Summit 2026 – Mts. Belford and Oxford

All participants and leaders are REQUIRED to sign the State of Colorado's liability waiver. Please click here to fill out the waiver.

Trip Overview
We will hike up Mt. Belford via the NW Ridge route. At the Belford summit, we'll celebrate the 250/150 anniversary and assess the weather. If conditions and our conditioning allow, we'll drop 700 feet on a 1.25 mile crossing to the Mt. Oxford summit, our second 14er of the day. Nestled among the tall peaks of the Collegiate Range, both summits offer striking views and a powerful sense of the scale of Colorado's high country. On the return, we will avoid climbing back up Belford by descending through scenic Missouri Gulch. 

The route (Caltopo map) covers roughly 12 miles, with 5,800 feet of elevation gain. You should expect to spend 10-12 hours on the journey, including rest breaks and summit celebrations. The hike will mostly be on well-maintained trails, with numerous switchbacks lessening the grade up Belford. The Class 2 sections crossing talus are short.

As always in the high peaks, we will keep an eye on weather conditions. If storms threaten, we have options for shortening the hike, including descending straight from Belford.

Hiker Requirements
Because this is a long hike with significant elevation gain, you must have hiked other 13ers or 14ers this season. When you request leader’s permission, please indicate what hikes you have completed this season with over 3,000’ feet of elevation gain and climbing above 13,000’. Include mileage, elevation gain, time taken and date (or planned date). For safety reasons, we will hike together, so it is essential that everyone has adequate fitness.

Registration Process
Participants can register for their preferred 14er through the Colorado Mountain Club website, where they will be placed on a waitlist for their chosen peak. From there, trip leaders will reach out to gather more information about each participant's experience level and interests. For trips where the waitlist exceeds the allotted group size, participants will be selected by lottery.

For questions about this trip, please contact Trip Leader Theo Lubke at theolubke@yahoo.com. For general questions about the Summit 2026 project or any related event, please reach out to summit2026@cmc.org.

We will meet at the Missouri Gulch Trailhead (Google maps) at 4:45a, with a start time of 5:00a. Sunrise is 6:06a, so bring a headlamp.

Hikers often sleep in their vehicles at the trailhead. Per the 14ers.com description of the Missouri Gulch Trailhead : “No camping in the immediate area and it's not allowed at the trailhead. A bunch of dispersed camping pull-offs along the 390 road. Or sleep in your vehicle.”

There is no cell service at the trailhead.