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Sandstone Spine: Seeking the Anasazi on the First Traverse of the Comb Ridge
* A cultural pilgrimage as well as an athletic one
* Story blends personal adventure, middle-aged angst, the beauty of a landscape, history of exploration, and mysteries of the rise and fall of an ancient culture
* By a critically acclaimed travel and adventure writer also famous for his exploits in Alaska's mountains
* Includes photos by Greg Child of the landscape, Anasazi and Navajo ruins and rock art
On September 1, 2004, three middle-aged buddies set out on one of the last geographic challenges never before attempted in North to hike the Comb Ridge in one continuous push. The Comb is an upthrust ridge of sandstone-virtually a mini-mountain range-that stretches almost unbroken for a hundred miles from just east of Kayenta, Arizona, to some ten miles west of Blanding, Utah. To hike the Comb is to run a gauntlet of up-and-down severities, with the precipice lurking on one hand, the fiendishly convoluted bedrock slab on the other-always at a sideways, ankle-wrenching pitch. There is not a single mile of established trail in the Comb's hundred-mile reach.
The friends were David Roberts, writer, adventurer, famed mountaineer of decades past, at age 61 the graybeard of the bunch; Greg Child, renowned mountaineer and rock climber, age 47; and Vaughn Hadenfeldt, a wilderness guide intimately acquainted with the canyonlands, age 53. They came to the Comb not only for the physical challenge, but to seek out seldom-visited ruins and rock art of the mysterious Anasazi culture. Each brought his own emotions on the journey; the Comb Ridge would test their friendship in ways they had never before experienced.
Searching for the stray arrowhead half-smothered in the sand or for the faint markings on a far sandstone boulder that betokened a little-known rock art panel, becomes a competitive sport for the three friends. Along the way, they ponder the mystery, bringing the accounts of early and modern explorers and archaeologists to Who were the vanished Indians who built these inaccessible cliff dwellings and pueblos, often hidden from view? Of whom were they afraid and why? What caused them to suddenly abandon their settlements around 1300 AD? What meaning can be ascribed to their phantasmagoric rock art? What was their relationship to the Navajo, who were convinced the Anasazi had magical powers and could fly?
* Story blends personal adventure, middle-aged angst, the beauty of a landscape, history of exploration, and mysteries of the rise and fall of an ancient culture
* By a critically acclaimed travel and adventure writer also famous for his exploits in Alaska's mountains
* Includes photos by Greg Child of the landscape, Anasazi and Navajo ruins and rock art
On September 1, 2004, three middle-aged buddies set out on one of the last geographic challenges never before attempted in North to hike the Comb Ridge in one continuous push. The Comb is an upthrust ridge of sandstone-virtually a mini-mountain range-that stretches almost unbroken for a hundred miles from just east of Kayenta, Arizona, to some ten miles west of Blanding, Utah. To hike the Comb is to run a gauntlet of up-and-down severities, with the precipice lurking on one hand, the fiendishly convoluted bedrock slab on the other-always at a sideways, ankle-wrenching pitch. There is not a single mile of established trail in the Comb's hundred-mile reach.
The friends were David Roberts, writer, adventurer, famed mountaineer of decades past, at age 61 the graybeard of the bunch; Greg Child, renowned mountaineer and rock climber, age 47; and Vaughn Hadenfeldt, a wilderness guide intimately acquainted with the canyonlands, age 53. They came to the Comb not only for the physical challenge, but to seek out seldom-visited ruins and rock art of the mysterious Anasazi culture. Each brought his own emotions on the journey; the Comb Ridge would test their friendship in ways they had never before experienced.
Searching for the stray arrowhead half-smothered in the sand or for the faint markings on a far sandstone boulder that betokened a little-known rock art panel, becomes a competitive sport for the three friends. Along the way, they ponder the mystery, bringing the accounts of early and modern explorers and archaeologists to Who were the vanished Indians who built these inaccessible cliff dwellings and pueblos, often hidden from view? Of whom were they afraid and why? What caused them to suddenly abandon their settlements around 1300 AD? What meaning can be ascribed to their phantasmagoric rock art? What was their relationship to the Navajo, who were convinced the Anasazi had magical powers and could fly?
240 pages, Hardcover
First published June 30, 2005
14 people are currently reading
157 people want to read
About the author
David Roberts
61 books225 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
See this thread for more information.
David Roberts is the award-winning author of twenty-nine books about mountaineering, exploration, and anthropology. His most recent publication, Alone on the Wall, was written with world-class rock climber Alex Honnold, whose historic feats were featured in the film Free Solo.
See this thread for more information.
