We climbed Mt. Elbert on 14 Aug 2025.

Got to the trailhead around 5am. Initially I was feeling great and probably started out way too fast. I felt good until about 13k and then really started to feel terrible. The rest of the hike was a slog and an exercise in pushing through. I can’t express how bad I felt and how difficult it was to keep going. My buddy Steve pushed me – literally and figuratively to the summit. I summited around 10 probably 15 or 20 minutes after the rest of the crew.

My main take aways… altitude is real and I could have prepared better. We arrived (from the flat lands) on Wednesday and did this climb on Thursday. Not ideal. I was also really feeling my legs and wished that I had hit the gym and the Mt. Adams stairs harder.

The biggest struggle for me was my stomach. I tried to eat carbs (like the research suggested) but feel like it messed me up. I had been on a minimal carb diet leading up to the trip and that may have been part of the problem. I also stopped and sat down quite a few times after I started feeling bad. This was a mistake. I think to keep putting one foot in front of the other is key – even if the progress is minute.