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Accessing the Diamond: Chasm View Rappels vs North Chimney?

Original Post
Jerimiah Gentry · · Eugene, or · Joined Feb 2006 · Points: 50

Hello Colorado & Rocky Mountain Region:

My partner and I are planning to climbing Pervertical Sanctuary on the Diamond soon. The only route I've done so far on Longs was Directissima, and the sound of rock fall from the North Chimneys has made us consider the Chasm View Rappels as an alternative. With this approach, we would hike in the preceding afternoon bivy in the boulder fields. I don't particularly mind hiking, and I enjoy sleeping outside.

I'm interested in what insights this forum might offer on the two approaches.

Thanks,

Jerimiah

Tim Stich · · Colorado Springs, Colorado · Joined Jan 2001 · Points: 1,520

I've done the Chasm View raps and thought they were pretty cool. The first anchor off the edge is a little spooky to set up, but after that the rest are fine.

On the other hand you could just climb Crack of Delight or another, cleaner route on the lower wall. COD has the rappel anchors for retreating from Broadway, so that should speed your progress.

Nick Venechuk · · Golden, CO · Joined Sep 2008 · Points: 60

I've done the North Chimney and didn't find it too spooky. It helps considerably if you're the first team up in the morning because then you only have to worry about knocking things down (which is obviously still something to be concerned about!), and not getting bonked from above. The climbing is very reasonable though and as long as you pay attention loose rock shouldn't be a problem.

Cor · · Sandbagging since 1989 · Joined Mar 2006 · Points: 1,445

hardly anyone seems to do the chas.raps.

i would recommend the n.chim. it is not that bad if
people are smart. loose rock can be an issue, but
if you know the way, nothing gets knocked off.

it is mostly if not all solo terrain. the exit at the top
out to broadway is a bit hard for a move, which you can
rope up for (1pitch at the end...) and it goes fast.

the other thingy about the n.chim. is that you get a wayyyy
better bivy spot down below the area you will be climbing.
you can then study the objective all evening while enjoying those
special beers you brought in. also plenty of water around...

here is a picture of how i navigate the chimney.
(click the pic. to blow it up to large size.)

North Chimney, Long's Peak.

the red dots show the line. the first big dot on rock (at bottom)
is the ledge where you change shoes. solo up to next big red dot,
rope up for exit pitch to broadway. (you can actually just walk across broadway to per.san. as a belay method...)

hope this helps you!
cor

csproul · · Pittsboro...sort of, NC · Joined Dec 2009 · Points: 330

I have done the chasm view raps to climb the CR. It worked out pretty well if you're willing to carry bivy gear all the way up to Chasm View or the Boulder Field. We had a nice bivy at Chasm View and were able to rap first thing in the morning and start the route very quickly. One downside is that if you have to bail, you still need to get back up to your bivy gear if you left it up there and that almost happened to us. I guess you could leave it on Broadway if you plan on coming back down that way. We came down the N face cables and collected our bivy gear and hiked out. Kind of long. I'm not sure I'd do it this way again since it seems much longer and took more effort, but I think it worked out well.

Rob Dillon · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Mar 2002 · Points: 760

Eventually, you will do them both. The Chasm View way means you get to sleep a lot more.

kirkadirka · · Down there somewhere · Joined Jan 2006 · Points: 115

i strongly discourage approaching via chasm view raps. lots of loose rock that will inevitably be knocked loose while pulling your ropes on the raps. all loose rocks then go down north chimney onto parties coming up.

if your going to be slow, go up the night before and sleep on broadway.

Travis Hibbard · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Feb 2007 · Points: 300

I was out in RMNP two weeks ago and I will never do the Broadway approach the morning of again. It was VERY easy and super simple HOWEVER, we were still behind people that came down from Chasm, and with the weather the way it was (and the fact that they were doing a pitch every 2 hours) there was no way we were going to send without getting rained off the wall.

Plan an early early start to rap, and you should be able to summit and get down the north cables before the weather comes in. Or as others have mentioned you could bring your gear and bivy on Broadway the night before...but that just doesn't seem like fun bringing bivy gear up the north chimney...

My 2 cents.

Cory Harelson · · Boise, ID · Joined Mar 2008 · Points: 2,410

I've done the raps. Would have worked well if we didn't end up bailing. We got to Broadway Ledge while it was still dark.

Regarding loose rock, we didn't knock anything loose. Also, if you're going that way the reason is to start at O-dark-30, so hopefully you are doing the raps before anyone is in the N. Chimney.

The downsides have already been mentioned. The hike is long, and if you leave your bivy gear at Chasm View bailing is problematic. We ended up bailing since the storm that everyone including the forecaster said would show up like clockwork at 2pm decided to arrive at 6:30am instead.

