Spotlight on Dan Bayer!

Congratulations to our latest Grand Slam finisher Dan Bayer! We had the opportunity of asking Dan a few quick questions.

Q: What was your first fourteener, and when did you climb it?
In Colorado it was Castle Peak two years before I moved to Colorado in 1996. I was living in Kansas for a couple years and visited a friend who lived in Aspen. I really sucked wind but loved it. We did it in mid October with some ice on it. It beat climbing 1,500 foot radio towers in Kansas illegally. In California, my very first 14'r was Mt. Whitney when I was 16, I took a Greyhound bus alone and met some folks up there and did the hike. 

Q: At what point did you commit to finishing them all?
When I moved to Aspen in 1998, I had a friend who said she wanted to try to do ten Fourteeners in one year. I thought that sounded insane. That Summer, we ended up doing Huron Peak together...I had a nasty cold and really pushed it. She ended up doing six and I seventeen. I was hooked. I did many solo and for the first year, without a camera. I started bringing a small camera after one late afternoon / Sunset hike up Quandary in which I saw a rainbow behind a Mountain Goat at sunset at 13,800 feet up.

Q: What is your favorite fourteener route?
For an approach, it would be either Holy Cross or the Chicago Basin group. For an all out climb, either the Bells traverse or Crestone Needle.  

Q: What was your most delightful moment on a 14er?
I had started the Belford group late in the day, I bounced up Belford and Oxford in no time but as it was only 2 hours from sunset, I had to really think about Missouri. So with the weather being perfect and a full moon that night, I took off up a gully near the nasty ridge that is not really a route up Missouri. I gained the Summit ridge at about 20 minutes after sun-down. When I got to the summit of Missouri, it was barely twilight..I was alone, no wind, not a soul or a sound. About an hour later, a blood red moon rose out of a canyon and was by far one of the most spectacular moments I have ever seen on a mountain top. After about two hours more, it was high enough in the sky to light up the route down Missouri quite nicely. Another good one was when I got a new -15 bag and decided to spend the night on top of La Plata to test it out.

Q: What was your most terrifying moment on a 14er?
Kit Carson and Challenger Peak after an icy Fall storm in late October of 2000. I told a couple of people where I went and that was about it. I had a heavy pack for the overnight stay at Willow and did the climb the next day. The conditions were shallow early season snow and verglass on the whole route. I had a hard time using my axe and crampons in the mixed conditions of verglass, ice and crap snow. I remember the distinct feeling as I was about to top out that on one particular move, it was life or death. I almost turned around and reset my path. But instead, I lunged up and made the move OK. After that, it was pretty straightforward. The upper ramparts of Kit Carson were more than a tad sketchy with all the ice but it went. Then when it came to descending from top of the Kirk Couloir, I had some hesitation. It was the middle of the week, I was the only climber there the whole day and it was late, about 3 PM. I looked at the map one more time and decided that the tight lines on the topo might not be that bad. So I started down on my heels. After about 250-300 feet, that sucker got steep, kind of fell away into an abyss. I got nervous and turned around and front pointed down the next 500 feet. To me, even with the right gear, it was a no-fall zone. A lot of personal limits were pushed, at least I thought. 

Q: Do you have any plans for future mountain lists?
Not really any lists, just great routes, all my favorite peaks and lots of photography on them now, lot of stock and even some time-lapse sequences on the summits. Also some snowboarding on my new split board. I want to do Rainier and some peaks in the Andes next year as well. 

Q: What 14er did you climb last? Did you intentionally save it for last or is it a 14er that previously eluded you?
Crestone Needle. I figured the Crestones had the best rock and that is the way a climber should finish the "list". I was right. My partner was too out of shape and had a back problem come about that prevented him from taking them on safely. So I went solo and loved it. Crestone Peak was delightful and the Needle was great too. But the Needle made me work for it...really work for it. I started up from Broken Hand at about 2:25 PM last Saturday, the weather was holding well and did. It was pretty windy on the way up, maybe 40 MPH sustained, but I was really all go mode, ready for anything. I summited at about 3:30 PM and only spent about 15 minutes on the summit. On the way down, the winds had got up to 50-60 MPH sustained with gusts up to 70. It was so windy, I missed a few cairns and ended up down-climbing some pretty steep stuff. I had fun though. When I was gaining the East Couloir, I had to do about a 20 foot down-climb of some low 5th class wall of knobs. I stuck it all pretty good. At one point, I was laughing as my feet got blown out from under me while in a crack making me flap in the wind like a flag holding onto the rocks. Truly a great way to finish the Colorado Fourteeners. 

Q: What is the single most important piece of advice that you would give to someone just starting out?

Be a weather man. Looking at the forecasts and maps are great, but learn how to read it on the fly. Learn how to interpret topo maps like a champ. Carry an mylar emergency blanket, a little extra food and not just for you, but for the poor unprepared soul on the trail you meet. Never assume since the weather is bomber today that you don't need cold weather gear. If you get injured and have to spend the night out, you could be done for if you don't have the right gear and the weather changes. Make sure all partners make it up and down OK before you get in your car and head off for a beer.