Conquering the Humboldt

The south face of Humboldt Peak

I cringed every time I thought about it. That long, sawtooth ridge sweeping up to the summit was locked in my memory. It was that view from Point 13,288. That view of the ridge and the summit. All year it plagued me, tormented, me—the white spike with the ridge. It was so close I could have touched it. We’d made it to 800 feet of elevation from the tip-top of the spike, the summit of the Humboldt.

Humboldt Peak is one of Colorado’s famed fourteeners, one of 58 peaks whose summits pierce the sky above 14,000 feet. It sits in a perfect row of shorter peaks, in the backbone of what is called the Sangre de Cristo Range. As one of Colorado’s southern 14ers, it is known for rugged and dangerous slopes, as opposed to its more docile northern neighbors. Its foreboding north face boasts 2,000 feet of near-vertical rock and snow. Humboldt was our mountain. We’d talked about it, researched it, and dreamed about it. We looked at pictures of the route to the summit via the east ridge and saw for the first time the sawtooth ridge sweeping up to the white summit.

Looking up the east ridge from Point 13,288

So we knew what to expect when we made our first attempt. We knew it would be terrifying going up that sawtooth, but we were going to try.

We never even set foot on that ridge. When we left the trees and started really climbing, we felt the wind. Wind like we’d never felt before. Icy, whipping blasts that nearly tore us of the mountain. But we steeled ourselves and pushed upward for nearly 2,000 vertical feet. At 13,288 feet, we had reached the crest of the east ridge at a spot that was quite round and safe. It was what lay ahead that sent shivers down our spines. It was the ridge. So far the route had been up steep but unexposed terrain, and still the wind threatened to throw us off. The ridge we now looked up at was sharp, narrow, and half-eaten by the dreaded north face. The wind was too strong. We turned back in despair and defeat.

Humboldt's north face

A year passed, and the ridge haunted us. The Humboldt had conquered us, and it would remain the victor till May 3, 2025.

We were trying again, but this time by a different route. We were attempting the west ridge. We didn’t know what to expect. The west ridge still looked sharp from the maps, and what if it were windy again? One thing we did know, though. This route would take us right under the shadow of the Crestones, which are some of the most impressive mountains in Colorado. Even if we didn’t summit, we’d have something.

The west-ridge route on Humboldt Peak takes you into a basin just beneath the shadow of the Crestones. Here the Crestone Needle rises sharply in the early morning light.

Looking south from the basin

It was still morning as we switch-backed up a steep slope to gain the west ridge. The wind blew gently upon us as we scrambled up between boulders on the ridge.

Humboldt's west ridge.

The view as you ascend the west ridge.

And by the time we reached the 14,000-ft. contour, the wind had altogether ceased. Then, we stepped onto the summit, the top of the world. It was a miracle. We had done it.

Victory!

View of the Crestones from just before the summit

And, of course, God was in it all. When we were on that fateful hump on our first try for the summit of Humboldt and had to turn back, it felt like the end of the world. Why couldn’t God just let us summit? Doesn’t He work all things out for our good? That’s just it. He was. We learned later that Mom had contracted a serious form of altitude sickness that could have been fatal had we ascended farther. God knew that.

Sometimes we feel like God has failed, hurt us, or wronged us. But we must never forget that God knows what’s best for us. Romans 8:28 holds true, no matter what we feel like.

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” Romans 8:28.

Looking down the east ridge from the summit.

View looking south from the summit

Kit Carson Peak from Humboldt's summit

Colony Baldy (13,705'). We had climbed this mountain the week before our second assault on Humboldt Peak.

Crestone Needle

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers, Used by permission.  All rights reserved.

Photos by Jenny and Paul Venturo