Pike’s Peak climbers begin New Year’s trek

Forget the New Year’s Eve tradition of packing into a crowded bar and trying to get a glass of champagne before the stroke of midnight. How about a nice — albeit frigid — hike up 14,115-foot Pikes Peak?

Since 1922, the AdAmAn Club has been climbing the peak near Colorado Springs to ring in the new year with a fireworks show. The group began this year’s hike Sunday morning.

The tradition started when five local climbing buffs headed for the summit and set a fire at the top. Since then, a new climber has been added each year, giving the group its name — AdAmAn.

In their 90th year, the AdAmAn Club introduced its 95th member, fifty-five-year-old Wally Wininger.

The group’s newest member, said “it’s a pretty unique group of folks, kind of a great tradition for the Pikes Peak region.”