| 2008 Sierra Challenge
August 8-17
Last Updated: 1/15/08
|
| Date | Peak | RT miles | Elev. gain |
|---|
| Fri, Aug 8 |
Electra Peak |
26 | 8,000ft |
|---|
| Sat, Aug 9 |
Mt. Mills |
8 | 3,500ft |
|---|
| Sun, Aug 10 |
Gemini |
27 | 9,000ft |
|---|
| Mon, Aug 11 |
Picture Peak |
16 | 4,000ft |
|---|
| Tue, Aug 12 |
Mt. McGee |
26 | 10,500ft |
|---|
| Wed, Aug 13 |
Trapezoid Peak |
9 | 3,100ft |
|---|
| Thu, Aug 14 |
Mt. Ruskin |
26 | 10,000ft |
|---|
| Fri, Aug 15 |
Mt. Robinson |
17 | 5,000ft |
|---|
| Sat, Aug 16 |
Colosseum Mtn. |
16 | 7,000ft |
|---|
| Sun, Aug 17 |
Mt. Bago |
18 | 5,800ft |
|---|
|
The Sierra Challenge is a series of ten consecutive dayhikes to some of the
most challenging peaks in the Sierra Nevada range. The peaks for the 2008 event were chosen based
on several criteria: they don't appear on previous Challenges; they hold special interest to the
organizer; they are demanding dayhikes, much like the
2001,
2002,
2003,
2004,
2005,
2006, and
2007
events that preceded it. They average 18 miles of hiking/climbing, with an average of 6,500ft
elevation gain. Not unlike climbing Half Dome, but more off-trail, more technically demanding, and
at higher elevation. This year's Challenge is also expected to mark the
culmination of Matthew Holliman's quest to dayhike all 247 SPS peaks, the first
person to have done so. We hope to have a small party atop the summit of Mt.
Bago on the last day to mark the event. This year's Challenge is a bit different
from previous years in that it involves some alternating very hard days with
some relatively easy ones. Hopefully, the body will have a chance to rest (some)
and recuperate before tackling another hard summit.
The Challenge is open to anyone who wishes to participate, whether for a single day or all ten.
This is primarily a Wilderness
experience, and as such there are serious risks involved that are the responsibility of each
individual participant to manage for themselves. There are no water, food, or first-aid stations,
no emergency services or shelter of any kind available to those in trouble. If you are
uncomfortable accepting such risks in any way, you should not participate.
The Peaks
The previous challenges drew from the Sierra Club's SPS Peaks List, all of them located on or near
the Sierra crest in the High Sierra region, stretching from northern Yosemite to the Golden Trout
Wilderness south of Mt. Whitney. For the 2008 event, a new list of ten peaks was selected, seven
from the SPS list, along with three others chosen primarily to provide rest
days between some pretty tough peaks. This year's list is dominated by four
very tough days including the three hardest Challenge peaks ever attempted. If
you've ever wondered what it's like to do a monster Sierra dayhike in the
Matthew's footsteps, here's your chance. Easier but still interesting peaks
have been scheduled between them to give your body a break. If you're still not
up to it, don't worry, there are plenty of other Challenge peaks you can choose
instead to keep you in the running for the coveted jerseys.
The peaks selected range from class 2
to class 4 in technical difficulty and should include something of interest for almost any
peakbagger.
| Peak | Elevation | Class | Location | Trailhead | Roundtrip Miles | Elevation Gain (ft) | Date
|
|---|
| Electra Peak
| 12442
| 2
| Ansel Adams Wilderness
| Silver Lake
| 26
| 8000
| Fri. Aug 8 (4a start)
|
| Mt. Mills
| 13451
| 3
| John Muir Wilderness
| Mosquito Flat
| 8
| 3500
| Sat. Aug 9 (6a start)
|
| Gemini
| 12880
| 3
| John Muir Wilderness
| Pine Creek
| 27
| 9000
| Sun. Aug 10 (4a start)
|
| Picture Peak
| 13120
| 3
| John Muir Wilderness
| Lake Sabrina
| 16
| 4000
| Mon. Aug 11 (6a start)
|
| Mt. McGee
| 12944
| 2-4
| Kings Canyon NP
| North Lake
| 26
| 10500
| Tue. Aug 12 (4a start)
|
| Trapezoid Peak
| 12960
| 3-4
| John Muir Wilderness
| South Lake
| 9
| 3100
| Wed. Aug 13 (6a start)
|
| Mt. Ruskin
| 12920
| 3
| Kings Canyon NP
| Taboose Creek
| 26
| 10000
| Thu. Aug 14 (4a start)
|
| Mt. Robinson
| 12967
| 3
| John Muir Wilderness
| North Fork Big Pine Creek
| 17
| 5000
| Fri. Aug 15 (6a start)
|
| Colosseum Mtn.
