Most # of attempts before summiting

[KZKlimber]

What is the most number of attempts it has ever taken you to successfully summit a specific mountain?

 

[KZKlimber]

I thought I might not ever make it!

Carson and Hough took 3 attempts via 3 different routes to finally make it.

 

[ronandjon]

3 Times Is the Charm

3 times to get Hough - ran out of time the first try, after Macomb, S Dix and E Dix Got dehydrated and sick on Dix the second time; 3 times to get Rocky Peak - Jon was too tired the first time as he had just flown in from a week at BSA camp SeaBase the day before and we just did Giant; I got dehydrated and dizzy the second time, so Scoutmaster Tom and I turned around, while the boys went on to Rocky Peak and down to New Russia.

I also failed once to get Cliff and once to get Allen and once to get the Sewards. So, who know - there may be new records to set for me!

 

[hillman1]

Three times for marshall. First time lost my food to a bear raid, second time missed the herd path and ended going up to the algonquin/iroquois col, third time was a charm. Then a fourth try this winter, and climbed to the wrong summit with another hiker who shall remain nameless. I'm thinking that mountain doesn't like me.

 

[Peakbagr]

Calkins Brook - W46

3 backpacks up Calkins Brook before finishing the W46 on the 4th attempt.
This in the days before anyone used this route, winter or summer.

 

[ALGonquin Bob]

FOUR!

VFTT is great for bringing climbers together. I hiked with KZKlimber for part of the day when he finally got Carson (East Dix) and Hough. I also got Hough that day on my second attempt.

I hiked with Hillman1 on a hike where we only reached the lower of Marshall's two summits.

My most attempts before summiting is 4 tries to get all 3 of the Santanonis. I lost the trail to Couchie and ran out of time on the first try, summited Couch and Panther on try #2, solo day-hiked up to Times Square but couldn't find the trail on try #3, and finally reached the top of Santanoni on my fourth attempt - with the help of two friends.

Three of those attempts were within a 5-week period this past winter. I might go back up there some day, but not for a while.

 

[^MtnMike^]

3, for Adams.

^MtnMike^

 

[lumberzac]

I've had at least 5 attempts to get Colden and have yet to even make it to the trailhead.

Some others I have failed to summit
Panther (ran out of time after summitting Couch and Santanoni)
Giant (it was about 95 degrees out and I ran out of water on the way up)
Dix (got lost in the blow downs from Floyd before the trail got cleaned up)
Snowy (Got caught in a thunderstorm and decided to turn around)

I'd rather turn around and climb a mountain some other day than hurt myself or worse trying to summit when the odds are against me.

 

[hikem'all]

Mt. Washington took me 3 trips before i got to see the top. I think NH has to be the hardest place to plan a trip and have good weather.

 

[Raymond]

Took three tries before making it all the way up Katahdin, each attempt was on a different route.

Also took two tries to get up Coe.

I made it part way up the North Tripyramid slide then gave up, but I just walked around to the other trail and went up along the ridge to the north, so that's not really a failure, just a change of route.

At least a couple are pending: We didn't go for The Horn last year with rain seemingly on the way; turned around after summiting Saddleback. Five weeks later, we made it up North Brother, but didn't think it wise to go for Fort in the sleet.

The three of us did Donaldson and Emmons last July 25, but ran out of time to try an attempt of Seward. Cameron and I did Marcy and Skylight together the year before, but didn't have enough time to try Gray. I don't know if those count as failed attempts if we manage to climb two mountains but miss out on even trying for a third.

 

[Mark_151]

I still haven't made Adams after 3 attempts, all in winter, in all cases I was spanked back by the weather.

 

[afka_bob]

Magic #3 for Mt. Washington:

1st attempt -- auto road closed for repairs in preparation motorcycle week event.
2nd attempt -- cog railway still closed for season (should have called ahead!).
3rd attempt -- after low gear crawl through thick fog drove to top on auto road to glorious clear skies (how did all those other people get there?!).

Has anyone pushed any new routes in the Whites lately? I'm particularly interested in ones that allow me to stay in my car these days

AFKA Bob, organizer of the (successful) 1985 American Mount Washington East Route/Auto Road Expedition

 

[daxs]

Alpine, more embarrassing - It took me 4 attempts to get Rocky Ridge. I missed 3 times in the summer/fall. for various reasons. I finally summitted this winter as my first winter 46. I am still thanking peak_bgr and bushwacker for hauling my sorry rump to the top!

 

[WalksWithBlackflies]

2 and counting for Iroquois... keep getting cramps on Algonquin. However, I feel better now that I see how many struggled with Hough, which I thought was a breeze after Macomb and Carson. AlpineSummit - One of my hardest, and most pathetic, attempts was of Whiteface/Ester in December 2002. Due to horrible snow conditions (trillions of little ball bearings below a fragile 2" crust), I only got halfway up Marble Mt. While on the trail, I did some math in my head... it would have taken me 70 hours to summit at the pace I was going!

 

[Jim lombard]

Lafayette

3 times and counting for Lafayette in winter. Each time because of weather. 2 times and counting for Washington in winter.... Oh well maybe 2005. Adams which some find difficult in winter took me only one attempt.......luck of the draw....Isolation, lets not even talk about that...

 

[DeadFred]

Kevin,

Should I be taking this thread a little personally?!

Do you think this will really prod me to go up to the Santinoni's for my FOURTH TIME to get couchie and santi?! Nice try, man! I have NEVER experienced such problems bagging a mountain. Most ever tries for any NY mountain/any season before that darned range was 2 attempts (remember that friggin' Nippletop climb, breaking trail in 2 feet of fresh powder?! One step up, then slide back two steps, and postholing up to our friggin chins in Elk Pass!)

Ok, seriously...I'm gonna TRY to get up there again this weekend (depends, I might have a DATE!) so that we can finally finish our 46 on Allen after the black fly/mud season.

Bob, are you SURE you don't want to join me on my next Santi/Couchie attempt?! Think about how much fun it would be to go there again!

 

[trailbiscuit]

2 attempts for Mt. Madison. First time, I was derailed by heat exhuastion & dehydration (a.k.a. stupidity). The second time, I exacted my revenge...Madison was #48!

 

[Puma concolor]

Four for MacNaughton

Three for Southwest Hunter - Catskills (summitted first two but couldn't find the cannister)

Three for Reddington, ME (bushwhack route)

 

[porky]

Although I have completed the ADK-46 mostly solo without difficulty, the trail-less Catskill were problematic. This was due to the often dense foliage, the absence of herd paths and the vague summits. In particular, it took me three tries to find the canister hidden in the dense brush atop the almost flat summit of Southwest Hunter. I finally "cheated" by following a Rip Van Winkle Club group up after a snowfall.

That was pre-GPS, of course. Now anyone can find just about anywhere, given enough batteries and a clear view of the sky,

porky pine

 

[Steve-O-former]

Two Tries

The only summit I've ever had to turn back from was Monroe, in winter, and I've since finished my winter 48. I bailed out because of several factors: heavy pack (I was planning on overnighting), exhaustion (I'd already done Clinton and Pleasant that day), 20 foot visibility, driving snow, ~60 mph sustained winds (one gust knocked me over on the summit of Pleasant), and temps in the single digits. I turned back and spent the night at Naumann. I returned next December on the second full day of winter and made the summit in 40 degree temps with almost no wind and patchy fog.