Longs Peak - how exposed?

I'm leaving on a road trip next week and one of the targets of the trip is a hike up Longs Peak in Colorado. I've read just about all that I can about the mountain, but I'd like to hear from all of you how exposed this mountain is in relation to some of New England's most exposed routes.

How does it compare with the Knife's Edge on Katahdin or the North Slide of Tripyramid? I haven't done Huntingtons...

Longs Peak is usually marked as "class III" but do you know how long the "class III" sections last for? And at what piont in the hike (i.e. 1/2 mile below the summit) is the "worst of the worst" over with?

Thanks!

You might mention which route you are hoping to ascend.

I will presume that you are interested in the Keyhole route:

From what I have read, the (height) exposure between the Keyhole and the summit is significant and there have been deaths from falls. Most of the route is above timberline and is exposed to the weather and lightning.

North Tripyramid is a rock slide and you can sit down in most places. If you fall, you are likely to slide for only a short distance. The Knife Edge is technically trivial in all but a spot or two--it is fairly wide and easy to walk with a few short exposed spots. The crux of Huntingtons is a fairly short, technically easy slab with some exposure. In contrast just beyond the Keyhole:
"The following quarter of a mile involves a scramble along narrow ledges, many of which may have nearly sheer cliffs of 1,000 feet (305 m) or more just off the edge. The next portion of the hike includes climbing over 600 vertical feet (183 m) up the Trough before reaching the most exposed section of the hike, the Narrows." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longs_Peak). IOW, I expect that Longs would be significantly more exposed than the NE routes.

(I haven't done this route--I attempted the North Face cables route, but was stopped by the altitude. Didn't have much time to acclimatize... Others probably have done it.)

There are also fires in the Estes Park area--you might not even be able to get on the route and the air could be pretty smokey.

Doug

Longs Peak Experience

Longs peak has big air.

Its a judgement call. I'd just suggest spending enough nights at altitude prior to make it a comfortable day. Some of the biggest exposure is on the highest parts of the mountain and you dont want to be light headed or worse for that.

There is a committing move just past the key hole (at least 1 person fresh from sea level has died from a slip here). This move is slightly awkward for the return direction. There is an iron rung to grab onto. One point of advice, every once in a while on the ledges, turn around and look back so that you learn the route from that direction. It looks very different from the opposite direction. We saw people continue downward off route (and advised them thats what they were doing). Later we saw them attempt to solo 5th class slab in tevas to get back up to the ledges...the husband was teaching the wife how to climb slab!!!...couldn't watch.

When you come around onto the narrows after the trough... there is a good bit of exposure, but its a tight ledge.

I think its about 1.5 miles of scrambling past the keyhole to the summit and there is variety right up until the summit field.

Its just a lot of scrambling at altitude. Take your time, be aware of your abilities and your partner's at altitude, have a turn around time/awareness of weather, and you'll have a blast whether you summit or not. Be sure to get over to chasm lake if thats a possibility. A lot of locals start at 1 or 2 AM. I can't imagine spending a night at the boulderfield on that mountain in mid-late july. The T-storms were just heinous at night when we were there.

Early Start

roadtripper said:

I'm leaving on a road trip next week and one of the targets of the trip is a hike up Longs Peak in Colorado. I've read just about all that I can about the mountain, but I'd like to hear from all of you how exposed this mountain is in relation to some of New England's most exposed routes.

How does it compare with the Knife's Edge on Katahdin or the North Slide of Tripyramid? I haven't done Huntingtons...

Longs Peak is usually marked as "class III" but do you know how long the "class III" sections last for? And at what piont in the hike (i.e. 1/2 mile below the summit) is the "worst of the worst" over with?

Thanks!

Click to expand...

There is a quite a bit of scrambling above the Keyhole. The route is well marked with paint and on a good weather day, there's going to be lots of other people. I don't remember the scrambling being more difficult than anything on the Huntington Ravine trail or Knife's Edge. There's some exposure but the exposed areas mostly have good holds (as long as you are on route).

There's quite a bit more scrambling on the Keyhole route than Huntington or the Knife's Edge. It's going to be at least 1.5 hours from the Keyhole to the summit and another 1.5 hours back. You don't want to do the scrambles on wet rock or ice or get stuck behind slow parties in a storm.

We started from the trail head at 1:30 AM, passed through the Keyhole at sunrise and were on the summit by 7:30 AM. We were back on the trail head at 11:30 AM and the summit was enveloped in a massive thunderhead!

Acclimation was pretty important for me. Some of the hikes we liked:

Lilly Mountain
Twin Sisters Peaks
Mount Chapin (from Chapin Creek trail head)
Flattop Mountain

The Keyhole is a fantastic route. You won't regret it if conditions are good.

Yes, we're going to attempt the Keyhole Route. We are planning on starting at 1-2am and will have slept at 6-9k altitude for several nights beforehand.

As mentioned, the Keyhole Route on Longs is far more difficult and scarier than the Knife Edge on Katahdin. Thousands of people climb it every year, and a few slip and die.

