Mount Columbia

14,077 ft · #35 highest in Colorado · Sawatch Range

Class 2 — off-trail / scree11.5 mi round trip4,200 ft gain

Elevation

14,077′

Difficulty

Class 2

Distance

11.5 mi

Elev. gain

4,200′

Nearest town

Buena Vista

County

Chaffee

Range

Sawatch

Rank

#35

Mount Columbia is a Collegiate Peak near Buena Vista and is typically climbed alone, though some hikers traverse it with Mount Harvard. The standard route is a long, sustained class 2 climb.

Standard Route

From the North Cottonwood Trailhead, the trail climbs through Horn Fork Basin (sharing the approach with Mount Harvard) before splitting off to ascend Columbia's west slopes. 11.5 miles round trip, 4,200 feet of gain.

What to Expect

The west slope is loose talus that grinds down most climbers. Many prefer to descend via a different route to avoid the worst of the scree. The Harvard-Columbia ridge traverse is class 3 and time-consuming — not recommended unless you have route-finding experience.