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Long's Peak Bivy Question

Original Post
Jfriday1 · · Golden, CO · Joined Jun 2012 · Points: 40

Maybe a silly question, but I have never camped and then climbed around Longs Peak, Rocky Mountain area, or even Estes/Lumpy.

nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/…

See #4 on the site.

Are you NOT allowed to sleep in a small tent?........if so then really limited to a Bivy Sack, on the ground in a bag, or perhaps a hammock?....

I have a super small tent that I wanted to use.

Eric and Lucie · · Boulder, CO · Joined Oct 2004 · Points: 140

That's correct: you are NOT allowed to use a tent; bivy bags or equivalent only. Not sure about hammocks.

EDIT: that is, if you use a climbing-related backcountry bivy permit. There are also a number of established campgrounds in the park. Sites are hard to get since you're competing with tourists, but some of them are conveniently located for climbing (e.g. the Boulderfield, for access to the Diamond via Chasm View raps).

Collin Holt · · Dallas, TX · Joined Mar 2008 · Points: 40

Bivy only. No tents, no hammocks... Lots of rocks to bivy under with no bag at all. Lots of rangers checking permits.

Jfriday1 · · Golden, CO · Joined Jun 2012 · Points: 40

Thanks guys that helps, Maybe just a sleeping pad, sleeping bag and some garbage bags to stay dry lol

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

Many of the established bivy areas in RMNP have some pretty sweet rock bivy structures. You can sometimes find one that is well covered and will keep you relatively dry. I still bring a bivy sack.

mark felber · · Wheat Ridge, CO · Joined Jul 2005 · Points: 41

Along with established campgrounds,there are backcountry campsites and crosscountry camping zones where you are allowed to use a tent, but these fill up pretty quickly and may or may not be in the best location for the climb you want to do. The climber's bivy sites are an extra option that isn't open to most park visitors, just climbers (note where the rules say that everyone in the party has to be climbing, and t has to be at least a 4 pitch climb).

The simplest option for those who live close to RMNP and are fairly fit is to do climbs car to car whenever possible.

Shepido · · CO · Joined Aug 2014 · Points: 50

How difficult are the spots to locate of you've never been up there before? I have a bivy spot reserved to attempt Kieners this next weekend.

James Kersey · · Livermore, CO · Joined Apr 2015 · Points: 81
Shepido wrote:How difficult are the spots to locate of you've never been up there before? I have a bivy spot reserved to attempt Kieners this next weekend.
Do you have any indication of where the site might be at (if there is an established structure)? I did Lamb's Slide and saw no sites, but it was also still dark until I was basically already on Mill's Glacier, so if it was closer to Chasm Lake or even further down I could have easily missed it.

By comparison, there is a bivy structure at Sky Pond that the trail goes right passed and is only a couple notches down from being a complete rock hut and is basically unmistakable and impossible to miss...
Brian · · North Kingstown, RI · Joined Sep 2001 · Points: 804

Very comfy bivy caves in the talus field above Chasm Lake.

Long's Peak bivy.

Shepido · · CO · Joined Aug 2014 · Points: 50

We reserved it in an area above chasm lake (Mills Glacier Bivy) but based on the park service map its just a huge shaded area on the map, between the lake and lambs slide.

James Kersey · · Livermore, CO · Joined Apr 2015 · Points: 81
Brian wrote:Very comfy bivy caves in the talus field above Chasm Lake.
Awesome
Jfriday1 · · Golden, CO · Joined Jun 2012 · Points: 40

Picked up a bivy sac and Permit and will be up there from sat to Sun this week.

MacM · · Tucson/Preskitt, AZ · Joined Feb 2010 · Points: 675

Shepido,

There are SO many bivy sites just off the cairned route to Mills Glacier it's pretty ridiculous. You can't miss them at all, and in fact you'll probably be able to choose one site over another to fit your needs.

Sara Campbell · · Boulder · Joined Jun 2013 · Points: 10

I think the rangers had a binder with pics of bivy sites and locations (like zoomed out view of above chasm lake with sites marked) at the visitor's center where you get your permit.

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

Colorado
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