Also as mentioned, thunderstorms are a serious problem and most common in afternoon. Unlike the Knife Edge there is no easier route down, and even if you are good at fast scrambling the route may be blocked by slower parties. But there is more route choice below the Keyhole and down below Boulder Field, you are better protected by trees.

From a long time New Englander and 2 year local: right now, no worries about fires in the immediate vicinity. Smoke from the big fire up by Fort Collins mostly goes north and east from there, away from Longs. Also, the summer t-storm season has not yet started but I expect it will in another 10 days, so you'll be right on the edge. Your start time is a great idea.

Exposure: as others have said, NOTHING in New England is like the Longs routes. The Huntington Ravine trail is perhaps just a tiny taste. I have not yet attempted Longs, as I want to work up to that kind of exposure. There are a zillion other (well, 53) 14ers that are great too- maybe try one of the others first if you have enough time?? Go to 14ers.com and find a route with class 2+ or easy class 3, and get an idea of where you stand. Everyone is individual on this.

And bring extra water wherever you go. The snowpack is basically gone and it's hot hot hot even at 11-12K.
Have fun!

Thanks for all the info, folks. It sounds like quite a challenge but we'll give it a shot and see how it goes. We'll probably try an easier 14-er before we attempt Longs (i.e. Elbert) too.

Thanks...

Very Exposed

I did Longs in the mid-80's while living in Boulder. We left after 8 AM and returned in darkness. It is not only a long trip but over a mile up. Tree line starts before the Boulder field and is with you for hours as you head for the keyhole, around the "back side" then the summit - which is a like a flat football field! Just watch the weather - that you can see coming for 50+ miles (if clear) once at the keyhole (watch out for the high wind!). Enjoy it and the spectacular view. You don't want to be well above tree line if a storm comes in.

I did maybe 8-10 14'ers and Longs was the most exposed for a single peak. I never felt in unreasonable danger, but it is not for beginners for multiple reasons. I remember it as way more time exposed then the Knife Edge on Katahdin..

Tour de Elbert

roadtripper said:

Thanks for all the info, folks. It sounds like quite a challenge but we'll give it a shot and see how it goes. We'll probably try an easier 14-er before we attempt Longs (i.e. Elbert) too.

Thanks...

Click to expand...

Up the East Ridge Variation 10.2V in the Roach Guide (2'nd Edition) and down the East Ridge it a great way to make a loop hike on Elbert. The variation is class 2 and easy to follow up and unlike the regular trails you'll probably be by yourself.

roadtripper said:

Yes, we're going to attempt the Keyhole Route. We are planning on starting at 1-2am and will have slept at 6-9k altitude for several nights beforehand.

Click to expand...

Good plan. The route is easy enough to follow, even in the dark, up to the Keyhole. Beyond that, you will want to be in daylight, especially on your first ascent. I don't think the individual moves required are any more difficult than the Knife Edge or Huntington. The scale of everything is much bigger, though, so the mind games are more challenging. Of the four main sections after the Keyhole -- Ledges, Trough, Narrows, and Homestretch -- the Narrows were the only part of the ascent that gave me any pause, partially from the big drop to the south, partially from the excitement of being near the top! On the descent, I think I butt-scooted a few parts of the Homestretch.

Like a lot of 14ers (and 13ers, etc.) with exposure, the trick is to go slowly and methodically. At that altitude, you won't feel like moving very fast anyway. In some ways, having others on the trail is good because it will keep you encouraged. OTOH, getting stuck behind someone on a hairy section is frustrating.

I did it in 2002 when there were a lot of forest fires as well. We could see the smoke, and the views were hazy, but otherwise it didn't affect us. It was cool to compare photos from that year's hike with other year's hikes and notice the difference in air quality and snowpack.


(Just in case someone reads this thread next year...)
The snowpack is down this year, but I've turned around at the Keyhole on July 4th before because there was still lots of heavy, wet, steep, melting (i.e. avalanche prone) snow on the Ledges.

blacknblue said:

OTOH, getting stuck behind someone on a hairy section is frustrating.

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I'm familiar with this one - I did the cables route on Half Dome two years ago with about 500 other people, including one person (from another group) who had an anxiety attack in the middle of it. We were stuck on the cables for probably a half hour in the same spot in a very steep section. Not fun (at all) but we made it through.

Have a great trip! You will love it!

I almost turned around at the Keyhole. The wind blowing through there at 6am was off the hook! and this was my first (and only, so far) 14er! I packed up my hiking staffs at that point, manned-up and pushed on. Using hiking staffs beyond the keyhole would not be a good idea anyway, I quickly realized. Watch where you place each foot and hand, follow the red and yellow blazes and you will, for sure, summit.

I think the spot where I felt the most exposed was at the Notch, if I remember correctly (did it in 2009). The Home Stretch was a little nutty as well...considering all my hiking prior to that was done in the Catskills.

Never seen so much granite in one spot in my life before!

Please let us know how it was.

Very jealous.