Sports People die summitting 14,000-foot mountain peaks. These climbers do it anyway. September 14, 2022September 14, 2022 Grace Hauck, USA TODAY Comments Off on People die summitting 14,000-foot mountain peaks. These climbers do it anyway. Despite the risks and recent deaths, climbing peaks of 14,000 feet – known as 14ers – has exploded in popularity. Why do they do it?