We are so excited to be offering this adventure that will culminate in a summit attempt on Quandary Peak. Sorry fellas, this is a ladies only trip. Quandary is considered a beginner 14er, but it is still very much a challenging mountain with stunning views.
We will spend the majority of our time on this trip in beautiful Breckenridge, Colorado, where we will be spending 4 nights in nice accommodations, enjoying great food and incredible views, and preparing ourselves to take on an awesome mountain. Of course no 14’er should ever be underestimated, but Quandary Peak can be summited by normal people with average fitness, provided they prepare themselves in the weeks leading up to the trip.
This adventure is more than just a climb. We will provide all team members with devotional materials in the weeks leading up to the adventure and we will be devoting significant time on the trip itself to prayer, personal growth, and reflection.
Dates: July 23-27, 2024
Team members will travel together to Breckenridge on July 23rd and will return home on July 27th.
*We can arrange transportation to and from Denver International Airport on July 23rd and July 27th for a small fee. Please let us know if you intend to fly instead of drive and we will help you coordinate the details.
Cost: $1,175 per person
- A non-refundable $300 deposit is required at the time of registration to secure your spot on the team.
- $1,175 is due before June 1st, 2024.
- We will work with each team member to arrange a payment schedule.
What is included:
- All meals on days 2, 3, & 4
- Four night Airbnb accommodation in Breckenridge
- Breckenridge Superchair ticket
What is NOT included:
- Team members are responsible for their own travel to and from Breckenridge and all food on the travel days. You should expect to split gas costs for the trip. We suggest that all gas receipts from all vehicles be totaled and split evenly between team members upon returning.
- Team members are responsible for their own trekking gear (daypack, clothes, hiking shoes/boots, trekking poles, head lamp, etc.) There is no need for a large backpack or any sleeping gear since we will be staying in an Airbnb. We will provide an extensive and detailed packing/gear list for all of our participants.
- Though meals are provided, most team members will choose to pack their own snacks for the climb day. We expect to be on the mountain for 6 to 8 hours, so some combination of trail mix/protein bars/candy/beef jerky will be more than sufficient.
Trek Difficulty: Moderate
Quandary Peak is a manageable mountain to summit. It does not require any technical climbing and offers stunning views in all directions. The entire climb of Quandary Peak is considered class 1 (basic hiking), but there are a few very steep sections. Though Quandary Peak is not a particularly difficult climb, it is still a 14,000ft mountain and should not to be taken lightly. We expect our climb of Quandary to take between 6 and 8 hours. Each team member will need to carry water, snacks, a rain jacket, and some layers in their day pack.
We recommend all of our team members devote themselves to a season of training before attempting this trek. The more cardio fitness you can obtain before your adventure, the more you will enjoy the hike to the summit.
Itinerary:
Day 1 (July 23rd)
The team will drive to Breckenridge, Colorado. This will be a very long day in the car, but the last couple of hours will be incredibly beautiful as you begin to pass through the Rockies. The team will check in to our Airbnb and gather for a short team meeting.
Breckenridge is located at 9,600ft elevation and you will definitely feel the effects of the elevation after driving from near sea level. It is not uncommon for people to feel light headaches and have a little trouble sleeping during the first night at elevation. Be sure to drink plenty of water during your travel day to help mitigate the effects of elevation.
Day 2 (July 24th)
Day 2 is our primary acclimatization day. The goal is to give everyone a chance to recover from the long drive and begin the process of acclimatizing to the elevation. We will all do our best to sleep in a bit. We will then have a devotion before making our way on foot into town for brunch. Following brunch, we will take a ride on the Breckenridge gondola up to the base of Peak 8 and then up the Breckenridge Superchair, one of the highest ski lifts in the world to 11,200ft. We will grab a light snack and then we will walk back down the 3.5 mile downhill mountain trail to the gondola. The hike down the trail will take us between 1 and 2 hours and will be very helpful for us in terms of acclimatizing ourselves to the elevation. We will walk back to our Airbnb in the early afternoon to rest for a couple of hours before walking back into town for a fun dinner.
Day 3 (July 25th)
We will get up around 8:00AM on Day 3 for a home-cooked breakfast and a devotion, before jumping in the cars for a one hour drive up to Kite Lake. Kite Lake is located at 12,000ft and is a beautiful location among an impressive range of mountains. We will bring packed lunches and plan to spend around 4 hours at Kite Lake in personal reflection, prayer, and journaling. It will be a great opportunity to spend some time with the Lord and get yourself ready for the challenge that awaits you on Day 4. We will be back in Breckenridge by late afternoon where we will grab some pizza for an early dinner and team meeting back at the Airbnb. The goal will be to get everyone into bed pretty early to get ready for the big adventure waiting on Day 4.
Day 4 (July 26th)
We will set our alarms very early on Day 4 (~4:00AM) and we will make our way to the trailhead of Quandary Peak. We hope to be on the trail by no later than 5:00AM. It will be dark when we start our hike, so everyone will need a headlamp. The trail to the summit of Quandary Peak is not long (only 6.75 miles round trip), but it is quite steep in places. We will move very slowly and make our way up the mountain.
We have 3 progressive goals on the mountain: 1) reach the ridge line at 12,500ft; 2) reach the plateau at 13,300ft; & 3) reach the summit at 14,271ft. We will help all of our team members climb as high as they can on the mountain. Our hope is that all of our climbers will reach at least 12,500ft. The views become incredible at this point and only improve as you move further up the mountain.
There is a nice plateau on the mountain at about 13,300ft. We will stop for an extended break and ready ourselves for the final climb. There is no sugarcoating it…it is a very steep very tough climb from 13,300ft to the summit. It looks almost impossible from 13,300ft, but despite how intimidating it appears, it is a climb that very average hikers can conquer if they are willing to persevere and have the appropriate mindset. The views from the top of Quandary Peak will be unlike any you have ever seen. It will take us a couple of hours to descend the mountain, and we will finish our adventure with a celebratory meal and a debriefing meeting back in Breckenridge.
Day 5 (July 27th)
The team will get up pretty early and make the long drive home. Though it is a lot of time in the car, we are confident it will be a great day of storytelling and reliving your adventure.