Self-Powered Longs Peak Project; Tour of the Highest Hundred. Save your strength for the last 1,000 feet, you will need it. Again, you need permits to sleep here. Crouch on boot soles, ideally on dry, insulating material such as moss or grass. Kiener's Route, also known as the Mountaineer's Route, is on the East Face of Long's and climbs parallel to the Diamond on the left. Avoid water. The Keyhole Route is not a hike. Also, due to the crowds on this mountain it is best to climb and attempt summit on a weekday if possible. The best time to climb Longs Peak is from early July to mid-September. By syncing the historical evolution of each walls routes in an architecturally stylistic form, these fine prints form an archival representation of some of the world’s most difficult routes. The Keep a good eye on the sky as weather conditions can deteriorate rapidly. Mountain Conditions. Take the right-hand fork and continue hiking across Lady Washington’s Eastern slope to Granite Pass. The wind can be relentless and demoralizing. Unless you’re hauling technical climbing gear, are familiar with the area, or have mountaineering experience, you’re most likely going to be most interested in the Keyhole, or Loft Routes. Most who perish or get injured do so because they’re unprepared and don’t realize the significance of this route. From the turnoff drive west 1 mile to the trailhead. Trails that ascend Longs Peak include the East Longs Peak Trail, the Longs Peak Trail, the Keyhole Route, Clark's Arrow and the Shelf Trail. For example, theAconcagua mountain page has the 'Aconcagua Group' and the 'Seven Summits' asparents and is a parent itself to many routes, photos, and Trip Reports. From the Trailhead follow the well marked trail 5.9 miles to the Boulder Field at 12,750'. At the fork, there is a horse/llama tie and small outhouse. Cross the slabs carefully, especially if they are wet. Routes up the mountain range from the Class 3 Keyhole to the Hornsby's Direct Route rated at 5.8. Try to climb early and as a rule of thumb be off the summit by noon. 4. Start early! Climb the Trough to the Long's west ridge. General directions seem simple enough: Get to the loft, head northwest, downclimb 150 feet, see the arrow, then pick up the home stretch. Stick with the NE face, which is windswept and a better line in the winter (crampons still required). Starting out at 1:00 AM could take11 hours roundtrip and just miss the afternoon thunder boomers. Longs Peak Hiking Guide Hiking Longs Peak via the Keyhole Route. Longs Peak is the queen of the front range, rising high above the northern Colorado rocky mountains. To get to the route start hiking at the Long's Peak trailhead, and hike until you reach the cutoff for Chasm Lake. These sites have some flat areas under boulders if you look hard. Cable Route, Winter, 14ers.com - The Home of Colorado's Highest Peaks, Parting Shot- May All Your Days be Filled with Rainbows, Longs Peak via the Trough in Winter: A Test of Fortitude, Keeping an Old Appointment with Longs Peak, Paying A Visit To The Forgotten Ones + Longs, Alpine Dreams, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Climb the Damn Mountain, Longs Peak Ski Descent: South Face to Loft Couloir, Kicking it up a Notch: A Culinary Climbing Experience on Long's Peak, A Nice Finish to Calendar Winter ‘09 – Longs Peak 03/14/09, Douchey and Gimpy's Excellent Adventure - Keiners / Notch Couloir, 41 I have summited Longs 43 times, most recently in July 2016. It's close proximity to Denver and its pure majesty make it the most popular climbing mountain in the state. It is tent camping only, with toilet facilities, benches, and fire pits. If you want an alternative that is less crowded, slightly shorter by mileage, longer by time and more difficult actual climbing then the Loft Route is for you. Avoid sheltering in spark gaps under boulders and trees.8. You can read about the ashes on Long's Peak at: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=3750, As of 2009, camping at Longs Peak CG is $20 per night when the water is turned on (~Late May through ~mid-September) and $14 per night otherwise (i.e. The Keyhole Route described below is the most climbed route of any fourteener route in the state and is a true classic climb. The Keyhole Route is one of the best scrambling routes on any of the Colorado 14,000' peaks. It is unquestionably the monarch of the Front Range and northern Colorado. Added here with permission from Gerry Roach:Colorado is famous for apocalyptic lightning storms that threaten not just your life, but your soul as well. Dirt is better than rock. Whew!For a variation the climb up the Trough from the Glacier Gorge trailhead offers one of the longest snow climbs in Colorado. Gary and I had talked on an attempt of the Kiener’s Route on Longs over the last six months and with the continuation of a spell of beautiful fall weather, the time was ripe. This peak lies NW of Denver by 70 miles/1.5 hrs. This is by far not a guide for the peak - buy all the guidebooks you can as they all have something different to say. Many people have died on this route. The Keyhole Route is by far the most popular route on the mountain. From the Longs Peak Trailhead to the summit of Longs Peak along the Keyhole Route is 7.5 miles. Right: Jenny on the traversing 3rd pitch of the Casual Route. The North Face is a technical route of modest difficulty with minimal 5th class terrain. (31), Additions & Corrections The Keyhole Route is by far the most popular route on the mountain. Be careful of falling rocks on this route from other climbers.Technical routes include the Keyhole Ridge route (5.5) Kieners (5.3-5.4) Alexander's