I made the summit via the Halo Ridge. I flew out from Pennsylvania with my brother for his first fourteener experience.
After only 1 night in Colorado, we hiked in to set up camp at about 11,000 feet. This may have been a mistake, as my brother developed altitude sickness and was knocking on my tent at 10:30 pm. In my edible-induced haze, I got out of my tent and assisted him to our car at the trailhead. From there, we drove down the dirt road until we found a spot to pull over and sleep at about 8,000 feet.
After a largely sleepless, cold night in the car, I was hiking solo toward the Halo Ridge at about 7 am. At this point, the altitude was kicking my ass too, but I soldiered on anyway. I saw a couple of dudes camped out at the hut at the base of the ridge and stopped to chat for a minute. They were also from the northeast and described the Halo Ridge as similar to Katahdin's Knife Edge... not sure that I agree, but to each their own. There was not a soul in site for the remainder of the day.
As I approached the summit cumulonimbus clouds were forming, and I knew I needed to motor a bit. Getting up the final push to the summit was a bitch (especially after ascending the 13er you go over first), but I made it. I had the summit all to myself, and soaked it all in for a minute before heading down.
By the time I got back to the hut, I was getting nailed with hail... a common Colorado occurrence for me, Good thing I brought a good hard shell with me!! Made it back to the car rather quickly from here.
In total, I think the whole day took me about 10 hours or so. The Halo Ridge was a beautiful hike and the Holy Cross Wilderness was probably the most isolated and remote place I've experienced in Colorado. Beautiful country!!
xDoogiex - Oct 12, 2015 11:07 am Date Climbed: Oct 11, 2015
Halo ridge
I joined some friends on the halo ridge up and standard down. Almost 6,000ft gain and summited three 13ers. I struggled with acclimatization due to no sleep or food before. Long tiring day. I wouldn't want to have down the mountain any other way
ericd - Aug 13, 2015 2:34 pm Date Climbed: Aug 11, 2015
some mosquitos
4hrs up/3hrs down, convenient 14'er to do when taking a break from driving on I-70. Enjoyed seeing the misty summit early on the trail before descent into Half-moon campground. Trail is stepped thru granite and well established ridge line until last 300'.
buzzdainer - Aug 2, 2015 4:00 pm Date Climbed: Aug 1, 2015
North Ridge
Great hike with a Meetup group!
jeffrawn - Jul 9, 2015 12:26 am Date Climbed: Aug 8, 2014
A Great Mountain
Loved this hike. Beautiful scenery throughout.
PanamaRed - Nov 10, 2014 3:33 pm Date Climbed: Nov 9, 2014
November climb
Climbed the north ridge route in early november. There was quite a bit of snow from 11,000 feet on up. Great weather!
Onager - Aug 24, 2014 7:15 pm Date Climbed: Aug 23, 2014
Wet day
Summited 14,005 ft. Mount of the Holy Cross on a rainy, foggy, snowy overcast day. Backpacked solo up to Half Moon with a full pack and stayed the night, hit the trail to Holy Cross at 6 AM, met up and hiked with other random hikers, and made the summit around noon. Back to the car at 4:15PM. Long day and 12 miles covered.
HedUp - Aug 12, 2014 6:39 pm Date Climbed: Aug 4, 2014
First 14er
Nice views! Felt like shit at that elevation. Climbed the Bells on the 6th and 7th...amazing how quickly the body acclimated to the altitude...they felt MUCH better!
Solo hike while at a "conference" in Vail. I really enjoyed the drive up Tigiwon road for some reason. Started at 6:15 am and was on top by 9:30 am. Summit views were really nice, as there is nothing taller near by.
nsward - Jul 21, 2014 2:26 pm Date Climbed: Aug 31, 2012
Beautiful Hike
After climbing a number of 14ers, Mount of the Holy Cross is still one of my favorite hikes. It is a little more remote, with a long approach, so it sees less traffic.
#6, this time up Cross and down Halo with Jamie. (6/21/14)
#7, up standard down Halo with Rachael and Ben (6/30/18)
#8 up and down standard with Jamie, Katie and Kyle. (10/18/20)
Summited twice, once from the standard route and once from seven sister lakes
DanielL - Oct 9, 2013 12:50 am Date Climbed: Jul 15, 2013
360 degree loop
Climbed Halo Ridge from Halfmoon Pass and descended standard route (13 miles RT) - a long and tough route, but fantastic views! Seeing Holy Cross from all angles was really cool as well.
Donno - Aug 13, 2013 11:57 pm Date Climbed: Jul 1, 1977
N. Ridge
Me and dad. My first summit.