| 13494
| 3
| John Muir Wilderness
| Armstrong Canyon
| 16
| 7000
| Sat. Aug 16 (6a start)
|
| Mt. Bago
| 11870
| 2
| Kings Canyon NP
| Onion Valley
| 18
| 5800
| Sun. Aug 12 (6a start)
|
Why the Challenge?
Good question. I like the challenge of an endurance event, but I'm not so good with the sleep
deprivation that goes with some of the other challenges out there such as the California
14er record (set by Jack McBroom in four and a half days) and the Colorado 14er record
(set by Ted Keizer in just under 11 days).
I figure there is no chance in hell I'm going to come close to either of these guys. I simply
must bow down to their superior skills and stamina. I don't have the will to climb for days on end
with little sleep, hiking way before sunup and way past sundown. I will leave it to others to chase
those dreams...
The Sierra Challenge opens to a wider audience some of the same experiences of these
marathon climbing events. I conceived it as a personal challenge that was at the edge of my own
abilities, and wanted to share the experience with others who might similarly enjoy a good
workout. Besides, suffering is more fun if you have someone to share it with. :)
Who is organizing this?
The Sierra Challenge is being primarily organized by
Bob Burd. There is no legal entity responsible
for this event and no grants available for advertising, promotion, or funding.
It is being done on a volunteer basis (in terms of time, money, and energy), so please be kind to
the organizer. With a family to support he has limited time and resources.
How do I participate?
Send mail to snwbord@hotmail.com. Let me know which peaks
you are interested in climbing. I will include you on a mail list for future info about carpooling,
meeting times, changes, etc. I would like to collect the following information about you as well
so that we can post it on this website. That will allow others to contact you for coordinating
hiking, climbing, and driving partners. If you would like information to be kept confidential,
please indicate this, and it will not be posted. If you're really worried about privacy, give
me as much info as you see fit, your email address being the minimum required amount. You are also
free to simply show up at the trailhead and join us, but it is helpful for planning purposes if you
can let me know in advance that you intend to join us. Send a photo of yourself (or point me to one
on the web) if you'd like your picture shown on your information page. It can prove useful to allow others to identify you at the trailhead or out on the trail.
Full Name
Email Address
Phone No.
Mailing Address
Which Peak Challenges do you plan to participate in?
Emergency contact info (name and phone #)
Age (only if under 25 or over 50)
You may also choose to climb these peaks following The Rules on days other
than those listed here. I will be happy to add your name to the finishers list provided that as
a minimum you post a trip report about your adventure. You can post it here (via email), or any
other place and simply pass along the URL for me to post on this website.
What does this cost?
Nominally, nothing. There are no entrance fees to participate in any of these hikes. You are
responsible for your own food, lodging, and gear. There is a nominal charge for T-shirts,
but there is no obligation to buy anything from the organizer.
How am I scored?
I attempt to track which peaks have been climbed by each participant, and how
long they were out on the trail each day. Peaks are categorized as Challenge
peaks, Bonus peaks (climbed in addition to the Challenge peak on the same day),
or Alternates (Challenge peak not climbed that day).
This is compiled on a spreadsheet
which is posted online daily during the event. Here's the
2006 stat sheet as an example. Times are measured
to the nearest five minutes. All participants are encouraged to aid me in
collecting this information (since I won't be at the TH to time your return).
A new rule was introduced in 2006 as it was acknowledged
that the list of peaks grows more obscure each year - any of the previous
years' Challenge peaks may also be climbed and count as a Challenge peak
providing you haven't already climbed it on a previous Challenge.
