Route: Camel's Hump (VT)

Location
Vermont, US
Distance
4.9 mi
Description

Ethan Linck posted about this mountain:

Vermont's wildest and most beautiful summit (4083') must be something of a local test piece, as I know Enman, Pilla, and Lapierre regularly grace its flanks, but other than on Strava, I've never been able to compare times. In interest of that, and hopefully in luring a few ADK / NH runners to throw down in the Greens, it seems worth starting a thread.

The Burrows Trail is the mountain's most popular and shortest route, climbing ~2200' in 2.4 miles for 4.8 round trip, and I make a point to put in a hard effort every time I'm back in the state. On August 28, 2013, I ascended the trail in 35:47, a PR of almost 2 minutes, then botched the descent for 1:05:41 total (GPS data available here). My round-trip PR, set in early-winter conditions on January 2, 2012, is 59:36, off a 38:44 ascent.

The finest route on the mountain, however, is the Bamforth Ridge Trail / Long Trail from the Winooski River, climbing almost 4000' in 6.2 miles for 12.4 round trip (more total gain with rollers). Cresting numerous knuckles of granite as it shoots up the mountain, the trail is only marginally runnable, but elegant and direct, and boasts spectacular ridge-top views unusual to the area. On September 5, 2013, I ran the trail to the summit in 1:38:42, for 3:00:00 round trip. Conditions were wet and treacherous after heavy rain, so I suspect this can be brought to 2:45 or so in dry weather without much trouble. GPS data available here.

- Ethan Linck


Ascent FKTs for these two routes, and for the Monroe Trail, are being tracked on Strava - this is the best info we have at present.  Folks are encouraged to post their ascent and car-to-car times here.

Burrows Trail: https://www.strava.com/segments/7323867

Bamforth Ridge Trail / Long Trail: https://www.strava.com/segments/9668521?filter=overall

Monroe Trail:  https://www.strava.com/segments/7737076

4 Humped Camel: Summit of Camels Hump from LT, Burrows and Monroe. From all 4 sides.  28 miles / 10,400' elevation gain.  Start and finish at the same spot.

GPS Track