Continue with onX Maps
Sign in with Facebook
Routes in North Face/Ridge
|
Ex-Ranger's Revenge T 5.5 4b 13 IV+ 11 MS 4a |
|
Cable Route T 5.4 4a 12 IV 10 VD 3c |
|
|
Webb's Walk-up T 5.6 4c 14 V 12 S 4b |
|
|
Mary's Ledges T 5.6 4c 14 V 12 S 4b R |
|
|
Keyhole Ridge T 5.6 4c 14 V 12 S 4b |
|
|
Northwest Gully T 5.3 3+ 10 III 9 VD 3a |
Order Wrong?
Sort Routes
| Type: | Trad, Alpine, Grade III |
| FA: | unknown |
| Page Views: | 74,331 total · 251/month |
| Shared By: | Ben Mottinger on Dec 31, 2000 |
| Admins: | Leo Paik, John McNamee, Frances Fierst, Monty, Monomaniac, Tyler KC |
Your To-Do List:
Add To-Do ·
Your Star Rating:
Use onX Backcountry to explore the terrain in 3D, view recent satellite imagery, and more. Now available in onX Backcountry Mobile apps! For more information see this post.
Access Issue: Closures
Details
Seasonal closures Feb. 15-July 31. Per the Denver Post:, the Cathedral Wall and all areas above the Loch Vale-Sky Pond Trail are closed to off-trail travel! Per this RMNP website, "Initial closures now occur in Feb. 15 and April, when raptors return to the region and scout for nesting sites. Areas containing general habitat preferred by raptors are closed during this time. Once raptors have selected nesting spots, the initial closures are lifted or adjusted. The specific areas which raptors choose for nesting sites are closed."
For additional information about raptor closures, please visit the Rocky Mountain National Parks area closures website.
General NPS climbing regulations for RMNP posted here.
For additional information about raptor closures, please visit the Rocky Mountain National Parks area closures website.
General NPS climbing regulations for RMNP posted here.
Description
First of all, so there's no confusion, this route is NOT on the diamond. It is just filed under that rock. I give this route one star, but not because it is a bad route. It is an excellent first technical alpine route for a beginner. After doing the route, however, I would probably not be interested in doing it again unless it was a winter ascent, which would be different.
The history of the route is kinda interesting. I'm not sure of specific dates, but in the early part of the 1900's a thick steel cable was bolted to the rock with huge eye bolts (much like the bolts on the 3rd). Non-technical climbers would use this as an aid to climb up this face of Longs. That is until people started to realize that a 1in. thick cable bolted to the rock for hundreds of feet is a great conductor of electricity. The cable was removed, but a couple of the eye bolts still exist at the belays.
This climb is best started from the boulder field at the base of Long's approaching from the East. From the boulder field, the hike is only about 0.25mi. to the start of the climb and about 1.5mi. descent from the backside (W. side) of Long's. Otherwise, you're looking at a 6 mi. hike just to the boulder field with a full pack of gear. Best climbed mid summer through early fall (unless you bring crampons). I climbed it mid-October in 1998 and it was cold and coated with a nice layer of verglass (thin ice). This changed the grade from easy 5.4 to very contemplative 5.6-7ish.
There is only really one full pitch of technical climbing, then it's very easy 5th and 4th class for a pitch or so. After this, 3rd class get you to the summit, taking the line toward the edge of the diamond, then back to the summit.
The ranger station at the Longs trailhead has a nice 3D model of Longs and a ranger will be happy to show you the exact line. Descent is a downclimb of the same route (raps possible from the eye bolts) or via the standard Keyhole route.
The history of the route is kinda interesting. I'm not sure of specific dates, but in the early part of the 1900's a thick steel cable was bolted to the rock with huge eye bolts (much like the bolts on the 3rd). Non-technical climbers would use this as an aid to climb up this face of Longs. That is until people started to realize that a 1in. thick cable bolted to the rock for hundreds of feet is a great conductor of electricity. The cable was removed, but a couple of the eye bolts still exist at the belays.
This climb is best started from the boulder field at the base of Long's approaching from the East. From the boulder field, the hike is only about 0.25mi. to the start of the climb and about 1.5mi. descent from the backside (W. side) of Long's. Otherwise, you're looking at a 6 mi. hike just to the boulder field with a full pack of gear. Best climbed mid summer through early fall (unless you bring crampons). I climbed it mid-October in 1998 and it was cold and coated with a nice layer of verglass (thin ice). This changed the grade from easy 5.4 to very contemplative 5.6-7ish.
There is only really one full pitch of technical climbing, then it's very easy 5th and 4th class for a pitch or so. After this, 3rd class get you to the summit, taking the line toward the edge of the diamond, then back to the summit.
The ranger station at the Longs trailhead has a nice 3D model of Longs and a ranger will be happy to show you the exact line. Descent is a downclimb of the same route (raps possible from the eye bolts) or via the standard Keyhole route.
47 Comments