Chimney (5.5) Stettners Ledge (5.7+) and Hornsbys Direct (5.8). The actual Keyhole Route begins after the Boulder Field. Longs Peak Trail Conditions. Longs is now in view as well as the route past Mt. If you don't have much high-elevation, winter climbing experience, be careful in your planning and take a partner. When lightning begins nearby, count the seconds between flash and thunder, then divide by 5 to calculate the distance to the flash in miles. All Rights Reserved. Summer storms can makes the Homestretch quite slippery, and the Trough will normally require an ice ax through mid July. When caught, seek a safe zone in the 45-degree cone around an object 5 to 10 times your height.3. Camping is allowed at the Boulder Field but you must check in with the Ranger Station first. She isn’t a mountain to be trifled with; More people have died climbing Longs Peak than any other mountain in the state. Left: Vertical panorama of the Casual Route on the Diamond, Longs Peak, RMNP. The trail junction at Granite Pass with the North Longs Peak Trail (accessed via Bear Lake Road) lies 4.2 miles from the patrol cabin at the main trailhead. Hike 0.5 miles to a signed trail junction and stay left on the main trail. As I was searching for info on Long's Peak on the web, I came across the odd fact that the ashes of Doak Walker were scattered on Long's Peak. For more "moderate" climbers look into "The Kieners" route or "The Cables' routes. Aconcagua mountain itself has many routes, photos, and trip reports as children. (15), Images Chasm View and Mills Glacier are the only two places I know of, but there are likely more. How many miles is the Keyhole Route to Longs Peak? I have summited Longs … (639), Comments Longs can be seen from the I-25 corridor running from south Denver, all the way north to the Wyoming border. Rules; Route; 2017 Trip Reports + Notes; Presentation; Completions; Tour 14er. Beginning in the late nineteenth century, America’s affluent city dwellers became champions of protecte… when water is turned off.) Longs Peak Summit- Keyhole Route. I use it for training for climbs such as Everest and K2. Photo Credit: Spencer McKee. 1. Expect … Only some technical climbing is required to reach the summit of Longs Peak during the summer season, which typically runs from mid July through early September. He was a 4-time All-Pro with the Detroit Lions and led them to NFL championships in 1952 & 1953. COLORADO 14ERS INITIATIVE LEARN MORE ABOUT COLORADO 14ERS AND VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES Leave No Trace Check out the web site of LNT and learn some important minimum impact hiking tips.Colorado Mountain ClubCMC’s web site will tell you all you need to know about Colorado’s largest and oldest hiking club. Lightning kills people every year in Colorado's mountains.4. Expect arctic conditions in the winter. The last 1.5 miles is by far the most difficult, exposed and … From the Ranger Station, start up the East Longs Peak trail. If you are an experienced and well prepared winter mountaineer, than this can be one of the most peaceful and beautiful winter climbs in the Front Range. Protection1. Children refers to the set of objects that logically fall under a given object. Lightning is dangerous!2. Lady Washington - 2 Hike all the way to Granite Pass to reach another trail junction. He's the namesake for the Doak Walker Award (see www.doakwalkeraward.com) for college football's best running back. Circle a date on your calendar (preferably a week day), or register for our Coloradoan hike Aug. 28 to hike Longs Peak. There are many spectacular ways to summit Long's Peak, and this description highlights the "standard" Keyhole Route. From the turnoff drive west 1 mile to the trailhead. For the northern approach, drive 9.2 miles south from the intersection of US 36 and CO 7 to the turnoff for the Ranger Station. The Diamond is the sheer and prominent east face of Longs Peak and named for the shape of the cliff. The mountain gained federal protection because urban Americans came to believe that travel in undeveloped natural settings afforded them aesthetic, recreational, moral, and social opportunities not available in Denver and other fast-growing cities. pjenson5 reports:You are not allowed to bring animals (i.e. The trailhead is west of Colorado 7 and can be reached from the north or the south. This is your guide to hiking Longs. The routes here range from 5.10a (the Casual Route) to The Honey Moon Is over, which is around 5.13. Wet ropes are good conductors.5. (3 ). There is a tent campground nearby and a couple of full campgrounds near Meeker Park. The Keyhole route will attract several thousand climbers every summer. Longs Peak, North Face a.k.a. From Denver, take US 36 to CO Hwy 7 in Lyons, and head N at the top of the canyon or US 36 into RMNP. "Go away or I shall replace you with a very small shell script. This section will have special meaning if you have ever been trapped by a storm that endures for more than an hour and leaves no gap between one peal of thunder and the next. Be sure to follow the painted bull's-eyes marking from here. Colorado mountains are famous for afternoon storms. The sign is morbid, but the description it gives of what lies ahead is spot on. Scramble on another .3 mile to the large couloir called the Trough. Longs Peak’s status as a protected wilderness site makes it ideal for studying wilderness landscapes and their relationship to modern urban industrial society. Just before reaching the ridge you must pass a chockstone, probably the most difficut move on the climb. © 2006-2020 SummitPost.org. 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