A Walk In The Park 5.6
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Good page? (1 like)   |
| Type: | Trad, Alpine, Grade IV |
| Consensus: | 5.6 [details] |
| FA: | Richard Rossiter, 11 August, 2009 |
| New Route: | Yes |
| Season: | Late July to early September |
| Submitted By: | Richard Rossiter on Oct 6, 2009 |
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BETA PHOTO: Tower Two, Tower One (Keyboard of the Winds) and t...
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Description This ultra marathon spans (counter clockwise) the entire rim of Glacier Gorge traversing 8 summits in perhaps 13 miles. The 7 towers along the Keyboard of the Winds are not climbed. Begin at the Glacier Gorge Bus Stop. Take the Glacier Gorge Trail and ascend the Regular Route on Thatchtop. Traverse the summit and gain the Continental Divide via the Northeast Ridge of Powell Peak. Traverse Powell Peak and descend into McHenrys Notch. Climb east out of the notch (5.5, 300 feet) and traverse McHenrys Peak (Northwest Ridge/Stone Man Ridge), Chiefs Head Peak (Northwest Ridge/East Ridge), Pagoda Mountain (Northwest Face/East Ridge), Longs Peak (Southwest Ridge/Keyhole Ridge), Storm Peak and finally Half Mountain. Descend a talus gully on the northwest side of Half Mountain and regain the Glacier Gorge Trail at Mills Lake. Run the final 2.5 miles back to the GG Bus Stop. This is a very long and demanding circuit with various challenges beyond sheer endurance such as the Northeast Ridge of Powell Peak, McHenrys Notch, the Northwest Face of Pagoda Mountain and the south ridge of The Dark Tower. The descent of the Keyhole Ridge is not trivial. Best time to date: 13 hours, R. Rossiter, 11 August 2009. I am just an old guy. Someone younger and faster could probably do this in half the time.
Location This spectacular outing follows the complete rim of Glacier Gorge and tops every summit except the towers along the Keyboard of the Winds.
Protection Free solo. If you need a rope and a partner, you can forget about it. You don't have time to eat much less belay.
A Walk In The Park begins with the Regular Route o...
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BETA PHOTO: This view is to the north from McHenry's Notch. Th...
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This is the summit of McHenry's Peak shot across M...
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BETA PHOTO: This is the summit of McHenry's Peak, looking ahea...
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Self portrait atop Pagoda Mountain with yet a long...
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This view is to the northwest, looking down the K...
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BETA PHOTO: USGS Bench Mark, summit of Long's Peak.
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BETA PHOTO: This shot is from the summit of Half Mountain look...
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| Comments on A Walk In The Park |
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By justin dubois
From: Estes Park
Jun 28, 2010
| Nice link up, Richard.
Powell Peak isn't part of Glacier Gorge though. |
By Richard Rossiter
Jul 2, 2010
| Justin, it requires 4 USGS QUADRANGLES to really see the complete outline or ridge crest surrounding Glacier Gorge: McHenrys Peak, Isolation Peak, Allens Park and Longs Peak Quadrangles. Flattop Mountain, Hallett Peak, Otis Peak and Taylor Peak are not part of the rim of Glacier Gorge, nor are Arrowhead and Spearhead.
I did the circuit "A Walk In The Park" counterclockwise, which necessarily includes the following summits: Thatchtop Mountain, Powell Peak, McHenry's Peak, Chief's Head Peak, Pagoda Mountain, Long's Peak, Storm Peak and Half Mountain.
The east face of Powell Peak directly overlooks and drains into Glacier Gorge via Shelf Creek.
This is not meant in the spirit of debate; it is simply the lay of the land. |
By J. Thompson
From: denver, co
Jul 6, 2010
| Is this not "the great wheel"?
josh |
By Richard Rossiter
Jul 9, 2010
| A Walk In The Park is indeed The Great Wheel. The difference is that The Great Wheel, published in my 1997 guidebook to RMNP, had been climbed only in pieces. After completing the whole circuit in a single push (2009), I renamed it A Walk In The Park. I don't really care what it is called. It is a fantastic outing by any name. |
By justin dubois
From: Estes Park
Jul 16, 2010
| Fair enough, Richard, we're merely talking semantics here anyways, an amazing day, no matter what specific route you take. |
By Stiles
From: the mountains
Dec 26, 2011
| Let's see some time posts. |
By qGracey
From: Estes Park
Jul 24, 2012
| While we didn't do it in half the time, Dr. Thompson Jr. and I climbed this today. 10:14 CTC from Glacier Gorge. Left at 6:45am. Trip report here--- www.lookstandbreathe.blogspot.com! |
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