The Challenge is open to anyone who wishes to participate, whether for a single day or all ten. This is primarily a Wilderness experience, and as such there are serious risks involved that are the responsibility of each individual participant to manage for themselves. There are no water, food, or first-aid stations, no emergency services or shelter of any kind available to those in trouble. If you are uncomfortable accepting such risks in any way, you should not participate.

I figure there is no chance in hell I'm going to come close to either of these guys. I simply must bow down to their superior skills and stamina. I don't have the will to climb for days on end with little sleep, hiking way before sunup and way past sundown. I will leave it to others to chase those dreams...

The Sierra Challenge opens to a wider audience some of the same experiences of these marathon climbing events. I conceived it as a personal challenge that was at the edge of my own abilities, and wanted to share the experience with others who might similarly enjoy a good workout. Besides, suffering is more fun if you have someone to share it with. :)

You may also choose to climb these peaks following The Rules on days other than those listed here. I will be happy to add your name to the finishers list provided that as a minimum you post a trip report about your adventure. You can post it here (via email), or any other place and simply pass along the URL for me to post on this website.

What does this cost?

How am I scored?

A new rule was introduced in 2006 as it was acknowledged that the list of peaks grows more obscure each year - any of the previous years' Challenge peaks may also be climbed and count as a Challenge peak providing you haven't already climbed it during a previous Challenge.

Scoring is based on the number of Challenge peaks you successfully summit. There is additional credit awarded for climbing "bonus" peaks. Roughly following the model of the Tour de France, there are four jerseys or categories that are tracked throughout the event.

Yellow Jersey - Overall Leader

Polka Dot Jersey - King of the Mountain

White Jersey - Best Young Climber (under 25yrs)

Green Jersey - Best Masters Climber (over 53yrs)

In the event of a tie in any category, the participant with the most peaks from this year's list will be the winner. New for 2013: A previous Challenge peak starting from the same trailhead that is the same or harder in terms of difficulty will be deemed equal to this year's Challenge peak. Thus, like last year, the Yellow Jersey winner may not have climbed all of this year's Challenge peaks. The event organizer is the sole arbiter as to which summit is more challenging. You can ask ahead of time if it's not obvious to you before starting out. As an example, you could climb Ehrnbeck on the first day instead of Crown Point and still be in the running for any of the jerseys. If a tie still exists, the total time on the trail is used to determine the leader. Only total time for peaks from this year's list will be used in the determination (it would be unfair to compare times for say The Hermit and University Peak, for example). All scoring decisions are made by the event organizer and should be considered final (unless I change my mind). This does not mean that decisions cannot be influenced by participants. Scoring rules are subject to change.

What are the prizes?

What am I in for?

You should not expect others to lead you to the summit or wait for you along the way. No one has yet started out running on any of the previous Challenges, but the pace in the front is brisk, around 3mph on the uphills. A fast pace allows participants to reach the summit before afternoon thunderstorms may appear, as well as to get off the trail to start resting for the next day as early as possible. You should carry a map and whatever other gear you deem appropriate to be self-sufficient, and be familiar with the route (study it beforehand, and know how to read your map) in case you find yourself alone because others didn't wait for you. That said, it is primarily a social experience. We would rather hike as a group, climb to the summit together, returning to town to eat and drink together while reliving the day's adventure. If you aren't going to keep up, it's usually clear in the first hour or so. If the technical difficulty is more than you're comfortable with, don't be afraid to speak up for some additional guidance, or to turn back and call it a day. A number of past participants have turned back before reaching the summit but still enjoyed a great adventure in the mountains. And if you hike 4 hours with the group to reach the start of the technical section, don't worry about getting stranded - no one's going to abandon you.

Who do I sue if I get hurt?

For corrections or comments, please send feedback to: snwbord@hotmail.com