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Rappel down Longs Peak

Original Post
Jordan Moore · · Boulder, CO · Joined Feb 2011 · Points: 60

I'm planning a hike up longs peak next weekend and want to rappel down the diamond to get an idea of what it's like to be on a big wall. From my understanding the best rap route is the cables route. Is this true? And how would I find bolts from the summit?
Thanks for the help!
-Jordan

Brian · · North Kingstown, RI · Joined Sep 2001 · Points: 804
Jordan Moore wrote:I'm planning a hike up longs peak next weekend and want to rappel down the diamond to get an idea of what it's like to be on a big wall. From my understanding the best rap route is the cables route. Is this true? And how would I find bolts from the summit? Thanks for the help! -Jordan
Jordon, The Cables Route is not on the Diamond. It is on the north face. The Cables Route is a couple of easy rappels with some huge eye bolts left over from the cables. It drops you down into the boulder field.
Eli Helmuth · · Ciales, PR · Joined Aug 2001 · Points: 3,441

Jordan, You can see the Diamond very well from the base of the North Face (Chasm View) but not on the face itself- and trying to rappel the Diamond from above, onsight- would be shear lunacy and not the best way to "get an idea of what it's like a on a big wall".
Climbing it would of course be the best way...
And you might delete your double post as this could already become a multi-page thread on not being stupid.

justin dubois · · Estes Park · Joined Jan 2001 · Points: 525

Experienced climbers with many Diamond ascents under their belts DREAD the rappels. As you should too, because rappelling sucks ass, and is without question the worst part of any climb.

RyanO · · sunshine · Joined Jun 2009 · Points: 145

Jordan, finding the first eyebolt for the cables descent is not trivial. My suggestion would be to get up top early, and wait around for someone that is going down that way and ask if you can tag along. If you guys can combine ropes then you can do it in one double length rappel. Also consider going UP the cables route, it is a very moderate route with some good exposure and a gorgeous setting - and you would be able to follow the trail UP to the peak from the last eyebolt, avoid the Charlie Foxtrot in trough, and get to use that climbing gear you hauled all the way up there :) As was already mentioned, Chasm View is by far the best place to get a good view of the Diamond. Bring a picnic and watch the conga line going up the casual route, take a topo and some specs for an added bonus. Have fun!

Elliott Bates · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Oct 2009 · Points: 246
Eli Helmuth wrote:Jordan, You can see the Diamond very well from the base of the North Face (Chasm View) but not on the face itself- and trying to rappel the Diamond from above, onsight- would be shear lunacy and not the best way to "get an idea of what it's like a on a big wall". Climbing it would of course be the best way... And you might delete your double post as this could already become a multi-page thread on not being stupid.
+1 on this!

Jordan, Rapping the cables route is simple and will give you an amazing view of The Diamond from the bottom of the rap at Chasm view. However, attempting to rappel The Diamond face itself, having never been up there before, is extremely dangerous to not only yourself, but the climbers below. There is tons of loose rock, and if you don't know where you are going, you are bound to epic and cause problems and danger to climbers on the face. Best idea is to rally a partner for the casual route, and climb it. Then you'll really know what "it's like to be on a big wall."
David HH · · CR, CO · Joined May 2006 · Points: 1,695

The raps down the Diamond SUCK!! If you are not familiar with Kieners and the table ledge system I wouldn't even attempt this. Go climb Kieners and get some familiarity with the mountain, rap the north face, descend the camel and don't attempt the 9 (including getting down to Mills from Broadway) double rope raps. Just my 2 cents.

Copperhead · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Aug 2011 · Points: 0

Dude, you have no business going up there at all after asking a question like that.

If you must, go climb the North Face, it is like 5.5 or so and then rap back down the route you just climbed. Stay off of the diamond. Going up there simply to do the rappells (even if you knew what you were doing) is a really bad idea, and dangerous and disrespectful to everyone up there.

Edit: If you haven't been up Long's before, you should do the Keyhole route once, even if the NF is interesting to you, since it is really cool (even though it is not a technical climb). The NF is not as asthetic, IMO. Kiener's, as suggested before is even better, but you would need to deal with technical rock and steep, hard snow climbing, so if you don't have the skills for all of it, you might need to work up to that.

