Spotlight on Tim Briese!
 
Congratulations to our latest Grand Slam finisher Tim Briesel! We had the opportunity of asking Tim a few quick questions.

 Q:  At what point did you decide to go for the Highest Hundred?
 I began climbing the Centennial 13ers in 2001, after completing the 14ers the year before.  The Roach's 13er book had just come out, and I was intrigued by the new challenges it presented.  The photos of Vestal and Pigeon especially caught my eye.  I initially had no intention of climbing them all, especially since I had no technical climbing experience, but after doing several of them I found that I really liked the lack of crowds and extra routefinding challenges compared to the 14ers, and the beautiful new places that these 13er routes took me to.  It wasn't until sometime in the summer or fall of 2004 that my friend and climbing partner Brian Schultz and I formulated a plan to complete the highest hundred this year.    

Q:  What are some of your favorite centennial routes?
Some of my favorite centennial routes include:  the standard routes to Vermillion, Vestal, Hagerman, Pigeon and Turret, Cathedral, Half Peak, Holy Cross Ridge, and Jupiter, primarily because of the spectacular scenery encountered along these routes and from these summits. 

Q:  How would you compare the technical difficulty of climbing the 14ers verses the technical difficulty of climbing the Highest Hundred?
The Centennial 13ers are a little more technically difficult to climb than the 14ers, primarily because of the low 5th class moves required on Jagged, Teakettle, and Dallas.  There are, on the other hand, many Centennial 13ers that are rather easy, too.  The primary difference in climbing the two sets of peaks lies in routefinding, because trails on the 13ers are generally faint or even nonexistent, and fellow climbers are few.  The Roach's directions are nearly impeccable, though, with very few exceptions. 

Q:  How would you compare the danger of climbing the 14ers verses the danger of climbing the Highest Hundred?
 I would rate the 14ers as more dangerous overall than the Centennial 13ers.  The Bells, Pyramid, Capitol, Little Bear, and Mt. Wilson certainly require great caution.  I consider Gladstone and Thunder Pyramid among the most dangerous of the high 13ers, but at least there are seldom climbers above knocking rocks loose on these lightly climbed peaks.

Q:  In your opinion, what are the most beautiful centennial peaks?
The most beautiful Centennial 13ers are in the San Juans, in my opinion.  Vestal, Pigeon, Turret, and Jagged immediately come to mind.  There are other contenders, though, as well.  Ice and North Apostle are striking when viewed from the north, and the Rio Grande Pyramid has always impressed me with its stately prominence.

Q:  During the time it took you to finish the centennials, did you ever have any moments of doubt?
I always doubted that I would climb all the Centennials, until I made the commitment last year to acquire the technical climbing skills necessary to complete them all.  Going into the climbing season this year I thought that we could pull it off, sooner or later, if not this year then maybe next year.  Brian and I planned to climb Thunder Pyramid, Gladstone, Dallas, and Teakettle on four consecutive days in late July this year, and I was doubtful that this undertaking would be completely successful, but we were blessed with remarkably good weather and climbed them all.

Q:  What is the single most important piece of advice that you would give to someone just finishing the 14ers and thinking about doing the highest 100?
If you have completed the 14ers and are considering climbing all of the Centennials, I suggest that you assess your routefinding and climbing skills, and polish up any deficiencies that you may have, because you will be much more on your own on the high 13ers than you were on the 14ers.

Q:  Which group was more fun to climb, the 14ers or the centennials?
I personally enjoyed the Centennial 13ers more than the 14ers, because of the solitude and routefinding challenges.  It seemed more gratifying, and more in the spirit of true mountaineering, to more or less find my own way up to a summit, rather than hiking up a well-worn trail in the company of numerous other climbers.

Q:  What was your final centennial and why did you save it for last?
Brian and I saved Jagged Mountain for last.  This was partly for practical reasons, because we were building up to a level of skill and confidence needed to climb a technical peak in a very remote place.  On the other hand, we were also inspired by Gerry Roach's words, "Jagged is Colorado's premier centennial thirteener," and "this is Colorado's best peak climb." His alluring words made it seem fitting to save this one for last.

Q:  Do you have any plans for future mountain lists? 
I have no plans for future mountain lists at this time.  Rather, I plan to continue climbing beautiful and interesting peaks that catch my attention.  I like to avoid a list mentality and focus on other benefits of mountain climbing that are more important to me.