Pico Humboldt
- Pico Humboldt
- 4925 m
- Primary factor 440 m
- 2nd. highest in Venezuela.
- Location: North 08:32.990, W070:59.787 (GPS at the summit)
- Climbed January 6. 2008.
- Difficulty: YDS Class 3
Pico Humboldt
|
|
Route description:
From the camp near lake Lago Verde, continue about 500 meter up the valley.
Locate a trail fork, the main trail heads (right) uphill to what looks like a col while
the trail towards Humboldt forks left and ascends a short section of cliffs. These cliffs
are just right of a small waterfall, sometimes you may see a bit of ice here. Climb this trail
as it ascends the hillside, first steeply, then somewaht more gentle into what looks like
a very broad, uphill valley. There is a moraine higher up, the trail climbs to the top
of this moraine, then heads slightly right in order to continue the uphill climb on
steps of rock that used to be under the now shrinking glacier. The terrain in this section is
typically YDS class 2+, there are many alternatives.
Stay right as you approach the glacier above, and locate
a fairly distinct gully that leads up
to a local col on the ridge above on your right side. This gully is most easily climbed by
ascending the rock on its left side in the lower (steeper) section, then completing the
ascent on pretty loose, but less steep gravel near the top.
This rocky ridge now holds
the key to your advance towards the glacier. The ridge is wide and
provides easy access (YDS class 2) to the edge of the glacier. Unless the glacier surface has
turned to blue ice, one can trivially cross it and reach the base of the Humboldt summit area.
This section consists of a short, but gentle uphill,
then a flat crossing to the other side.
(In the case of blue ice conditions, a pair of crampons would be helpful.)
The final ascent can be done along different routes. The easiest way is to stay right and gradually
climb the ridge while advancing uphill. This is no harder than YDS class 3 scrambling. An alternative
is to proceed more directly towards the summit and climb uphill while aiming for a pretty distinct
crack higher up. This route has a (YDS) class 4 move near the top as the crack becomes deeper
and quite narrow.
Either way, continue along an easy slope the last few meter to the small summit cairn.
Comments
Pico Humboldt was first climbed by Dr. Alfredo Jahn and L. Hedderich on January 16th. 1911.
Dr. Jahn, a Venezuelan geographer, in this way marked the start of Venezuelan mountaineering.
During the same trip as well as on a later trip in 1915, he also attempted Pico Bolivar, but
was unable to reach its summit.