Andy Novak · · Bailey, CO · Joined Aug 2007 · Points: 370

Berndt Arnold says, "Zis is BAD idea!"

Adub · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Aug 2008 · Points: 5

Sooooooo, your saying he should rap the diamond?

You guys are not being very clear about this.

Andy Novak · · Bailey, CO · Joined Aug 2007 · Points: 370
Adub wrote: You guys are not being very clear about this.
NO! He most certainly should NOT!
Yarp · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jan 2011 · Points: 0

Could anyone on this thread please define sarcasm for me?

Copperhead · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Aug 2011 · Points: 0
Andy Novak wrote: NO! He most certainly should NOT!
I think your sarcasm detector may be malfunctioning ;)
Copperhead · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Aug 2011 · Points: 0
JLP wrote:You guys sound like a bunch of nannies. If he can find the first anchor of either N. Face or the D7 raps - both are very well documented - he should go for it. He'll learn, maybe faster than some of you did - maybe not.
And maybe he'll kick a bunch of rock off the top as he's descending. Or make someone who actually climbed a route wait an extra 2 hours to descend. Hiking up to do a tourism rappel is just plain dumb. Rapping the N Face should be fine, though.
JPVallone · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Aug 2004 · Points: 195

Jordan, Your sense for adventure should not be discouraged by the Naysayers in this thread. Don't listen to the negativity from the punters in here.

The Diamond is by far one of the best rappels in the world and is a top three in my new book that shall be out soon. "50 classic rappels in Colorado." Although the book is not ready for print yet, I am attaching a detailed beta topo for you from the book as a preview of whats to come. The Topo is not to scale but provides great detail on how to find the Rappels.

As you can see I have not included all the anchors, because I want to leave some adventure for you. But this topo should get you to the first set of anchors and then you can just execute your craft from there. Pretty straight forward if you use my topo. Once you hit broadway if you have had enough, follow my walk off arrows across broadway until you hit the snow in Lamb Slide. Pretty straight forward from there, just cruise down the snow. There is a cruiser trail across broadway that should get you to Lamb Slide.

If you want the ultimate Rappel link up , continue to the second set of anchors on my topo and you can rap all the way to Mill's Glacier.

Enjoy and Bon Chance! Would love to see a trip report when your finished.

Diamond rappels.

David HH · · CR, CO · Joined May 2006 · Points: 1,695
JLP wrote:You guys sound like a bunch of nannies. If he can find the first anchor of either N. Face or the D7 raps - both are very well documented - he should go for it. He'll learn, maybe faster than some of you did - maybe not.
Just like me you're opinion is certainly welcome. I found learning the mountain from every angle to be pretty effective for having options if a storm moves in. Results/experience may vary.

Edit: Classic JPVallone!
drew wojcik · · Boulder, Colorado · Joined Aug 2008 · Points: 0

Nice topo JP! When does the book come out :) Classic...

Jordan Moore · · Boulder, CO · Joined Feb 2011 · Points: 60

So I knew I would get some naysayers about this. But I was more interested in the people trying to give me some advice of how to rappel. So thanks for the replies, sounds like North face cables route is the way to go. I feel confident in my climbing/mountaineering abilities, and have hiked the keyhole route before. So I want to see the mountain from a different perspective.
Thanks,
-Jordan

dorseyec · · Unknown Hometown · Joined May 2009 · Points: 5

You don't know how to rappel?

Tank Evans · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Nov 2007 · Points: 135

Jordan,

Dont do it, its a waste of time. The cables route is in no way an exciting rapel, nor does it give one any view of the diamond. The N face can be easily downclimbed solo in tennis shoes with a backpack, so it is not exposed or steep in the least.

Also, anyone who says you can rap the diamond easily from the top has clearly never done it before, they are confusing this with the table ledge raps, which can not be accessed safely without serious roped schananigans and leaving gear. Oh, and im sure that topo is a joke, but if you follow the walkoff on the topo from broadway right now you will surely die, and thats no joke.

I like the spirit of adventure but I suggest looking elsewhere.

Bob Dobalina · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jun 2009 · Points: 140

RAPPING SUCKS BALLS!!!!

... why do people try to turn it into its own sport?

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

Colorado
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