How to become an ADK 46er
Your comprehensive guide to climbing the 46 highest peaks in New York State!
Where to begin -
Becoming a 46er is not something that will happen over night, it requires a fair amount of fitness, preparedness and a level of mental fortitude.
Understanding the Basics
Summiting the high peaks is no easy task and it should not be taken too lightly; let’s start in with what gear is absolutely necessary for summiting these rugged peaks!
The bare necessities -
a well fitting hiking backpack
a source of light that isn’t your phone (headlamp or flashlight)
a set of weather appropriate synthetic, merino wool, or other non-cotton clothing
durable footwear, most common being hiking boots or trail running shoes
a rain layer (poncho or rain coat)
means of carrying enough water for your needs (min. 2L)
general 1st aid kit / emergency kit
pain medication & allergy medication
2x ways to start a fire
emergency “space” blanket or bivy
wound care products
person specific medication (asthma inhaler, EpiPen, diabetes medication, etc.)
What kind of baseline fitness should you have ?
Hiking in the Adirondack High Peak region isn’t much of a walk in the park, the trails you will see and come across are some of the most poorly maintained and rugged trails you can find in the country. While the summit elevation may be underwhelming in comparison to something like the 14k footers of the west, these mountains often times have a similar amount of prominence and far more demanding, technical trails.
The vast majority of the hikes you will be doing along your 46er journey will be over 10 miles in length, many being over 15 with endless possibilities of grouping mountains for 20+ mile days. If you’re thinking to yourself, “I’m young, hit the gym 5x a week and run in a 5k from time to time, I should be good to go” think again!
For whatever reason the physical demand of hiking up these mountains surprises a lot of people who are otherwise quite fit - but have no fear - people of all shapes, sizes, ages, backgrounds and disabilities have summited these mountains, if you have the desire, are willing to adapt and can prioritize some basic things, you too can become a 46er!
Getting a Lay of the Land
When it comes to hiking the high peaks I like to think of there being three main hubs or areas that you will be starting your hikes from and while there are some outliers that aren’t exactly in these areas each of these have multiple trail heads that you will do or can do a bulk of your hiking from.
Lake Placid (Adirondack Loj)
Keene Valley
Newcomb (Upperworks Trailhead)
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