FKT: Anton Krupicka - Mt Harvard & Mt Columbia (CO) - 2013-07-18

Athletes
Route variation
Harvard & Columbia, TH-TH
Multi-sport
No
Gender category
Male
Style
Unsupported
Finish date
Total time
3h 21m 0s
Report

http://antonkrupicka.com/blog/july-15-21/

Started from the N. Cottonwood TH and had a lot of fun on the long running approach up the Horn Fork Basin. Unlike last summer, I feel like I’ve been able to get in some longer runs with a lot of true running this year, which is nice. Hit the summit of Harvard at 1:34 and noticed that there were actually already a few clouds building, in the east, oddly enough. I felt on-point for the ridge and it felt like it went quite quickly. I did some investigating around the short 5.7 downclimb notch, but I think the beta I gathered the first time is still the best and it actually goes quite easily. On the second half of the ridge I started bonking really hard, so the hump up to Columbia was a bit of a slog, but I made the traverse in :58, hitting the summit at 2:32. The summit was crazy crowded and clouds were moving in quick so I hustled down Columbia’s south ridge, taking the most direct line I could. I spent some time frustratingly ‘shwhacking around through young aspens in an avy gulch, but still made the Cottonwood Creek bridge in :37 from Columbia’s summit and then just cruised the trail back out to the cars, under increasingly dark/thunderous skies. Glad I was off the peaks/ridge when I was.