Are you a Peakbagger?

Are you a Peakbagger?!

The hiking, climbing, trail running, mountain biking…all-things-trail-season is among us.

First of all, congrats! YOU made it through another cold (but hopefully exciting) winter season.

Now, the flowers are blooming, the snow is melting, and you might be in the process of preparing for your summer adventures.

For me, I am excited about peakbagging season! Yup…another outdoor enthusiast piece of slang for your arsenal that some of us have already embedded into our dictionaries..peakbagger.

(Please mentally insert the Minion GIF saying “Whaaaattttt?” here.)

What does it mean to be a peakbagger? I couldn’t find a better definition than stated by Greg Slayden, the creator of peakbagger.com. “Peakbagger (n): A mountain climber whose principal goal is the attainment of a summit, or a specific set of summits.”

So…really, what does this actually mean? Well, a lot! Let’s think about the journey vs. destination mindset. Identifying what category you fall into and where your adventure partner’s fall into are really important. Motivations and goals could lead to different objectives, safety precautions, and even what clothing or snacks you bring in your hike for the day.

Mindset

Let’s dive into the potential mindset and thought process behind both journey-oriented and destination-oriented alpinists(as).

Signs that someone is JOURNEY-orientated:

-You are outside for the process, there is not a final destination in mind.

-Oh look– a new trail! “Why not try this out!”

-Your adventure might often take longer or shorter than expected.

-You are not impacted by where the adventure or day takes you…you get there when you get there.

-A successful outing might be defined by the amount of time you were outside, elevation gained, or other markers other than reaching the top of the peak/end of the trail!

Signs that someone is DESTINATION-oriented:

-You are driven to get to the final destination. Nothing is stopping you…not even a warm slice of ‘za.

-You might define success through how many peaks you have summited, routes that you have fully climbed, and trails fully completed. “Short-cuts” are off limits.

-Can you say, “no friends on a powder day?”

-You like to plan trips around summits and very large goals.

-You often find yourself fixated on specific summit goals for this upcoming summer or winter.

So how can journey vs. destination mindsets collaborate? We all don’t have to be the same in order to enjoy an outdoor adventure this summer. I tend to see these mindsets on a scale too: Journey ← → Destination. Journey one day, destination another. Journey at the beginning of the trip, destination later on, or visa versa. A-okay!

Preparation

After defining a bit of these mindsets, I bet you can start to see the differences and maybe even which category you personally have during your adventures. Maybe even start picturing how you might prepare and plan differently for these adventures? There is obviously no right or wrong answer, but here are a few (thoughts/ideas) of ways one might prepare/plan differently.

How close are you to the car or home-base…will you need an Inreach/Spot, headlamp, overnight supplies?

How will summit temperatures compare to lower elevations…will you need to prepare for all elevations and potential weather?

How long will you be outside…will you need more sunscreen, sun-hoodie, hat, more snacks?

Is there a clear path or trail that you are looking to follow…will you need multiple sources of maps, directions, and guides to get back to home-base?

What does your water sources look like along the way…will you be following a creek and need a filter, socks or change or shoes, or will you be further away and need a larger water bottle?

(And for my favorite topic) What does your food fuel look like…will you need a hearty meal, munchy snacks, fast vs. slow burning, and will you need extras for you and friends?

That’s a lot to think about!

Motivation

Greg Slayden, also shared his ideas around the motivations that might influence where you are on the scale. He made the list of “Ten Reasons Why People Climb Mountains”.

1. Challenge
2. Exercise
3. Social
4. Wilderness
5. Scenery
6. Nature
7. Sports/hobbies
8. Climate
9. Inspiration
10. Existential.

Which motivations call to you? How can you communicate that with your team?

Communication

Despite the individual mindsets and motivations of you and your adventure friends, clear communication is required in order to make sure everyone is on the same page and everyone’s goals are met.

I don’t know about you and your crew this summer, but I personally find it difficult to convey my goals, motivations and mindset to my partners..it’s not always that easy and straightforward.

Sometimes 10 steps in, I am ready to turn around and enjoy the car ride through the canyon.

Sometimes, we are SOO close to the peak and my partner has a time commitment and needs to turn-around.

Other times, I may surprise myself and be really excited that someone dragged my butt up the trail.

And, during those evening runs, I see a bear on the trail..and it is amazing how quickly I want to change my goals for the day and call it good.

How can you best communicate to yourself and your adventure friends what your intentions are? Here is a few statements that my friends and I have made that help us communicate our intentions and needs for the day:

“Yikes, my stomach is flipping. Are you okay if we turn around early, or I can meet you back at the car?”

“Feel free to get here whenever and we chat about where we can go from there.”

“So, let’s meet at 7, go up the South Ridge, be on the ridge by 9, and go down. Turnaround time is 9:00 either way. What do you think?”

“I’m a little tired today, do you mind if we do a 30 minute road run instead?”

“Anyone interested in skiing Seagull Chute?”

“Just planning to do a romp in Beartrap Fork today for a couple of hours. Want to join?”

Over the past few years of diving into backcountry skiing and trail running, I find it SO important to be honest, speak-up, and work together with your group. You never know if someone else in your group is feeling the same way.

I hope this little blog has helped bring you to be more aware of the motivations and differences behind being a peak-bagger or just along for the journey!

No matter what category you or your partners’ fall into, there is no doubt in my mind that you can still enjoy all your summer adventures if you properly plan and prepare! Visit alpinistas.com to help you get the gear you need and accomplish your next adventure!

Here is more about Greg Slayden’s view on Peakbagging: https://www.peakbagger.com/pbgeog/Essay.aspx