hiking, climbing, and camping in the mountain country of Colorado, begin your planning with Gerry and Jennifer Roach's Colorado's Thirteeners!

This is the best book I have seen on Colorado 13ers. It lists at least 2 routes per mountain with a few exeptions. He tells the difficulty of each route and from that I can know if that mountain or route suits me. There are lots of coler pictures of the mountains and topo maps of each mountain showing the route up each peak. The routes are coler coded so you can see what class the routes are. It also gives a unofficial name to many of the unnamed peaks. The back of the book has 3 lists of all mounttains in colorado above 13,000 feet which also includes every point that reaches above 14,000 feet. This book with a 14er guide will tell you how to climb colorado's centenials.