July, 1978: climbed Angelica couloir with Jimmy & dad.
July, 1980: N Ridge with dad & Mike Kerley under no moonlight
July 1988: 4th ascent w dad. Via N Ridge.
Packed in evening prior with hubby, hovered under some trees, shivering in a downpour in which lightning started a fire over in Vail. Next day was 13 hrs, hubby not confident on class 2/3 but he made it!
MissH - Jun 29, 2013 7:53 pm Date Climbed: Jun 29, 2013
Wildflowers everywhere!
Five hours up on this wonderful summer day. Stopped to take photos of wildlife and wildflowers. One of the prettiest 14ers and mountains I've ever hiked. 3.5 hours down. Bumped into CFI employees maintaining this wonderful trail (keep up the great work!) as well as Mountain Rescue Association (Eagle County) members sent to rescue an injured hiker (hope you're leg is okay, dude!) Popular summit today but not too crowded. Very little snow, almost all avoidable (unless you go up the couloir which some did).
shanahan96 - Mar 20, 2013 11:35 pm Date Climbed: Aug 24, 2012
crossed up
3/10/17- spent the last two days snowshoeing through the holy cross wilderness for a winter summit of the mount of the holy cross. 31+ miles/9400' vertical, a tiring solo trip, yet i loved every moment of the adventure and am quite glad i invested the time and effort into this endeavor!
6/21/14- climbed the cross couloir w/mike. cloudy day, so the snow was hard the entire way up even though we didn't get into the couloir until 8am. halo ridge, the knee killer, for the descent picking up two new 13ers en route.
8/24/12- north ridge; i was surprised how quick this route was. clouds rolled in ~10am and i past on halo ridge with 90% chance of t-storms looming. my second to last fourteener
jamie
relic - Feb 23, 2013 1:48 pm Date Climbed: Aug 15, 1980
Long time ago
Date is a guess, from the few years I lived in Colorado.
TheWolfIsLoose - Nov 2, 2015 1:37 pm
Halo RidgeI made the summit via the Halo Ridge. I flew out from Pennsylvania with my brother for his first fourteener experience.
After only 1 night in Colorado, we hiked in to set up camp at about 11,000 feet. This may have been a mistake, as my brother developed altitude sickness and was knocking on my tent at 10:30 pm. In my edible-induced haze, I got out of my tent and assisted him to our car at the trailhead. From there, we drove down the dirt road until we found a spot to pull over and sleep at about 8,000 feet.
After a largely sleepless, cold night in the car, I was hiking solo toward the Halo Ridge at about 7 am. At this point, the altitude was kicking my ass too, but I soldiered on anyway. I saw a couple of dudes camped out at the hut at the base of the ridge and stopped to chat for a minute. They were also from the northeast and described the Halo Ridge as similar to Katahdin's Knife Edge... not sure that I agree, but to each their own. There was not a soul in site for the remainder of the day.
As I approached the summit cumulonimbus clouds were forming, and I knew I needed to motor a bit. Getting up the final push to the summit was a bitch (especially after ascending the 13er you go over first), but I made it. I had the summit all to myself, and soaked it all in for a minute before heading down.
By the time I got back to the hut, I was getting nailed with hail... a common Colorado occurrence for me, Good thing I brought a good hard shell with me!! Made it back to the car rather quickly from here.
In total, I think the whole day took me about 10 hours or so. The Halo Ridge was a beautiful hike and the Holy Cross Wilderness was probably the most isolated and remote place I've experienced in Colorado. Beautiful country!!
xDoogiex - Oct 12, 2015 11:07 am Date Climbed: Oct 11, 2015
Halo ridgeI joined some friends on the halo ridge up and standard down. Almost 6,000ft gain and summited three 13ers. I struggled with acclimatization due to no sleep or food before. Long tiring day. I wouldn't want to have down the mountain any other way
ericd - Aug 13, 2015 2:34 pm Date Climbed: Aug 11, 2015
some mosquitos4hrs up/3hrs down, convenient 14'er to do when taking a break from driving on I-70. Enjoyed seeing the misty summit early on the trail before descent into Half-moon campground. Trail is stepped thru granite and well established ridge line until last 300'.
buzzdainer - Aug 2, 2015 4:00 pm Date Climbed: Aug 1, 2015
North RidgeGreat hike with a Meetup group!
jeffrawn - Jul 9, 2015 12:26 am Date Climbed: Aug 8, 2014
A Great MountainLoved this hike. Beautiful scenery throughout.
