Boulder is probably best known for its flatiron mountains and the amazing views that come with them at the summit. But for those people who want a little more of a challenge, than climbing one of Colorado's 55 fourteeners is exactly what you're looking for.

A fourteener is as you could probably guess, a mountain that's summit reaches 14,000 feet above sea level and in Colorado they range from the highest, Mt. Elbert (14,433 ft.) near Leadville to the smallest, Sunshine Peak (14,001 ft.) near Ouray.

Boulder has its own close fourteener in Longs Peak (14,255 ft.) in Rocky Mountain National Park near Estes Park. But don't be fooled, Longs Peak can be a tough hike, and can get crowded on the weekends with tourists.

Jenny Ball, a sales associate at Neptune Mountaineering in Boulder has climbed 19 fourteeners, and suggests that beginners get a guidebook and find easier ones to start out with first.

"There are some that are easy and then there are some that are hard, so get the easy one's first," said Ball. "Start that way and then work up to the harder ones."

Hikes to the summit can range from a variety of lengths from four miles to over 15 miles. These hikes are not strolls in the park with the summits being close to three miles above sea level, can make even the best athletes breath hard for air.

"It's really just knowing your limits and recognizing that a fourteener is not exactly the easiest thing to do in the world," said Ian MacDonald, the office manager for the CU Hiking Club.

Climbing a mountain may not seem dangerous, but there are some major risks one needs to be aware of when climbing these humungous pieces of rock. Trails that look to be trails can turn out not to be trails and can lead you onto loose rocks that can cause you to slip or cause rocks to fall and endanger hikers below you.

Another risk is lightning. According to Colorado's Department of Local Affairs, Colorado averages three deaths and 13 injuries per year from lightning. So climbing a mountain that's over timberline makes you the tallest object in miles, so when dark clouds start to form, try to get down into the valley.

Some other tips you should know when climbing are never hike alone and start early. Even if it means beginning your climb before the sun rises, you want to summit before noon to avoid afternoon thunderstorms.

Also, make sure you have enough first-aid that can get you back to your car because rescue may take hours if you're trapped on the mountain.

If you're climbing in the early spring, watch out for Avalanches, as the mountains still get a lot of snow in the spring. Try to be equipped with an avalanche beacon, because having a beacon can increase the chances of someone finding you if you become trapped.

Other than a beacon in the springtime, there are other important items that are needed for one of these climbs.

"You need to be prepared for all kinds of weather, even in the summer time," said Ball. "It can snow on you, so you need to have wind and rain protection, insulation, extra food, water, sunscreen, you're at high altitude so you need to protect your skin and lips, and wear sunglasses. You need to have all the equipment with you and not in your car."

Other good items to have include a guidebook, comfortable shoes, one or two maps of the mountain, compass, a backpack of some sort, flashlight, first-aid supplies, knife, and some kind of fire starter.

"Basically if anything changes while you're out and about, you should be able to take care of yourself," said Shala Sommerville, another sales associate at Neptune Mountaineer.

Climbing one of Colorado's 55 highest peaks is not an easy challenge, but once you've reached the summit, it becomes worth it.

"You're going up, your lungs are burning, you're tired, you're just like, 'oh, man I'm never going to make this, and I'm just going turn around now,'" said MacDonald. "You get to the top it's an amazing view, and you're like 'alright I made it,' you look down and you're like, 'damn, that was a long hike but it was totally worth it.'"