Scoring is based on the number of Challenge peaks you successfully summit. There
is additional credit awarded for climbing "bonus" peaks. Roughly following the
model of the Tour de France, there are four jerseys or categories that are
tracked throughout the event.
Yellow Jersey - Overall Leader
This is the primary category, and simply tracks the number of Challenge peaks
climbed throughout the ten days. One point is awarded if a Challenge peak is
climbed. Generally, the maximum is one point per day, but an additional point
will be awarded if two Challenge peaks from the same year are climbed
on the same day.
Polka Dot Jersey - King of the Mountain
You are awarded one point for each peak climbed. If a Challenge peak is not
climbed that day, a maximum of two points can be awarded (this is to
discourage climbing a bunch of easy peaks). There is no maximum number of points
that can be awarded if a Challenge peak is climbed in combination. All
officially named peaks are eligible ("official" means recognized by the USGS
- most, but not all appear on the 7.5' topo map). Unofficially named peaks are
eligible if they are named in Secor's book and they have at least 300' of
prominence - this rule is a new for 2008 and eliminates a number of the points
between Mts. Whitney and Muir, for example.
White Jersey - Best Young Climber (under 25yrs)
This award goes to the young climber completing the most Challenge peaks.
Scoring is identical to the yellow jersey.
Green Jersey - Best Masters Climber (over 50yrs)
This award goes to the older climber completing the most Challenge peaks.
Scoring is identical to the yellow jersey.
In the event of a tie in any category, the particant with the most peaks from this year's list will be the winner. If a tie still exists, the total time on the
trail is used to determine the leader. Only total time for peaks from this
year's list will be used in the determination
(it would be unfair to compare times for say The Hermit
and University Peak, for example). All scoring decisions are made by the
event organizer
and should be considered final (unless I change my mind). This does not mean
that decisions cannot be influenced by participants. Scoring rules are subject
to change.
What are the prizes?
There are no prizes. It is hoped that the enjoyment of participation is reward enough. There will
be recognition on this website for all participants and finishers. If
you were hoping for something more in the way of renumeration, please look elsewhere.
What am I in for?
Most of these peaks are usually climbed as multi-day trips into the Wilderness. As dayhikes these
climbs are all very strenuous. You should not attempt any of them without proper training and
experience. Only you can judge your level of preparedness, so no training formula can be given that
works for everyone. There are those that train for months and still fail to summit Mt. Whitney even
though a regular trail exists all the way to the top. There are others who because of outstanding
physiology or possibly sheer will might not train at all and still go out and climb the toughest of
these. I would expect that those with the best chances to succeed will have experience with long
hikes combined with much elevation gain ( 20+ miles, 4000+ ft), extensive cross-country travel, and
are comfortable climbing class 3 rock, snow, and ice.
You should not expect others to lead you to the summit or wait for you along the way. No one has yet
started out running on any of the previous Challenges, but the pace in the front is brisk, around 3mph
on the uphills. A fast pace allows participants to reach the summit before afternoon thunderstorms
may appear, as well as to get off the trail to start resting for the next day as early as possible.
You should carry a map and whatever other gear you deem appropriate to be self-sufficient, and be
familiar with the route (study it beforehand, and know how to read your map) in case you find yourself
alone because others didn't wait for you. That said, it is primarily a social experience. We would
rather hike as a group, climb to the summit together, returning to town to eat and drink together
while reliving the day's adventure. If you aren't going to keep up, it's usually clear in the first
hour or so. If the technical difficulty is more than you're comfortable with, don't be afraid to
speak up for some additional guidance, or to turn back and call it a day. A number of past
participants have turned back before reaching the summit but still enjoyed a great adventure in the
mountains. And if you hike 4 hours with the group to reach the start of the technical section, don't
worry about getting stranded - no one's going to abandon you.
Who do I sue if I get hurt?
No one. There is no official organization to ensure any level of safety any greater than you
have on your own when you venture into the Wilderness. If you are hiking or climbing with others
during this event, you do so the same as if you were out with friends. Don't expect anyone to
ensure the qualifications of another you are hiking or climbing with. If you have doubts,
you should find someone you trust, go alone, or choose not to participate.
For corrections or comments, please send feedback to:
snwbord@hotmail.com
