Spotlight on Dan England!

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Q: What was your first fourteener, and when did you climb it?
Longs Peak way back in 1987 when I was 15. I came into this a little differently than many others. My family and I were from Kansas and chose Estes Park and the YMCA of the Rockies because it was a cheap vacation. We liked it so we went back every year. After three years of downtown fudge, driving Trail Ridge Road and doing many other tourist things, Dad decided to climb Longs Peak because everyone does. He didn't make it that year but my parents did the next, and so Dad went on Mount Alice a couple days later and was hooked. He came home looking like he was on herion. I decided to go with him a couple years later, so my first mountain, was, I believe, Audobon when I was 13.

Eventually, we climbed many of the peaks in the park, including Longs through many routes, so I had climbed Longs seven or eight times before I climbed my second 14er! My second was Rainier in 1994, and my third was Shavano in 1999 through the Angel when I moved to Greeley to take the job as night reporter because I wanted to live in Colorado for the mountains. I am now Outdoors Editor of the Tribune.
I'm really glad I had already climbed more than 75 peaks and had extensive mountaineering experience before I started climbing the 14ers because I could really enjoy them, knowing that I could climb all of them safely. I could do them on my time and my pace rather than have to learn as I went, so I could climb the harder ones right away and mix it up in every season.

Q: At what point did you commit to finishing them all?
You know, when I first moved here, I thought the 14ers were really stupid, a fad and nothing more. I did Shavano because of the snow route, and I climbed Grays and Torreys in late October of 2000 and then Thanksgiving weekend for Bierstadt just because I wanted to see them. I snowshoed Elbert in early May of 2001 because I wanted to climb the tallest mountain in the state, and on the way home, I decided it would be fun to go after them all because it would force me to get out and see different parts of the state. Once I climbed Capitol that year, I knew I had to do it because I got, in my mind, the hardest one out of the way. Plus it was just so beautiful, I was anxious to see other ranges and mountains. I'm glad I did: Climbing the 14ers is the third best thing I've done, besides get married and have a new baby.

Q: What is your favorite fourteener route?
I've loved about 50 of my climbs on the 14ers, but my favorite route, period, 14er or not, is the Kiener's Route on Longs Peak. Longs is a classic mountain, even with all the crowds, and offers so many awesome routes, but this one tops the list. You get to climb snow, you get to scramble across exposed ledges, you get some rock climbing, you get an epic day and you get incredible sights along the way. Other favorite areas include the Wilsons, Lake Como and South Colony.

Q: What was your most delightful moment on a 14er?
There are far too many to pick one. In fact, except for Columbia, the only 14er I hated, I'd say I had at least one delightful moment on every 14er I've climbed.

Q: What was your most terrifying moment on a 14er?
On the Little Bear-Blanca traverse, I stepped on a loose rock about a quarter-way into it and started rolling. Fortunately we were on one of the few spots where I had a little room to roll, and I hooked my leg around a rock and stopped myself a few feet before the end.
Now, that was terrifying, but the rest of the traverse was even scarier. I had to go through that and then face the most intense exposure of my long climbing career. I remember relaxing a bit when the exposure eases up and then having to face that remarkable knife edge before you scramble up Blanca. I was honestly terrified at that point. I could barely hold onto the rock because I was shaking. I probably would have been fine but my nerves were already shot from the fall. A bad combination.
After we summited Blanca and started our way down, I threw up. I don't know if it was dehydration or nerves or both.
The traverse was one of the best times of my 14er quest. But it was also the scariest.

Q: Do you have any plans for future mountain lists?
I would like to finish the Centennials, but I don't plan to climb them in five years, as I did with most of the 14ers. I'm thinking 10 or 15, and then maybe my newborn, Jayden, can do the 14ers with me again. I'd also like to climb as many peaks in Rocky Mountain National Park and the Indian Peaks as I can. I've climbed all the 13ers in the park, and I believe I'm pretty close to finishing all the peaks above 12,000 feet.

Q: What 14er did you climb last? Did you intentionally save it for last or is it a 14er that previously eluded you?
As you can see in the photo, Holy Cross was my last one. I didn't really save it for my last, although I do remember thinking I wanted one that wasn't technically demanding and yet would be an interesting day. Holy Cross, especially through the Halo Ridge on the way down, certainly fit that description.

Q: What is the single most important piece of advice that you would give to someone just starting out?
I agree with all the other pieces, including safety, staying in shape, knowing your skills and learning new ones, and I would definitely encouarge others to try the 14ers through different routes instead of just the standard ways in summer, but that wouldn't be advice for someone just starting, would it?
So here's my advice: Just Do It.

Seriously, plans trips in advance and, when the day arrives, do it. Don't wimp out at the last minute. If you're tired from a long week at work, go anyway because you'll most likely feel better two-thirds of the way up. Bargain with your spouse so you can go and explain how important it is that you go. Tell your friends you'll go to the bar with them next week.

I believe sticking to your plans, just sucking it up and getting out there, is the number-one thing, more than skill, fitness or weather, that prevents people from climbing the 14ers. Far too many just say they'll do it next weekend. Yes, you have to get up far too early, and you have to take long road trips, and you have to plan and pack and even leave your family.

But when your kids are older, you'll have a photo album of memories to show them, instead of a shot glass collection.