If you do need to bail, you can get back to the upper boulder field by following the narrowing Broadway Ledge right until it ends. Climb a few traversing pitches until you can climb a pitch up to the rim. It goes at 5.7, with plenty of loose rock, and if you need to climb it, it will probably be in the rain.

Tim Stich · · Colorado Springs, Colorado · Joined Jan 2001 · Points: 1,520

We did our route car to car, so no bivy gear to haul.

Kenan · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Apr 2010 · Points: 1,237

We approached via the Chasm View raps recently... I think it's a good plan (especially for those doing it car-to-car in a single push), as you can potentially get more of a jump on parties bivied down below. Also being above loose rock is better than below it, and for me is worth the extra effort of hiking up to Chasm View. North Chimney just seems like a death funnel to me if you're below people with less experience. With a Chasm View approach you can then descend via the North Face / Cables route to retrieve your stuff on the way down, versus being in the queue for rappels. But obviously you have to make it up the Diamond before you go down that way, so start as early as you can possibly imagine. Be rapping in before first light.

csproul · · Pittsboro...sort of, NC · Joined Dec 2009 · Points: 330
kirkadirka wrote:i strongly discourage approaching via chasm view raps. lots of loose rock that will inevitably be knocked loose while pulling your ropes on the raps. all loose rocks then go down north chimney onto parties coming up. if your going to be slow, go up the night before and sleep on broadway.
I can without a doubt say that my rapping down Chasm View knocked far less rock down the N. Chimney than did the party climbing up it...and there were parties below them. The beauty of coming in from Chasm View, we beat them all to the route and never had to climb below anyone.
David Appelhans · · Broomfield, CO · Joined Nov 2007 · Points: 410
kirkadirka wrote:i strongly discourage approaching via chasm view raps. lots of loose rock that will inevitably be knocked loose while pulling your ropes on the raps. all loose rocks then go down north chimney onto parties coming up. if your going to be slow, go up the night before and sleep on broadway.
+1

Most of the rockfall you heard was probably knocked down by people traversing across Broadway from the Chasm View raps. The diamond can be a shit show either way with people that have no business being there, but the North Chimney is the way to go for those in the know.
kirkadirka · · Down there somewhere · Joined Jan 2006 · Points: 115
David Appelhans wrote: +1 Most of the rockfall you heard was probably knocked down by people traversing across Broadway from the Chasm View raps. The diamond can be a shit show either way with people that have no business being there, but the North Chimney is the way to go for those in the know.
i was actually speaking from first hand experience, having descended via the chasm view raps. but i agree, the traverse from the the base of CV raps to the base of the left side of the D is equally as loose and shitty.
Mike Soucy · · Longmont, CO · Joined May 2006 · Points: 111

+1 for N Chim approach. Stay out of the gully on climbers' R and chances of being hit by rockfall are far lower.
If one were to knock rocks down on the Chasm View raps, they would have to travel several hundred feet horizontally in order to hit climbers in the N Chimney. This is unlikely. The Broadway traverse above the chimney, however, is quite loose and exposed.

David Appelhans · · Broomfield, CO · Joined Nov 2007 · Points: 410
kirkadirka wrote: i was actually speaking from first hand experience, having descended via the chasm view raps. but i agree, the traverse from the the base of CV raps to the base of the left side of the D is equally as loose and shitty.
I agree CV raps are loose in two respects and should be avoided. I've done the Chasm View raps a couple times too (during the descent) and had similar experiences. When you pull the ropes there is inevitably a bunch of loose rocks that want to get pulled down on your head. Usually you can hide behind big boulders, but frankly why hike all the way almost to the elevation of table ledge, only to rap down and then climb back up again. Seems like the antithesis of what I'm looking for when climbing in the mountains.

Plus finding them and crossing Broadway in the dark for the first time isn't a cakewalk. Experience talking here.
Em Cos · · Boulder, CO · Joined Apr 2010 · Points: 5

There are a lot of pros to the chasm view raps, but if you have to bail and your bivy gear is still up there, you will be very sad.

Olaf Mitchell · · Paia, Maui, Hi, · Joined Mar 2007 · Points: 4,190

I have done the Diamond approach both ways several times each and I believe that the North Chimney is my favorite way.

Buc Taylor at the Boulderfield bivi Photo: Olaf Mitchell.
Olaf Mitchell at Chasm View. Photo: Buc Taylor.
Olaf Mitchell on Chasm View rappels. Photo: Buc Taylor.

TheBirdman Friedman · · Eldorado Springs, Colorado · Joined Jan 2010 · Points: 65

I heard a rumor you can do a single line rap (fix the line off the first rap station) with a 70 meter rope down Chasm View. Then do normal raps down to Broadway with a single 70.

Can anyone confirm?

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

Colorado
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