PanamaRed - Nov 10, 2014 3:33 pm Date Climbed: Nov 9, 2014
November climbClimbed the north ridge route in early november. There was quite a bit of snow from 11,000 feet on up. Great weather!
mattdalman - Sep 24, 2014 10:16 pm Date Climbed: Sep 16, 2014
3rd fourteenerNorth Ridge. Beautiful day!
Onager - Aug 24, 2014 7:15 pm Date Climbed: Aug 23, 2014
Wet daySummited 14,005 ft. Mount of the Holy Cross on a rainy, foggy, snowy overcast day. Backpacked solo up to Half Moon with a full pack and stayed the night, hit the trail to Holy Cross at 6 AM, met up and hiked with other random hikers, and made the summit around noon. Back to the car at 4:15PM. Long day and 12 miles covered.
HedUp - Aug 12, 2014 6:39 pm Date Climbed: Aug 4, 2014
First 14erNice views! Felt like shit at that elevation. Climbed the Bells on the 6th and 7th...amazing how quickly the body acclimated to the altitude...they felt MUCH better!
birdhead - Jul 26, 2014 11:03 pm Date Climbed: Jul 25, 2014
North RidgeSolo hike while at a "conference" in Vail. I really enjoyed the drive up Tigiwon road for some reason. Started at 6:15 am and was on top by 9:30 am. Summit views were really nice, as there is nothing taller near by.
nsward - Jul 21, 2014 2:26 pm Date Climbed: Aug 31, 2012
Beautiful HikeAfter climbing a number of 14ers, Mount of the Holy Cross is still one of my favorite hikes. It is a little more remote, with a long approach, so it sees less traffic.
chicagotransplant - Jun 22, 2014 8:57 pm Date Climbed: Jun 21, 2014
Cross to Halo#6, this time up Cross and down Halo with Jamie. (6/21/14)
#7, up standard down Halo with Rachael and Ben (6/30/18)
#8 up and down standard with Jamie, Katie and Kyle. (10/18/20)
MadGrad96 - Nov 1, 2013 10:27 pm
Holy CrossSummited twice, once from the standard route and once from seven sister lakes
DanielL - Oct 9, 2013 12:50 am Date Climbed: Jul 15, 2013
360 degree loopClimbed Halo Ridge from Halfmoon Pass and descended standard route (13 miles RT) - a long and tough route, but fantastic views! Seeing Holy Cross from all angles was really cool as well.
Donno - Aug 13, 2013 11:57 pm Date Climbed: Jul 1, 1977
N. RidgeMe and dad. My first summit.
July, 1978: climbed Angelica couloir with Jimmy & dad.
July, 1980: N Ridge with dad & Mike Kerley under no moonlight
July 1988: 4th ascent w dad. Via N Ridge.
rockymountaindiva - Jul 26, 2013 4:07 pm Date Climbed: Jun 29, 2012
Long daysPacked in evening prior with hubby, hovered under some trees, shivering in a downpour in which lightning started a fire over in Vail. Next day was 13 hrs, hubby not confident on class 2/3 but he made it!
astroclimber - Jul 6, 2013 9:34 pm Date Climbed: Jul 6, 2012
Wet climbReturned in a downpour. With Dave and Kat.
MissH - Jun 29, 2013 7:53 pm Date Climbed: Jun 29, 2013
Wildflowers everywhere!Five hours up on this wonderful summer day. Stopped to take photos of wildlife and wildflowers. One of the prettiest 14ers and mountains I've ever hiked. 3.5 hours down. Bumped into CFI employees maintaining this wonderful trail (keep up the great work!) as well as Mountain Rescue Association (Eagle County) members sent to rescue an injured hiker (hope you're leg is okay, dude!) Popular summit today but not too crowded. Very little snow, almost all avoidable (unless you go up the couloir which some did).
shanahan96 - Mar 20, 2013 11:35 pm Date Climbed: Aug 24, 2012
crossed up3/10/17- spent the last two days snowshoeing through the holy cross wilderness for a winter summit of the mount of the holy cross. 31+ miles/9400' vertical, a tiring solo trip, yet i loved every moment of the adventure and am quite glad i invested the time and effort into this endeavor!
6/21/14- climbed the cross couloir w/mike. cloudy day, so the snow was hard the entire way up even though we didn't get into the couloir until 8am. halo ridge, the knee killer, for the descent picking up two new 13ers en route.
8/24/12- north ridge; i was surprised how quick this route was. clouds rolled in ~10am and i past on halo ridge with 90% chance of t-storms looming. my second to last fourteener
jamie
relic - Feb 23, 2013 1:48 pm Date Climbed: Aug 15, 1980
Long time agoDate is a guess, from the few years I lived in Colorado.