Mount Meeker is Longs Peak's neighbor to the SE-the second highest peak in Rocky Mountain National Park! Not nearly as well known as Longs, it yet houses a classic alpine rock route, the Flying Buttress, and a classic alpine ice route, the Dream Weaver Couloir. A number of other seldom-traveled routes exist which have an appealing look. The rock varies between granite and schist, excellent in both cases. All of the climbing is on the North Face, which is steep and quite wide. The 3rd-class route to the summit is a peak-bagging classic.
Getting There
The approach is easy: take the trail from the Longs Peak trailhead as for the east face of Longs (i.e. staying left at all the trail junctions). When just below Chasm Lake (east face of Longs visible directly west), near a ranger cabin and open-air privy, turn SE and scramble up talus and possibly snow to the base of the now obvious North Face. The North Face is partially visible for the last 2 miles of the approach.
The Classics
Mountain Project's determination of some of the classic, most popular, highest rated routes for Mt. Meeker:
This is a major alpine traverse and ski descent that needs a good snow year to set up. Meeker's south side couloir, the longest continuous ski descent in RMNP, is visible from most of Denver and yet seems to be an unknown challenge. I'm adding this route because after several years of drought, the Blizzard of '03 has set this monster up real nice.A car shuttle takes both 1,000 feet off the climb and a few miles off the total hiking. Start at t...[more]Browse More Classics in CO
By Peter Spindloe Administrator From: North Vancouver, BC Oct 26, 2001
Great Climb! We did the 10c start which was beautiful and tough. Use the excellent friction to your advantage.
The 5.9+ crack through the roof on the 3rd pitch that Charles mentions is great and probably doesn't need the "+". It looks improbable, but the holds through the roof are great and they continue above the lip. It was interesting getting my body horizontal under the roof while wearing a pack. The only point of caution here is that the block you haul on at the lip doesn't have any visible means of support, yet it felt solid.
I climbed The Flying Buttress Direct on Tuesday, 7/19/05 (Great Climb!). On the 4th class approach right below the start of the climb, I found a climbing shoe. It was a right shoe, size 40.5, La Sportiva Miura. Let me know if you are missing it... (reachjim_at_hotmail)
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