Most of the popular 4000ers are stand alone objectives, but there are several opportunities for enchainments. During his human powered 82 Summits project, Ueli Steck climbed 18 4000ers in one day. And while most climbers aspire to a handful of 4000ers, Ueli did all 82 in 62 days, entirely under his own power.

The more traditional way to do many of the Classic 4000er routes is to use the Alps’ hut system (link) to access your mountain of choice. The overall experience is also a peek into the heart of the Alps mountain culture, it’s on these trips where you’re really going to see just about everything that goes on throughout the Alps every fair weather day from mid-June to mid-October.

The first day is spent walking to the hut, usually on well traveled trails with great views of your objective. Many of the huts that service the bigger peaks are situated well into alpine terrain and might be perched alongside glaciers, or at least what’s left of them. Pay attention, and there is evidence everywhere to indicate that the landscape has changed dramatically. A lot of alpine huts were built at a time when glaciers were much larger than they are today. These huts once sat alongside the ice, now they sit well above, and may even have serious access issues because of the drop in ice. One of the more serious situations is at the Konkordia Hut, where 150 meters of ladders have been installed to access the hut from the dropping glacier.

Nevertheless, the huts are a key component of the Alps culture and every effort is being made to keep them accessible and comfortable for visitors. You’ll be extra appreciative when you drop your pack on the balcony and order your first drink and fresh torte.

After you’ve had a relaxing afternoon, don’t forget to scope out the next morning’s departure route, and of course your line of ascent, if visible. Most big mountain routes require a pre-dawn start so you’ll be heading out with headlamps.

Next, get comfortable in the hut (read our hut tips), take a nap, whatever, just don’t be late for dinner! In the dining room there is typically a mix of nationalities, languages, and many guide-client teams. For Americans, it’s a pretty fascinating situation when you're more accustomed to tents, camp stoves, freeze dried food, and your aching back from carrying it all.

After a hit or miss night of sleep in the bunk room, a mad dash to get out of the hut awaits. As walking turns into climbing, you begin to feel in your element, but with all the people about, it can feel a little funky and some shocking tactics might be witnessed. The gear you've placed may well be clipped by others, you might find yourself little more than an obstacle to pass by a fast moving party, and you may be suddenly faced with a huge fat rope to ascend, as fast as humanly possible.

I highly recommend, “going with the flow.” It took me many mountains to be cool with being around so many people and all the shenanigans that go along with it.

After 20 years of climbing in the Alps, and having climbed all kinds of routes, I still really enjoy doing a Classic 4000er. They tend to be very good climbing and super entertaining around the main event. And yes, I have my own 4000er tick list (19 and counting)!