FourteenerWorld Interview with Jim Gehres         December 2005

I have been looking forward to this interview with Jim Gehres for a long time, and to asking him some questions that I often ask myself, for I'm convinced that he & I  must have something in common. I say this because over the 15 years that I have been climbing in Colorado I have found the attraction to climb the 14ers over and over again to be more alluring then moving on to the other lists.

But that’s me, and that's my reason for repeating the 14ers. Let’s find out why Jim Gehres has climbed them all 12 times.

- Steve Hoffmeyer

1) What year did you climb your first mountain? Which mountain was it? How old were you?
I climbed Longs Peak up the cable route twice in the summer of 1962 when I was thirty years old, and those were my first round-trip climbs.  I had at least twice walked up Barr Trail to the summit of Pikes Peak in 1960, but I had always been compelled to buy a cog railway ticket or hitch a ride to get down.

2) When did you climb your first 14er? Which one was it?

Longs was my first 14'er on July 7, 1962.

3) When did you decide to climb all the fourteeners? How long did it take you to finish them the first time?
I remember climbing Uncompahgre in September 1963 and looking across at Wetterhorn and deciding that there was no way I would ever do all the 14'ers.  Less than three years later, and four years after my first, I had completed the 14'ers on Wilson Peak.

4) What was the first technically difficult/dangerous mountain route that you encountered and how did you react?

I crossed the ridge from North Maroon to South Maroon in 1964 as part of a Colorado Mountain Club trip.  We chose a difficult descent route and got back to the trail head long after dark.  I think I decided then I would be able to do all of the 14'ers.

5) What were the last 5 fourteeners that you had left to finish the fourteeners? Why those?

Capitol, Windom, Sunlight, Eolus and Wilson Peak, finished in that order, were my last.  I was confined to weekend trips, and overnight backpacks and long drives were obstacles.  I must have taken a weeks vacation to finish.  I have since climbed all of the 14'ers except Capitol and those surrounding Chicago Basin without backpacking for an overnight stay.

6) When did you start climbing the centennial peaks?
My first non-fourteener on the centennial peaks list was Mt. Meeker on a CMC climb in 1964.  Later I developed a habit of doing twenty 14'ers every summer, but I sometimes completed this goal as early as mid-August and started looking for a new list.  In 1977 I did Fletcher, what is now Atlantic, and Pacific in a long one day trip from Denver before quitting for the season.

7) Which centennials do you think are the hardest?

Dallas first, possible Jagged second because of its very remote location.

8) Do you carry a rope for some of the harder 14ers? Which ones?

On my first time around, we had rope with us on the Maroon Bells, Pyramid, Mt. Wilson, El Diente and Sneffels.  I do not recall ever having access to rope on any later 14'er ascents.  I quit carrying a rope on 14'ers after the first round.

9) While climbing the fourteeners and highest 100 peaks did you have any moments of doubt?

Yes, many times.

10) Do you have other interests/hobbies a strong as mountaineering? Do you think it’s possible that another interest could replace mountaineering for you?

I have always gone on long bicycle rides to maintain my conditioning during the seasons when I wasn’t doing mountaineering.  I have many interests other than mountaineering, but other hobbies, such as photography, have been largely a part of the mountain trips.

11) As one gets more and more involved in this sport, more peak lists open up that are in the realm of possibility. Some involve world travel, others involve specialized technical skills, others super endurance, etc. What personal characteristics have motivated you to follow the path you have chosen?
The personal characteristics which motivated me have been endurance and determination–some would say obsessiveness.  Also, I have always much enjoyed traveling.

12) If you were confined or restricted to only ONE mountain for the rest of your life, which mountain would it be?

I can’t answer this.  I have had so many happy, as well as unhappy times, on all of them.

13) If you were confined or restricted to only ONE Colorado USGS quadrangle for the rest of your life, which one would it be?

My answer must be the same as with the preceding question.

14) At this point in your life do you think that your greatest mountaineering accomplishments are still ahead of you, or are they in the past?

At age 73, I think safety considerations and good judgment dictate that I not attempt to match the scope of some of my past adventures.

15) If you could spend a day hiking/talking with any mountaineer past or present, who would you choose?

Sir Edmund Hillary.

16) What was your most delightful moment on a summit?

Maybe Aconcagua because I had such serious doubts about whether I was going to get to the summit.

17) What was your most terrifying moment on a summit?

Near the summit of Capitol I dislodged a coffin shaped rock which knocked me off my feet so I was riding on top of it.  I managed to roll off just before it went over the edge.

18) Have you had any memorable celebrations on mountain summits for your major milestones?

The most memorable was a catered Champagne party at Summit Lake on Mt. Evans in 1991 to celebrate my completion of the 14'ers for the tenth time.

19) For the record-keeping fanatics out there: Do you have a special system to record your trips, summits, comments, etc.? Is it all from memory, or do you have a mountain log to reference?

I keep precise date records of all my successful climbs, but I use a separate system for each list.  My 14'ers record book is a small loose leaf binder with a separate page for each peak on which I list the date of the ascent.  For other lists, I simply note the dates on my printed copy of the list.  Originally, I noted them in the index of my Ormes guide.  I feel my memory serves fairly well as to participants and events on the trips.

20) What is your favorite piece of mountaineering gear and why?

