It was Devon Simmons' 21st summit on his way to climbing all 54 Colorado Fourteeners.

When the former Colorado resident got to the top of La Plata Peak — whose access is off Independence Pass south of Leadville — at roughly 11 a.m. on a Saturday earlier this month, there was hardly a breeze and the bluebird sky allowed him to see miles into the distance.

From his perch at 14,336 feet, the climber now living in Tennessee pointed out other Fourteeners he's either ascended or eyed on his quest to conquer all 54 peaks. The Maroon Bells jutted up from the reddish rock band to the west, near Aspen, their distinct shape and height making them stand out from the ocean-like waves of peaks spread below the La Plata summit.

To the east and south, the Collegiate Peaks of the Sawatch Range include Harvard, Belford, Princeton, Yale, Oxford, Columbia, Missouri and Huron in the 14,000-foot-plus height range, with La Plata being the fifth tallest mountain in the state and also in the group.

“Just getting to 14,000 feet is a challenge,” Simmons said of the quest. “Doing all of them is another challenge.”

And, increasing the class of climb is another way to notch up the difficulty. La Plata is a Class 2 climb, which means some rock scrambling using the hands, but the downclimb can be done facing away from the rock.

Mount Lindsey, in south-central Colorado, is an example of a slightly more difficult ascent, at Class 2+, in which Simmons and his climbing partners found themselves as exposed as they ever wanted to be without ropes.

“It was the most exposure I've ever seen and the most exposure I ever want to see,” he said, explaining that the holds were small and the rocks were loose. One crux move had a friend swinging a leg over a rock overhang perched above a long, steep cliff edge.

Though Simmons has nearly gotten halfway in his goal, which began when he was 18 and summited Grays and Torreys peaks with his older sister, the La Plata summit was one of his favorites.

“It's the most (friends) I've been with on a summit together,” he said. “It was cool to all be together and enjoy a common interest.”

First Fourteener

Fort Collins resident Ali Knapp was in the 10-person climbing party, aiming to conquer La Plata as her first Fourteener. She was one of the first to set her pack down on the rocky summit and take in the view.

“I would do it again,” said Knapp, who admitted she was initially intimidated by the prospect of climbing more than 4,000 feet in less than 5 miles.

“Don't let the intimidation factor sway you from doing a Fourteener, because it's totally doable and makes for breathtaking views at the top and makes you want to go back for more,” she said.

An additional draw for those living in Summit County is the sheer quantity of Fourteeners situated within a two-hour drive of our central-mountain locale. Weekends can be crowded, but starting early, as Simmons' and Knapp's 10-person party did, can help cut down on competing for space at the summit.

Fourteeners each have their own character, Simmons said. And the experience depends on how comfortable a hiker is with altitude, the climbing class and more. When he wasn't as comfortable with long climbs, summiting the Class 1 Pikes Peak was the most exhausted Simmons has been. And that's compared to climbing the Class 3 Longs Peak, in winter, escaping the area just hours before an 8-foot snowstorm hit.

Worldwide draw

Colorado's Fourteeners have a worldwide draw among mountain climbers, and many people make the life-long goal of climbing each one. The Colorado summits are the largest group of mountains exceeding 14,000 feet in a single U.S. state. Alaska has 10 peaks over 14,000 feet, and California has 17.

There are 58 peaks stretching higher than 14,000 feet in Colorado, but 54 count as “Fourteeners” because the official definition is a mountain peak that's at least 300 feet higher than any connecting ridge or saddle. They are spread across seven ranges in the state, including the Front, Tenmile, Mosquito, Sawatch and Sangre de Cristo ranges and the Elk and San Juan mountains.

Climbing Colorado's tallest mountains is not for the faint of heart, though, in more ways than one. Physical and mental strength are key, as is mountaineering know-how. People die on Colorado's Fourteeners every year from various causes.

“While it may seem simple to load up the car and go ‘climb a Fourteener,' it can be deadly,” states a site dedicated to climbing Colorado's tallest peaks (http://bit.ly/ple0W3). “Every year people die on these mountains. Thunderstorms with lightning, sudden snow squalls, high winds can turn a great day into a nightmare; so be careful and always consult the National Forest Service and the latest weather and avalanche danger before going up.”