We are so excited to be offering this adventure that will culminate in a summit attempt on Mount Yale. Sorry ladies, this is a men only trip. Yale is a challenging mountain with stunning views of the surrounding Collegiate Peaks. We designed this trip specifically for those who want to take on the challenge of a Colorado 14’er without having to sleep in a tent. That’s right…this adventure is hotel/Airbnb stays only. That means we can leave the sleeping bags at home and we will have a nice hot shower every night.
We will split our time between Breckenridge and Buena Vista, where we will spend 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 every be underestimated, but Mount Yale 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 personal growth and reflection.
Dates: July 27-31, 2024
Team members will need to arrive in Denver no later than 3:00PM on Saturday, July 27th and will plan to depart from Denver no earlier than Noon on Tuesday, July 3st.
Cost: $1,175 per person
- A non-refundable $300 deposit is required at the time of registration to secure your spot on the team. Please read our Trip Cancellation and Refund policy before registering for your adventure.
- $1,175 is due before June 1st, 2024.
- We will work with each team member to arrange a payment schedule.
What is included:
- Dinner on day 1
- All meals on days 2, 3, & 4
- Fast food breakfast on day 5
- Two night Airbnb accommodation in Breckenridge
- Two nights Airbnb accommodation in Buena Vista
- All transportation to and from Denver airport
- Breckenridge Superchair ticket
What is NOT included:
- Team members are responsible for their own travel to and from Denver, arriving in the afternoon of day 1 (no later than 3:00pm MST) and departing in the afternoon of day 5. Some will choose to drive, but we expect most to fly.
- 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.
- Team members are responsible for their own additional snacks for trekking day. We will provide a trail breakfast and lunch along with some snacks, but some team members may choose to bring additional snacks.
Trek Difficulty: Moderate
Mount Yale is a manageable mountain to summit. It does not require any technical climbing and offers stunning views in all directions. Though most of the approach to Mount Yale is on very well maintained class 1 trail, there is a bit of light class 2 scrambling with minimal exposure required just before the summit. Though Yale is not a particularly difficult climb, it is still a 14,000ft mountain and should not to be taken lightly. 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 27th)
Team members need to arrive in Denver no later than 3:00PM MST. We will pick everyone up from the airport and transport them to our team Airbnb in Breckenridge. The drive from Denver airport to Breckenridge will be a little more than 2 hours. After we get everyone checked in to our Airbnb, we will go out for a late team dinner at a local restaurant. This night is about getting to know your fellow teammates and setting a tone for the adventure. Staying in Breckenridge (9,600ft elevation) also allows us to begin to acclimatize ourselves to the elevation we will encounter on our climb day.
Day 2 (July 28th)
Day 2 is our primary acclimatization day. The goal is to give everyone a chance to recover from the travel 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 29th)
We will begin day 3 with a home cooked team breakfast and a devotional before making a 1 hour drive up to Kite Lake at 12,000ft. We will bring a cold lunch along with our Bibles and journals, and we will spend several hours in personal prayer and reflection in a gorgeous setting. Some team members may choose to take a short hike and others may enjoy a nap near the lake. The goal is to make space for each team member to connect with the Lord and ready themselves for the challenge that awaits them on day 3. Sometime in the early afternoon, we will make our way down from Kite Lake and over to the town of Buena Vista where we will check in to our next Airbnb and grab an early dinner. We will be aiming for an early bed time, since Day 4 will begin well before dawn.
Day 4 (July 30th)
We will set our alarms for 3:30AM. We have a short drive to the trailhead and the parking lot on this very popular trail can fill up quite early. Our goal is to be on the trail by 4:30AM. Not only will this allow us a bit of time hiking under the stars (which is incredible), but it will allow us to reach the summit with plenty of time to safely descend before afternoon storms roll in. We will enjoy a bit of time on the summit and then make our way back down the trail to the cars. The entire climb is around 9.5 miles round trip from the car and we expect it to take somewhere between 7 and 9 hours to complete. It will be a long and rewarding day. After we conclude our hike, we will head back to Buena Vista to enjoy a celebratory dinner and a time of debriefing.
Day 5 (July 31st)
We will wake up as early as is necessary to make the 3 hour drive to get each team member back to the Denver airport in time for their flights home. Please do not schedule a flight before noon on Day 4…the later in the day the better. Most team members will grab a light breakfast from a convenience store on our drive back to Denver.