The Adirondack Forty-Sixers are an organization of hikers who have climbed all

Peak bagging

Peak bagging is an activity in which hillwalkers and mountaineers attempt to reach the summit of some collection of peaks, usually those above some height in a particular region, or having a particular feature.Peak bagging can be distinguished from highpointing...

 forty-six of the traditionally recognized High Peaks of the Adirondack Mountains

Adirondack Mountains

The Adirondack Mountains are a mountain range located in the northeastern part of New York, that runs through Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Hamilton, Herkimer, Lewis, Saint Lawrence, Saratoga, Warren, and Washington counties....

. They are often referred to just as 46ers.

Origins

The first 46ers were brothers Robert

Bob Marshall (wilderness activist)

Robert "Bob" Marshall was an American forester, writer and wilderness activist. The son of wealthy constitutional lawyer and conservationist Louis Marshall, Bob Marshall developed a love for the outdoors as a young child...

 and George Marshall

George Marshall (conservationist)

George Marshall was an American economist, political activist, and conservationist. He was an early leader both of The Wilderness Society and later the Sierra Club.-Early life and education:...

, and their guide and family friend Herbert Clark. The Marshalls thought up the idea after spending much of their childhood in the region and examining the collection of Verplanck Colvin

Verplanck Colvin

Verplanck Colvin was a lawyer, author, illustrator and topographical engineer whose understanding and appreciation for the environment of the Adirondack Mountains led to the creation of New York's Forest Preserve and the Adirondack Park....

 maps owned by their father, Louis Marshall. They devised criteria for the high peaks they would climb, choosing any summit that was more than 4,000 feet (1,219 m) above sea level in elevation with at least 300 feet (91.4 m) of vertical rise on all sides and separated from the next closest summit by 0.75 mile (1.2 km). They initially planned to climb only the summits above 4000 feet (1,219.2 m), of which there were 42, and did so between 1918 and 1924.

They climbed the 4000 ft (1,219.2 m) mountains later, on the suggestion of friends.

At the time that they undertook this goal, there were no trail

Trail

A trail is a path with a rough beaten or dirt/stone surface used for travel. Trails may be for use only by walkers and in some places are the main access route to remote settlements...

s up many of the peaks, making this a particularly formidable accomplishment. One of the peaks, Mount Marshall

Mount Marshall (New York)

Mount Marshall is a mountain located in Essex County, New York.Originally named for Governor DeWitt Clinton, and then for Herbert Clark, it was renamed for wilderness activist Bob Marshall after his death. Marshall is part of the MacIntyre Mountains...

 in the MacIntyre Range, has since been named in honor of Bob, and the brook (Herbert Brook) that is the most popular approach has been named after their guide Herbert Clark.

Winter 46ers

Some go further and re-climb all the peaks in winter. The winter 46 season is from December 21 to March 21. Winter 46ers are entitled upon completion of the winter 46 to wear the "Winter 46-R" rocker patch. This is a very difficult task due to the severity of winters in the Adirondacks. Some peaks, such as Gothics, can require some technical climbing skill when covered with snow and ice.

As of January 3rd 2011, there were 473 winter 46ers, or 7.08% of the total all-time membership.