Climbing Fast, Dr. John Ambler Finishes the Fourteens in Four Summers, 1940-1943

[gore galore]

Climbing Fast, Dr. John Ambler Finishes the Fourteens in Four Summers, 1940-1943
by gore galore

Today when we think of climbing the Fourteens fast we probably think of the competitive speed record of ten days or perhaps in recreational terms of a few summer months.

In the early days of climbing the Fourteens during the first half of the twentieth century it took a decade plus additional years for most to complete climbing these peaks. Of the 27 completers during this period on the Colorado Mountain Club's list only five persons climbed all the Fourteens in less than a decade.

Foremost were Carl and Bob Melzer who completed them in 65 days during the summer of 1937. It was an amazing feat given the times such that it would not be until 1959 when Cleve McCarty climbed 54 Fourteens in 54 days.

While the Melzers are hardly known today less if anything is known about Dr. John Ambler who climbed the Fourteens before 1950 in the second fastest time of four summers during the years of 1940-41-42-43.

John Ambler joined the Colorado Mountain Club in 1939. He climbed his first Fourteen in 1940 and by 1941 he was classified as an Advanced climber in the Mountaineering Classifications of C.M.C. Members. To those who knew him “it is said that no matter where a Mountain Clubber might choose to climb he invariably meets the inimitable Dr. Ambler. The only complaint we have received is that he passes everyone so fast he leaves dust in their eyes.”

In September of 1943 John Ambler climbed Capitol Peak and thus completed his list of “14's” in Colorado as the No. 15 person. The announcement read “We think he may be eligible for some kind of near-marathon record, for he climbed all the 14,000-foot peaks in Colorado in four summers. Carl and Bob Melzer climbed them all in one summer.”

Of the three persons that accompanied him on the last of his fourteen thousands “we enjoyed vicariously the triumph of his accomplishment.” Major Ambler had got them done just in time before leaving on army assignment. He would spend two years in the Southwest Pacific Theater during World War II.

In 1943 John Ambler became a member of The American Alpine Club. His qualifications stated “All fifty of the 14,000 ft. peaks, some more than once, some in winter and on skis, E. face of Longs Peak, the climbs about equally divided between the four years.”

He would eventually become one of the earliest who climbed the 14ers twice. He wrote of his two spring ski descents of Mt. Elbert in 1941, the first during a blizzard “skiing slowly, as the visibility was zero” and the second on a night climb and then “A flying descent on skis, through powder snow on a firm base, down a 4,000-foot drop.” His June 1943 climb of the east face of Longs was a 19-hour assault accompanied by Carl Blaurock, Carl Melzer and four others as an “Arctic ascent” on snow.

John Vernon Ambler was born in Asheville, North Carolina in 1901. He came to Colorado to attend the University of Colorado where he received his Doctor of Medicine degree in 1929.

Although he was a mountain climber his favorite sport was skiing. He was an early member of the National Ski Patrol receiving his badge in 1942. Dr. Ambler practiced dermatology in Denver for 50 years until he was 80, when he retired, “so I can ski more.” He was 88 the last year he skied.

Dr. John Ambler passed away in 1993 at the age of 91. Although he is long forgotten and unknown today John Ambler has a footnote in American mountaineering history.

In 1951 five Colorado Mountain Club members formed an expedition to climb the West Buttress route of Mt. McKinley which had never been climbed before. They were Dr. Henry Buchtel, Jerry More, Barry Bishop, T. Melvin Griffiths and Dr. John Ambler. Henry Buchtel completed the Fourteens in 1946, More and Bishop were Dartmouth University students and Mel Griffiths was a San Juan Mountaineer.

The group was in contact with Bradford Washburn who had climbed McKinley twice before. Washburn joined the expedition along with Jim Gale and Bill Hackett. As was Washburn's style he soon took over the organization of the expedition.

Buchtel joined Washburn, Gale and Hackett for an airplane landing on the Kahiltna Glacier while the rest of the Colorado party packed into the mountain from Wonder Lake. On July 10, Washburn, Gale and Hackett reached the summit followed by Buchtel, Ambler and Bishop on July 13 and Griffiths and More on July 14.

Today the West Buttress is the standard route on Denali and is closely associated with Bradford Washburn. The other members of that expedition have faded into obscurity even Barry Bishop who would climb Mount Everest with the American Everest expedition in 1963.

Shortly before the expedition left for Alaska a four stanza poem was published in “Trail and Timberline” magazine regarding John Ambler's mountain prowess and titled “DOC, THE AMBLER.” A few lines from that poem:

“Who is it when the dawn is cold
Says, 'Let's get started up the hill.'”
DOC, THE AMBLER
“Who is it when you've lunched at noon
Says, 'It's time to be climbing up the grade.'”
DOC, THE AMBLER
“When your wind is short and your legs are weak
Says, 'Sure we can make it up to the peak.'”
DOC, THE AMBLER
“When you're dusty and weary and ready to stop
Who says, 'There's a better place up on top.'”
DOC, THE AMBLER

Dr. John Ambler was a pioneer in the fast climbing of the Colorado Fourteens, skier and high altitude climber. He was what could be called an Elder of the Fourteen Tribe and for that something of his story deserves to be told

[XterraRob]

Thank you for another great write up! Always enjoy reading these. The logistics alone for a speed attempt during that era would boggle the mind.
Would to be cool to know which routes they chose to take for each mountain.

[Jay521]

Ditto what X-Rob said - thanks so very much for your historical perspective.

[14erFred]

As always, gore galore, you've provided a fun and informative chronicle that opens a fascinating window into the past. Your report brings to life the bygone early days of Colorado mountaineering and helps us better appreciate the visionary pioneers who first heard and answered the call of the 14ers. Thanks for sharing this well crafted piece.