Transcendent Summits home page About Jennifer and Gerry Roach Contact Jennifer and Gerry Roach Visit Summit Sight

About
Jennifer Roach

 

Jennifer Roach has embraced the beauty and sprit of Colorado’s mountains since she moved to Colorado from Illinois in 1980. In that 24-year period, she has summited over 1,000 Colorado peaks. She finished climbing Colorado’s 55 Fourteeners in 1986, and in September 2001, she completed all 637 of Colorado’s ranked summits over 13,000 feet. This achievement culminated a 20-year labor of mountain climbing love. She became the 8th person to secure this goal, and only the 4th woman. In October 2002, Jennifer became the 3rd woman to complete a visit to Colorado’s 64 county highpoints, giving her a real understanding of the entire spread of Colorado from prairie to highcountry. Jennifer has hiked and climbed in many areas of Colorado, and has great knowledge of the State’s vast wilderness resources. In addition, Jennifer is a member of the coveted Highpointers’ Century Club for visiting more than 140 county summits nationwide, and she has done about half of the US State Summits.

In other western states, Jennifer has now climbed many peaks in Arizona, California, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana. Desert peak hiking has become a real penchant for she and her husband Gerry, and they are avid members of the Sierra Club’s Desert Peaks Section. Jennifer has completed the 99 classic desert peaks on the Sierra Club’s fabled Desert Peaks List. Jennifer also summited Mt Sanford in Alaska in 1995.

Internationally, Jennifer has climbed many high summits in South America including Aconcagua, Ojos del Salado, Cotopaxi, Chimborazo, Sajama, Illamani, Huayna Potosi, Pico Bolivar, and Tungurahua. She has also summited most of Mexico’s high mountains with climbs of Orizaba, Izta, Popo, Toluca, Malinche, Teyotl, Sierra Negra, Cofre, Telapon, Tlaloc, Ajusco, Picacho del Diablo, Pescadores, Pico Risco, and Pinacante.

Aside from climbing, Jennifer enjoys running to stay in shape. With world-class trail running just outside the doorstep of her home in Montrose, Colorado, Jennifer has trained for several ultra marathons, including Squaw Peak 50, Collegiate Peaks 25 and other 50 milers, as well as other running activities. In 2000, 2001, 2004, 2009, and 2011 she participated in the Hardrock 100 ultra run, touted as one of the toughest ultras in the United States. She completed the course in 2000, 2004, and 2009.

With her husband Gerry, she has co-authored two Colorado guide books, Colorado’s Thirteeners - From Hikes To Climbs and Colorado’s Lost Creek Wilderness - Classic Summit Hikes. Jennifer finds her activities in Colorado’s mountains to be a year-round pleasure, and continues to find her heart and soul deeply impassioned by the beauty and adventures of all peaks, both large and small. Jennifer lives with her husband Gerry in Montrose, Colorado.

 

Visit Summit Sight

 

All text and photos on this site are Copyright © 2001-2022 by Gerry Roach. All Rights Reserved.