Collegiate Peaks Conditions

Colorado peak questions, condition requests and other info.
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Muskie5280
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Collegiate Peaks Conditions

Post by Muskie5280 »

Sorry to start another thread, but I'm curious to the conditions up in the Collegiates, specifically Belford and Oxford?

Side question, what would everyone say is the "harder" hike, BO or Harvard and Columbia?
HSidgwick
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Re: Collegiate Peaks Conditions

Post by HSidgwick »

I'm not sure of the conditions in the Sawatch, but I would guess that the consensus is that Harvard/Columbia (I'm assuming you mean the traverse) is more difficult than Belford/Oxford. (6100' elevation vs. 5800'/16 miles vs. 11 miles, respectively, plus the notorious Columbian scree).
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Muskie5280
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Re: Collegiate Peaks Conditions

Post by Muskie5280 »

I'm actually more curious about the technical aspect. This will be my first solo 14er. Mileage isn't so much an issue as is the level of hiking. I'm comfortable with Class 2 and most Class 3 level climbing, just don't want to deal with too much snow and ice.
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Re: Collegiate Peaks Conditions

Post by sgladbach »

Belford/Oxford will be the easier choice. Technical gear will not be needed and there is little snow. However, if you have them, I'd bring gaitors, ski poles, and Kahtoola-type spikes (for the frozen tundra.)

If you would rather do the Harvard/Columbia route, I'd suggest the Frenchman Creek. IMO. it is the easier way to bag both peaks in a day (if you want to skip the traverse and the scree.) There is a lot of elevation to re-gain when you've dropped east off Harvard to traverse under the ridge, but it takes all the other difficulties out of the picture.
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dude4mountains
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Re: Collegiate Peaks Conditions

Post by dude4mountains »

Muskie5280 wrote:I'm actually more curious about the technical aspect. This will be my first solo 14er. Mileage isn't so much an issue as is the level of hiking. I'm comfortable with Class 2 and most Class 3 level climbing, just don't want to deal with too much snow and ice.
Both are considered non-technical although route finding between H/C can be an issue and it is most definitely longer and harder. There is no snow or ice to speak of up here but there is a chance of showers over the next several days so watch the forecast.

Good luck,
Dude
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MC.Ikema
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Re: Collegiate Peaks Conditions

Post by MC.Ikema »

I was just up in that area this past Sunday climbing Missouri and both Belford and Oxford were snow free. The route to the top is a walk up not requiring any special gear unless it snowed in the last 4 days. Good Luck!
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Re: Collegiate Peaks Conditions

Post by seanw »

I was up in that area last weekend... I put a few pictures up from Belford/Oxford/Missouri here: http://seanw.smugmug.com/Colorado/BelfordOxfordMissouri and a few from Harvard/Columbia here: http://seanw.smugmug.com/Colorado/HarvardColumbia.

Just to repeat what's already been said, there's really not much for snow up there. A few slick spots on the way to/from Oxford, and then a few more going up Missouri. The wind was a bit brutal on top of Belford (at around 8:30), but it warmed up pretty quickly after that.

There was a little bit of snow in a few spots along the traverse from Harvard to Columbia, but I don't feel like it made things more difficult. I did have to pull out the (rather helpful) 14ers.com guide a few times for route finding along the traverse. Poles were very helpful coming down the scree on Columbia.

Overall, I think Harvard/Columbia was more difficult, but also a bit more fun and more scenic. I found it was pretty easy to keep the difficulty to class 2 on the traverse, but I suppose you could stay closer to the ridge to make things more interesting. Bel/Ox/Missouri was a good (but _long_) hike; almost all class 1 with just a little class 2 thrown in here and there.
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dpage
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Re: Collegiate Peaks Conditions

Post by dpage »

I did HC from N Cottonwood Creek last weekend. No snow on the way to H. The traverse was hard for me to follow and I ended up very low and had to reclimb the talus to try to follow the Traverse from this site. There was a few inches of snow on the climb up C on the north side of the mountain. The footprints in the snow were kind of helpful since the route is left up to you to find. Only saw a few cairns on the traverse. A few weeks before I did BO the day after climbing Missouri. The BO traverse was way easy compared to HC even after the day on Missouri
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Re: Collegiate Peaks Conditions

Post by Dunbar »

Climbed Missouri on Tuesday. Basically summer conditions. Belford looked clear to the summit, no technical gear needed.
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