In the climbing world there are a few people who uniquely stand out: Messner, Viesturs, Moro, House, and many more – you know the names. And then there are those climbers who have forgotten more climbs than most people have attempted. They may not have been the most difficult or garnered the fame but they were climbs nonetheless. Gerry Roach of Colorado has a lock on this category.
If you live (or climb) in Colorado you know him from his famous guide book simply called Colorado’s Fourteeners: from hikes to climbs. It is the premier guide book for all things 14ers describing 250 routes in sufficient detail for most people to make the summit. In total, he has authored 15 books.
But who is this guy and what is he up to these days? First a bit of background.
Gerry’s early years were flavored with international experiences starting with a year in France at age 7 with his family. Soon they moved to Boulder, Colorado – a rock climbing mecca even in the 1950’s. He started climbing rocks and mountains and flew a plane before he drove a car. His love affair with the international life continued after graduating from the University of Washington in 1964 with a degree in math when Gerry served as a teacher in the Peace Corps in Bhubaneshwar, India not long after the Peace Corps was formed.
Today, more than 60 years of travel and mountaineering, Gerry has explored and lived in dozens of countries and been on more than 30 major expeditions. In addition to pursuing a career as a computer scientist, he found time to run a university outdoor program and teach Outward Bound in Colorado and Alaska.
After climbing Mount Everest in 1983, Gerry went on to become the second person to climb the highest peak on each of the 7 continents in 1985. In 2003, Gerry became the first person to climb every major peak over 16,000 feet in North America. Gerry received the Sierra Club’s coveted Farquhar lifetime achievement award for mountaineering in 2005 and the Colorado Mountain Club’s rare Ellingwood Golden Ice Ax Award in 2006.
Gerry is not alone in his ventures. His wife, Jennifer, has climbed over 1000 Colorado peaks including all the 14ers and all 637 13ers. She is the co-author on several of the guide books.
Q: How are you spending you time these days?
I’m not retired, I just can’t get a job anymore. That line started out as a joke, but has turned out to be true. So, I’m writing, climbing, and organizing trips (see www.earthviewadventures.com).
Q: How often do you get out and climb today?Every week
Q: Will there be a print update of your famous Colorado 14ers guidebook?
Yes. It’s in progress now and should be available in paper for the 2011 climbing season. I’m also working on an online version that will be available sooner.
Q: People know you for the Colorado 14ers but you have a love of the 13ers as well. Can you tell us a bit about your 13ers?
I’m close to finishing the famous long list of all 637 Colorado ranked peaks over 13,000 feet. I consider the list to be a bank account of great outings, and I’ll be a bit sad to actually finish the list. I’ll set the record for having taken the longest to complete the list. When people complain about the crowded 14ers, I tell them to climb obscure 13ers. We typically go all day without seeing anyone.
Q: Your guidebooks have a huge number of routes in such detail, over what period did you climb all those routes?
I started accumulating the route information in the 1950s. I climb every peak or rock in my guides, but there are still a few spots I haven’t touched.
Q: Longs Peak is special to you. Why does it stand out?
I started out as a rock climber and gravitated naturally to routes on Longs’ east face. That’s where I found my feet as an alpine climber. Back then, the Diamond had not been climbed and there was a lot of mystery on the face.
Q: What do you think about climbing records these days: speed, ski, disabilities, etc. Is there a place for these in climbing?
There will always be a need for speed – it’s the American way. I enjoy watching the records progress. Extreme activities in the mountains are fine as long as they don’t hurt the environment or other people. There are wilderness regulations that limit group size and organized events, and some activities aren’t appropriate. The trend seems to be for individual efforts, which are fine.
Q: What are your thoughts on PLBs and cell phone in the wilderness. Any thoughts on the debate relative to the deaths on Mt. Hood and thus requiring PLBs to be carried by all climbers?
PLBs (and Sat phones) are a nice bit of modern technology. You can use it or ignore it as you choose. I used a PLB to help save a life in Mexico, and was quite impressed with the system. Requiring them is another issue. Being old school, I think we should always be free to get lost. Just don’t expect to be rescued.
Q: Any desire to ever return to one the the 7 Summits?
Well, I have. I’ve done Denali three times, Aconcagua twice and Kilimanjaro twice. I was also high on Everest twice – South Col in 1976 and summit in 1983. I’d like to go back and do the north side of Elbrus.
Q: Do you have a favorite lesson from all your climbs?
The answer to the question, WHO CLIMBS UP is in my book Transcendent Summits. See www.transcendent-summits.com This is just a pointer to the long answer.
For short answers I like:
“Gravity never sleeps”
“Physics Wins”
“Geologic time includes now”Q: You summited Everest in 1983. If you were to summit today, how would the feeling compare to that first summit?
Good question. It would be different for sure. In 1976, we were the only team on the mountain. In 1983, we were the only party on the South Col Route. On both trips we had to lead the entire route. I take some pride in knowing that I helped lead some of every portion of the route from base to summit. Now, it’s pay, clip and go. The O2 equipment is much better today as well. A traffic jam at the Hillary Step would drive me nuts.
I know that I am personally appreciative for all the research Gerry put into his guide books. Without his books, I probably would not have ventured into the 14ers like I have. You can read more about Gerry on his website. Thanks Gerry for your time and of luck on your next adventure.
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