The lunch box in my backpack.

21) What would you say is the predominant characteristic, talent, and/or skill that has helped you achieve your mountaineering goals?

I don’t think anyone can succeed in serious mountaineering without extraordinary determination and endurance.  I don’t think I have ever embarked on a climb when I did not come up with countless good reasons for turning back.

22) Carl Blaurock said, "I was born a hundred years too soon. We just had hemp rope, and we didn't even use that right." Do you ever wish your mountaineering career had occurred in a different time period?

No, Carl never envisioned the crowds we have today.

23) What are your favorite fourteener routes?

Capitol Creek.

24) What are your favorite thirteener routes?

I can’t recall any favorites.

25) Do you have any plans for future Colorado mountain lists? What list might you currently be working on?

I am currently working on the John Mitchler and David Covill list of the highest in each of the Colorado counties.

26) Within the sport of climbing 14ers there are certain written or unwritten ethical “rules”. For instance, the drop between the saddle, the minimum elevation gain, etc. Do you have any personal rules or ethics for climbing 14ers?

I always used Colorado Mountain Club sanctioned lists without paying much attention to the criteria.  As to the 14'ers, I always intended to comply with the mandate for three thousand feet of elevation gain and loss on foot, having climbed Bierstadt the first time from Duck Lake, and having done it with Mt. Evans in many of my later climbs.  In recent years I have sometimes been satisfied with a little less than 3,000 feet.

27) How do you balance climbing and a career?

For a tax lawyer, there wasn’t much balance–it was one or the other–weekdays for work and weekends for climbing.

28) How has being a member of the Colorado Mountain Club influenced your climbing career?

I joined CMC in 1961 and attended CMC mountaineering schools in those early years.  Although, I have never participated in very many CMC scheduled trips, I did lead a 14'er trip once a year over a long period time.  Of greater significance, I met very many of my early and current climbing companions in CMC.  In 1963, I met DU Law School Professor Thompson Marsh and his wife Susan on a CMC trip.  I was with both of them when they finished the 14'ers.  Thompson’s determination to have me in law school was equal to his determination to finish the 14'ers, and he didn’t give up on creating this turning point in my career.  I have always been grateful.  

29) Do you suppose that there are some summits not meant to be climbed? In other words, do you think that are there mountains or high points where the danger in reaching the summit out ways (in your opinion) any possible reward?

No, I do not think there are summits where the dangers outweigh the rewards.  The rewards are often immeasurable, from a scientific and exploration perspective, as well as for personal gratification, and techniques for precautions to counter the dangers will undoubtedly be refined and improved as the years go by.

30) Why did you choose to keep repeating the 14ers, rather than try other lists like all the 13ers?

When I started in 1960 there was only one list of Colorado climbs.  It was the 14'ers list published in the back o the Ormes Guide and in each annual CMC summer schedule.  Jerry Hart had long before written a book that was little more in size than a pamphlet, and the Ormes Guide, although it did describe routes on peaks other than 14'ers, did so in a very abbreviated manner.  Even on the 14'ers, there were typically no trails, or very weak trails, and there were few, if any, signs or cairns.  When I was alone, which was often, I felt more secure in being in places a little familiar to me.

31) Why have you only climbed the highest 100 once? What is lacking on that list that keeps you from repeating it multiple times?

I have climbed many of the highest 100 multiples times –Stewart five times when it was a 14'er,  Ice Mountain four times, several others three times, and quite a few twice.

32) How often do you climb peaks? How many 14ers do you climb in the average year?

For forty years, approximately from 1962 to 2002, I climbed practically every weekend in the summertime, from mid-May until late September and occasionally later.  My goal was to climb twenty 14'ers each summer and then often close the season on other peaks.

33) Do you climb all year round?

No, my Colorado climbing has been primarily , with few exceptions, been confined to the season from late May to early September.

34) What was your fastest round of 14ers?

I established a planned routine of completing a round every three years, and with exception of the first round, I don’t recall ever having taken longer.  Possibly, I sometimes completed them in less than three full seasons, but showing that would involve a time consuming analysis of my records.

35) How many winter ascents have you made?

Very few.  Sherman about the first of May in white-out conditions and Culabra in October in high winds are the closest.

36) Do you like climbing the same routes or do you try different routes?

I have always wanted to vary the routes as much as possible and on many of the 14'ers I have done a wide variety of routes.

37) What 14ers books do you have on your library shelf?

I believe I own all of the 14'ers guide books, but if I am missing ownership of one or two, I am nonetheless fairly familiar with their content.

38) Has anybody that you know come close to this achievement?

I have never heard of anyone who claimed to have done the 14'ers more than four times.  I am aware that there are quite a few who have made more Colorado ascents than I have.

39) What is your secret to staying physically and mentally fit for a life of continuous peak-bagging?

Regular year-round vigorous exercise is an essential prerequisite.  As far as mental fitness is concerned, I read a variety of newspapers and books concerned with climbing and attend various presentations on mountain climbing.

40) What is the single most important piece of advice that you would give to someone just starting to consider climbing all the 14ers?

Place great emphasis on planning and preparation and be sure you understand the conditions you will encounter.  When you are confronted with the unforeseen of unexpected, stop to talk or think it through, but don’t be too quick to turn back.