Spotlight on Peter Krzanowsky!

What was your first Fourteener, and when did you climb it?
La Plata Peak was my first 14er.  I climbed it way back in July 1999.  I spent half of the summer as a volunteer campground host in Yosemite National Park and then came back to Colorado to work for a concessionaire in Rocky Mountain National Park before returning to school.  Me and a couple of buddies were getting burnt out on hikes in RMNP, so we got out this little pocket guide to the 14ers and randomly chose La Plata.  We really liked it's name and the fact that it meant "silver" in Spanish.  So off we went from Estes, leaving around 2am or so.  We found the trailhead, but our book didn't provide much of a description of the route or trail and we took a wrong turn early on in the hike.  This little mistake added a few miles to the hike.....but we pressed on and made it to the summit sometime afer noon, with clouds building all around us and all three of us suffering from altitude/dehydration induced headaches.  So I learned quite a bit on hat hike.  But on the positive side, we found a great snowfield to utt-slide down during the descent and enjoyed amazing views during the ntire hike.  It was definitely a great first 14er experience.

At what point did you commit to finishing the 14ers?
I'm not sure If I can pinpoint a moment....but during 2000 and 2001, I did over 20 14ers and I think that is when I decided to try and climb them all.  Though I had a few leans years between then and now where I basically ignored the 14ers and concentrated on trail running or just climbed other peaks.  My first real "hard" 14er was Crestone Needle in 2003.  I think it was truly hooked on finishing the 14ers after that climb.   

What is your favorite fourteener route?
It's hard to narrow it down to one route, but the El Diente to Mt. Wilson traverse is right at the top.  I started at the Kilpacker Basin TH and went up Diente's South Slopes route, traversed over to Mt. Wilson and then descended Mt. Wilson's North Slopes route to Navajo Lake and then hiked back to the Kilpacker Basin TH.  I had both mountains to myself all day.  I didn't see another person till I was over a mile past Navajo Lake on the descent.  The hike/climb had everything - great scenery, route-finding on the ridge, challenging scrambling.....and solitude that isn't always found on a 14er. 

What was your most delightful moment on a 14er?
I'd have to say it was my final climb, Capitol Peak, on 9/3/2007.  The backpack in was fun, we found a great campsite and I was fortunate enough to spend the weekend with great friends.  Me and two of my best and oldest Colorado friends made it to the summit together.  The route was alot of fun, scrambling across the knifeedge and then taking the direct route up the ridge to the summit.  It was great sharing the moment with them.  It was my final 14er and the 30^th birthday for one of my friends.....so we had alot to celebrate that weekend. 

What was your most terrifying moment on a 14er?
To be honest, I've been really lucky on all of my climbs with very few close calls.  But just a few weeks ago I had a really close call.  I was standing on the summit of Little Bear after ascending the "hourglass" route with three friends.  We were joined by a couple who climbed the peak via the southwest ridge and they asked me to take a summit shot of them.  As I was trying to get a better angle for the shot the rock I was standing on dislodged itself from the mountain and down I went for about 10 feet.  Somehow, I was able to land on my feet, without being hit by any rocks and suffering no injuries.  But I've been told by 2 of my friends that the big rock came really close to my head/shoulder.  So I definitely got lucky. 

Do you have any plans for future mountain lists?
Yes and no.  I am interested in the Centennials and plan to work on that list as well as the Front Range and Mosquite/Ten-Mile Range 13ers.  But i'm really looking forward to not being constrained by a list and just climbing peaks that appeal to me for one reason or another.  I might work on a list of peaks with interesting scrambles and pursue those.   

What 14er did you climb last?  Did you intentionally save it for last or is it a 14er that previously eluded you?
My last 14er was Capitol Peak.  I almost climbed it last year, but we did Pyramid Peak instead.  I decided back in January that I wanted to finish the 14ers this year.....and after trying to plan out the summer, Capitol fit in best at the end.  I'm really glad it was my final 14er.  It had everything....an amazing route, great views, and I got to climb it with some great friends, so that made it even more special. 

What is the single most important piece of advice that you would give to someone just starting?
To just enjoy the mountains and be willing to turn around on a mountain if things(conditions, weather, or yourself) don't feel right.  The mountain will always be there and you can always climb it later.