David Roberts is the award-winning author of twenty-nine books about mountaineering, exploration, and anthropology. His most recent publication, Alone on the Wall, was written with world-class rock climber Alex Honnold, whose historic feats were featured in the film Free Solo.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
October 9, 2018
A noble effort that I think fell short of the author's intentions. There are a number of interesting threads to the account of the three backpackers. There's the thread about making the first complete end-to-end journey of a natural geological feature. This includes a lot of information about logistics and physical endurance. There's a thread about the history and prehistory of the American Southwest, particularly the Anasazi and other Native American cultures. There's a thread about the growth and infighting in the archaeological world and society at large, particularly the disputes between "pot hunters", amateur archaeologists, and "professional archaeologists." Then there's a thread about the interpersonal issues that arise between the three backpackers and the people they meat along the way. If the author had managed to weave these thread together in a more coherent fashion while still maintaining the elements of a good story the book might have been a classic, but as it is, it's still a great read. If the author decides to write a similar book in the future I suggest he read "Kon Tiki," the "Bounty Trilogy," and "Alive" first.
June 26, 2018
Comb Ridge, in southeastern Utah, is an obscure place to read a book about, unless you are an afficionado of the Anasazi and the Southwest; luckily, I am both. Roberts and two friends hike the entire 125 mile length of the Comb, investigating Anasazi and Navajo ruins and rock art as they go. Roberts knowledge of the area and the Anasazi make him a good person to have along, but knowing he was writing a book must have been a bit uncomfortable for his friends as Roberts puts down his innermost thoughts, including his opinion of their behaviour! It does give me confidence in Roberts integrity as a writer. I really liked this book, but I'd only recommend it to those that are into the topics.
April 28, 2020
Another fine adventure book by the peerless David Roberts!
Mr. Roberts and two friends, in 2004, completed the first single-push traverse of Comb Ridge, a massive protrusion of sandstone stretching from Arizona to Utah.
Their feat, while not unimpressive, is not the crux of the book, which lies in Mr. Roberts’ musings, his reflections on the Anasazi, and his evocations of friendship.
A great read about a worthy adventure.
Mr. Roberts and two friends, in 2004, completed the first single-push traverse of Comb Ridge, a massive protrusion of sandstone stretching from Arizona to Utah.
Their feat, while not unimpressive, is not the crux of the book, which lies in Mr. Roberts’ musings, his reflections on the Anasazi, and his evocations of friendship.
A great read about a worthy adventure.
June 20, 2023
This was fun to read on a trip to Cedar Mesa. It seemed a little more like it was written in the 80s than in the 00s, with its outdated machismo and rants against "political correctness." But I did enjoy reading about their adventures and discoveries, and the little bits of history mixed in gave great context to the area.
November 9, 2018
Enjoyed the narrative and the historical society notes, but at times the author comes across as a self-righteous, grumpy old man (and I don't say that lightly because, in the book, he's the same age as I am).
May 2, 2024
Enjoyable account of 3 friends traipsing the length of Comb Ridge in the American southwest. Roberts writes of the Anasazi emigration from the Four Corners area in the 13th century to be replaced by the Navajo a century later. But why did they leave?
December 31, 2018
The author and two mach friends take a 125 mile hike in the Az dessert for a peek at many Anasazi ruins and to be the first maybe to transverse of the Comb.
October 16, 2019
Fascinating and very readable book. Learned so much more about the Anasazi and history thereabouts.
November 16, 2019
Second read of Roberts. Many place and much history.
January 28, 2022
This book was so fun to read after spending a month at Comb Ridge this fall. Robert’s is a fascinating writer and I share his enthrallment of the southwest’s ancient peoples.
November 24, 2021
Climber, writer and archaeological explorer David Roberts, climber and writer Greg Child, and wilderness guide Vaughn Hadenfeldt team up to traverse the Comb, a sandstone ridge in the Southwestern wilderness.
Roberts focuses primarily on the Anasazi ruins on the Comb, on their history and that of the region, theories about the Anasazi and their fate, and the echoes of the past in the oral history of the local Navajo people. The information about the Anasazi (Roberts argues well for the continued use of that term) and the apparent civil strife among them is fascinating, as is the way Navajo oral tradition has passed down and transformed the past. When describing his interactions with and feelings about the ruins, Roberts is particularly evocative.
This is also the story of three guys on a fiendishly grueling backpacking trip, and Roberts conveys that element well too, although it would have been nice had Child, an accomplished writer in his own right, contributed some written bits.
Somewhat absent is much description of the surrounding ecosystem or its wildlife, but that wasn't the focus of the book. The photographs are beautiful, although I would have liked more.
Here and there, as when deriding tourists' inane comments in a trail register, Roberts' tone slips into bitchiness, but this is only occasional.
