The following route designed by Fred Vance for 1999 (south to north) is 88 miles with 44,000 feet of climb. It takes very direct routes which may not be practical. For instance, the traverse between Harvard and Columbia only drops to 13,400 ft, which requires a class 5.7 pitch. The alternate class 2 route would descend to 12,600 ft.
The following description is 106 miles north to south with 45,000 feet of climb, and stays mainly on good trails when possible. In practice, shorter routes would probably be used.
Mile Elev Trail route (north to south in even numbered years) 0.0 9600 Fish Hatchery SW of Leadville 8.0 14421 Mt. Massive via CO trail 15.8 10240 Halfmoon Road crossing (aid, crew, 4WD needed for west crossing) 20.3 14433 Mt. Elbert via NE trail 25.6 10000 Echo Canyon trailhead via Bull Hill (13400-13761 ft) 27.6 10100 S Fork Lake Creek trailhead via CO 82 (paved) (aid, crew) 32.1 14336 Mt. La Plata 36.8 10380 Winfield (aid, crew) 40.8 14003 Mt. Huron via CO Initiative Trail 43.1 10800 Clohesy Lake parking area via N ridge, NE basin (4WD crew) 45.6 14067 Mt. Missouri via N ridge 48.1 13200 Elkhead Pass via N ridge to Missouri Gulch trail at 12700 ft (remote aid) 49.4 14197 Mt. Belford via S ridge 50.7 14153 Mt. Oxford via 13500 ft saddle 52.3 10600 Pine Creek Trail at Little John's Cabin (S XC descent) (remote aid) 54.5 14420 Mt. Harvard via NW ridge 56.9 14073 Mt. Columbia via E side of Rabbit Ridge at 12800 ft 59.9 10400 Kroenke Lake Trail via W side XC to Horn Fork Trail (remote aid) 64.9 14196 Mt. Yale via NW ridge 68.4 9900 Denny Creek Trailhead (crew) 71.4 9300 Avalanche Creek Trailhead via Cottonwood Pass Rd (paved) (aid, crew) 77.4 9700 Maxwell Creek via CO trail 80.4 14197 Mt. Princeton via NE ridge (XC climb, class 3) 83.9 9100 Grouse Canyon trailhead (crew) 85.3 9368 Baldwin Gulch trailhead via Rt. 291 (dirt) (aid, crew) 93.3 14269 Mt. Antero via jeep road 98.3 11300 Browns Lake via jeep road (4WD crew) 100.3 14155 Tabeguache Peak via NE ridge 101.3 14229 Mt. Shavano via 13700 ft saddle 106.1 9800 Blank Cabin (Finish)
The straight line distance from Fish Hatchery to Blank Cabin over all 14 summits is 56 miles.