Long's Peak/Mt. Meeker Cirque Climbing
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Elevation: | 14,255 ft |
GPS: |
40.25446, -105.61575 Google Map · Climbing Area Map |
Page Views: | 248,057 total · 838/month |
Shared By: | Malcolm Daly on Nov 29, 1999 · Updates |
Admins: | Leo Paik, John McNamee, Frances Fierst, Monty, Monomaniac, Tyler KC |
Description
This is the wonderful cirque that sits below the summits of Mt. Meeker and Long's Peak. A ton of ice forms up here during 9 months of the year, but most agree that the best time to climb is in the fall, when the days are warm enough to form the drips, yet they freeze at night. These drips are ephemeral: what is in one day may be gone by the time you hear about it. The best condition reports are word of mouth (or right here), or visually from the Front Range. The best conditions are found for a few days after Fall snow storms, when it's in the 70s down low. Look for fresh snow up high and sunny skies. Often the ice dries up in the middle of winter. It's just too cold up there to keep ice forming. It tends to come back in in early April. In a good year, the ice routes back in the chimneys on the North Face of Meeker (Dark Star, etc.) stay in until early July.
Hint: this is a huge area, and the climbs are farther away than you think. From the observation points at the shelter cabin or Chasm Lake, climbs may not look like they're in. To really tell, though, you've got to make the whole approach.
Hint: this is a huge area, and the climbs are farther away than you think. From the observation points at the shelter cabin or Chasm Lake, climbs may not look like they're in. To really tell, though, you've got to make the whole approach.
Getting There
Approach from the Long's Peak ranger station. Follow the signs to Chasm Lake: for most people it takes about 2 hours. After you go over Chasm Cut-off and the trails heads downhill, look for Peacock Pool below you on the left along with Columbine Falls dropping into the pool. There are some great practice thin smears there as well as the low-angle slabs of Columbine. Above the trail, on the right flank of Mt. Lady Washington, several good 3-pitch falls form up in good years. These are nice because they catch the sun all day. For Long's and Meeker, keep going to the shelter cabin. If you're heading to Mt. Meeker, head left here, for the Long's Peak climbs, hike up the slabs directly behind the cabin. Once at the lake, you'll be able to see just about everything that's in, so make your choice there.
Classic Climbing Routes at Long's Peak/Mt. Meeker Cirque
Mountain Project's determination of the classic, most popular, highest rated climbing routes in this area.
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Photos
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