Highly recommended.
Roberts focuses primarily on the Anasazi ruins on the Comb, on their history and that of the region, theories about the Anasazi and their fate, and the echoes of the past in the oral history of the local Navajo people. The information about the Anasazi (Roberts argues well for the continued use of that term) and the apparent civil strife among them is fascinating, as is the way Navajo oral tradition has passed down and transformed the past. When describing his interactions with and feelings about the ruins, Roberts is particularly evocative.
This is also the story of three guys on a fiendishly grueling backpacking trip, and Roberts conveys that element well too, although it would have been nice had Child, an accomplished writer in his own right, contributed some written bits.
Somewhat absent is much description of the surrounding ecosystem or its wildlife, but that wasn't the focus of the book. The photographs are beautiful, although I would have liked more.
Here and there, as when deriding tourists' inane comments in a trail register, Roberts' tone slips into bitchiness, but this is only occasional.
Highly recommended.
February 9, 2009
I like David Roberts. I really do. I read his In Search of the Old Ones and I enjoyed it immensely. This is another great read. Has some culture, history, adventure writing, memoir, etc.--a lot of many things.
Roberts has a great vocabulary and makes it known. He is also an excellent and thorough researcher. His knowledge of the history of southwest archaeology and of the area is well-researched and vast. My biggest complaint against him is that at times he comes off as sanctimonious and deserving. He occasionally derides others and belittles their convictions and awe, as if his own were more powerful or inspirational. It seems that he thinks his personal missions or more worth and meaning than those who do it differently. However, I do agree with *much* of his backcountry ethics (whether they be inherited or his own), including the "outdoor museum" and other ruins-visiting techniques.
Roberts seems to be a good guy. I respect him and what he does. He's aging yet still finds time to do that which he enjoys, and essentially follows his dreams. Funny that he lives in Massachusetts . . .
Roberts has a great vocabulary and makes it known. He is also an excellent and thorough researcher. His knowledge of the history of southwest archaeology and of the area is well-researched and vast. My biggest complaint against him is that at times he comes off as sanctimonious and deserving. He occasionally derides others and belittles their convictions and awe, as if his own were more powerful or inspirational. It seems that he thinks his personal missions or more worth and meaning than those who do it differently. However, I do agree with *much* of his backcountry ethics (whether they be inherited or his own), including the "outdoor museum" and other ruins-visiting techniques.
Roberts seems to be a good guy. I respect him and what he does. He's aging yet still finds time to do that which he enjoys, and essentially follows his dreams. Funny that he lives in Massachusetts . . .
December 8, 2013
My favorite genre of story is that of the travel quest. It can be either a journey of the physical or of a purely intellectual nature.. Roberts is a member of a cadre of writers- that includes John Krakauer and others, who are at their best when describing landscape and the physical/ psychic challenges and rewards of places. Roberts and a few friends hike the geologic anomaly of the Comb Ridge through Arizona and Utah. It is an interesting read. Roberts has a special interest and fascination with the Ancestral Pueblo/Anasazi ruins of this region and waxes at length on the depredations done by vandals and pot hunters to these sites.
July 27, 2015
David and two friends hike across Comb Ridge, located near Kayenta, AZ to Blanding, UT. David does an excellent job of educating us on a variety of subjects. The Navajo, Anasazi, long hikes and history of the area. I really enjoyed the education parts and hiking stories. The emotional drama between the guys was one sided and a little much.
December 28, 2010
Three friends backpack the entire length of the Comb Ridge, which stretches from Kayenta AZ to Blanding UT. I enjoyed the honest accounts of disagreements, aggravations, and annoyances the trio experienced along the way.
August 17, 2016
Another great book to entice you into the great outdoors. The narrative makes an 18-day distance hike seem simple enough for anyone to accomplish. His descriptions leave me wanting to go visit the real places mentioned.
May 14, 2009
Good read. Lots of info on this cool area in SE Utah. This was the first known traverse of the whole ridge. Just recently, the remains of Everett Ruess were found in this region.
Want to read
November 21, 2010Comb Ridge UT AZ. 2006. VG. --
August 14, 2012
A journey that the author takes you on... and you get blisters, and drink from rock water, and see the sunsets
June 23, 2017
Great book
January 7, 2016
Well written and very entertaining. David Roberts knowledge and love of the four corners area of the USA informs every chapter of this book. I have read it twice and enjoyed it both times.
December 27, 2016
Author's first-hand account of his trek through the Comb Ridge, a geological upheaval located in Arizona and Utah, where the ancient Anasazi natives lived.
July 21, 2025
A great adventure!
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews