The East Face of Long's, crowned by the Diamond, is a world famous alpine wall, and every other aspect of Long's holds wonderful secret and not-so-secret scrambles and climbs. This is my, and many other people's favorite mountain--Please, Please, Please tread as lightly as you can on this mountain! I am somewhat wary of writing anything that could increase traffic, though hopefully all this beta will decrease rescues. The peak sees thousands of ascents every year and the East Face is starting to feel like the Boulder Rock Club. You can do yourself and everyone else a favor by climbing on weekdays. The Diamond free-climbing season generally runs from mid-July to mid-September.
Descent: the rap route on the Diamond is becoming very crowded, and I have seen parties ascending D7 become the victims of whiplash. Rude people are just as numerous on the Diamond as anywhere else. The raps start just below Table Ledge, directly above D7. Nearly all of the anchors (all bolted, 5 in total) are slightly to one side or another--rappel slowly. The North Chimney rappels (total of 4) are also all from bolts and thankfully do not actually occur in the North Chimney; they start at the edge of Broadway below the Casual Route (near a Lower East Face route called Crack of Delight). Make sure you head far enough to your left (as you face OUT-i.e., north) on the first rappel. If you are at slings and not bolts, you are off-route and your rope will get stuck! Again, rappel slowly. I prefer to walk off from Table Ledge (not least because when we rappelled, it didn't really feel like we had completed the climb). Once on Kiener's, head steadily up right to find the fourth class step around--if it seems harder, try somewhere else. From the summit (or just above the step around), contour to the north (should not exceed 3rd class or present any exposure) to pick up some cairns which lead to the North Face rappel, off the huge eyebolts which used to anchor the cables (one double or two single rope raps). Head out to the Boulder field and the trail, or hike down the ridge to Mount Lady Washington (above the Chasm View Wall) until you can descend down talus slopes to the south. Look for a loose gully (the Camel gully) which bears to the right and desposits you on the talus/scree/snow above Chasm Lake. One can also take the Keyhole (hiking) route down from the summit--follow the sign and paint splotches on the rocks.
Getting There
From the Long's Peak Trailhead, follow wide trails and obvious signs to wherever your route might be. and scramble around it on the north (for the East Face). If taking the rappels from Chasm View, they begin from bolts on a large, semi-detached rectangular block. Most people who want the East Face hike to Chasm [Lake] and scramble around it on the north. If you are looking for the North Chimney (read: gully), which offers the standard passage to the Diamond, then make sure you do NOT take Field's Chimney, which is more obvious as you approach the Diamond above Chasm Lake. The North Chimney is somehwhat hidden, and lies further north, below the center of the Diamond. It has a snow tongue reaching up into it. The easiest way to do it [involves] staying on the slabs to the left of the snow tongue, and, about 2/3 of the way up, bearing left into a short steep dihedral which is most easily exited again to the left. A potentially very dangerous 4th and 5th class approach, with dangerous loose rock. Don't do it beneath another party.
After the Casual Route and Pervertical Sanctuary, this is probably the most "straight-forward" Diamond Route, although the free climbing rating is rather stiff (5.11c or d). The crux is short and protects well, and is easily aided. Climbers who find the Casual Route jammed, and don't have enough big gear for Pervertical, should consider attempting this at 5.9 or 5.10 C1 (or free), but plan on a longer day if you aid much (the entire climb is st...[more]
RED WALL! CHASM VIEW WALL! Talking to a ranger, a team reports that an 80ft flake on this climb (unsure which pitch) shifted when weighted. The team reportedly downclimbed, then rappelled off. Sorry for the limited info, but thought this post would at least cause anyone thinking of this route to contact RMNP backcountry office for more updates.
I was in to the East Face cirque this past Monday and conditions in there are very dangerous. Lambs Slide has serious rockfall every 30 minutes - climbing it is practically suicide. While I was in there two climbers were going up Stettner's Ledges and huge rockfall went right over them twice! I thought for sure they were dead the first time. I can't believe they continued up.
Rocks were falling from many places along Broadway. This might have been all climber initiated, but I doubt it. This area is the driest it has been in 50 years and very old ice is melting and releasing tons of rock. Even the moraine below the face is more unstable than normal.
The loose flake on the Red Wall, mentioned above, must be on the third pitch. That matches the topo and I was up on the first two pitches and they are solid. By the way, the "10c" variation on the second pitch of this route seems harder. More like 10d/11a with the lack of stances to place the gear...
North Chimney vs. Chasm View rappells? Wadda u think? I'm gearing up to do this climb in a few weeks, and I'm hoping for some good opinions..THANKS IN ADVANCE!
I have previously climbed the chimney to reach Broadway, but yesterday I rapped in from Chasm View and I don't think I will ever do the chimney again. The rappels do add a significant amount of hiking to the day, as you rappel from the equivalent of 2/3 of the way up the Diamond. However, the hiking is mostly good trail until the final climb up the boulderfield and you don't have to deal with the choss of the chimney. Follow directions for the Cable Route, Chasm View is the point on that route when you would start rock climbing as opposed to scrambling up a talus field. The bolts for the rappel are on the "Chasm" side of the block, so you have to lean out over the expanse to see them. It is three rappels to Broadway and the anchors were all easy to find. At the time of this comment there is no snow on Broadway (translation: driest year on record), and the traverse to the base of most of the routes was very easy. I have heard that this traverse may be a little more dicey if there is snow on Broadway.
If you are looking to brag about an ascent of the Diamond to everyone you meet, using the rappels might be considered cheating by some. However if you are like me, and just what to enjoy some fantastic alpine rock climbing and avoid as much choss as possible, consider the rappels.
I was here (North Chimmney) on 9/14/02 and if you value your life you will take the rappel approach from Chasm View. The recent rains made for a lot of falling ice and rock!!! Lamb's Slide is a shooting galley also as I attempted to solo Stettner's Ledges to Broadway, I quickly turned back dodging rocks most of the way. Wear a helmet for sure. I got a feeling of bad mojo from the rock fall. Has anyone else?
The stone ranger cabin at the head of the meadow near Chasm Lake was destroyed by a massive avalanche recently, apparently as a result of the Blizzard of 2003. Check out the full story on the Colorado Avalanche Info page at:
Hey, I want to climb from the south...via Copeland Lake trailhead. Any comments on that one? Anyone done that one this year? How long? How hard compared to the Key Hole [Route]? Thanks e-mail: waynepyle@attbi.com
Didn't know if you guys heard about the recent death on the summit last Sunday 9-5-04. Sobering thought. Especially since my friends and I just did the route July 30th...excellent weather then.. leave early and miss the crowds going up.. take water.. and enjoy it was terrific. Bit icy in some spots.. just use common sense.
By brent armstrong From: Closer to RR than the Strip Oct 5, 2004
Curious if anyone has climbed the Enos Mills wall in the last decade? Didn't Ken Sauls and Johny Allen climb it last winter?
Do you still need iron for the top? Isn't there a bivi ledge on it?
Can consult my guidebook, just thought maybe someone had some first hand beta.
Sounded like a fair question to me. I've known of a few "crazies" that have done the [Diamond] in the winter. So the question sounds reasonable.
Then again maybe I'm [naive].
By Bosier Parsons From: Colorado Springs, CO Jul 7, 2005
To Shaun Reed - I climbed D7 once around this time of year. The route was plenty dry, but the ice conditions on Broadway were scary. There was also plenty of ice melting and cascading down the wall in shards and plates all day. I'd say go for it, but wear a helmet. I know a friend who tried the Casual Route shortly after in the same year, and he actually got hit by a large sized saucer of ice and luckily wasn't seriously injured but had to retreat. Let us know how it is...
You CAN make the Chasm View rappels with a [single] rope as long as it's a 70m. Make CERTAIN you knot your lines and are centered, then rap to the ends, working your way around a short arete/dihedral combination toward the east right at the ends. Gain a nice ledge and look around (up a tad) for an anchor built out of tied off pitons. I would have replaced the webbing, but I was a complete moron and forgot my belay knife.
Rappel 2: Thread the anchor and work back to the SW just as though you were on the "standard" rappel route. Again, ends MUST be knotted. Rappel down the large dihedral to your ends and stop on a dirty, grassy spot in the dihedral. REALLY easy downclimbing gives you one of two options.
Option A: downclimb to Broadway via short 5.4 sections.
Option B: Look on the West side of the trough that is the Chasm View rappel route for yet another anchor from which you may rappel past the easy though heady downclimbing. This anchor is near the level you should end up on after your short downclimb from rap #2's end.
Caveat: I had a 9.1mm, 70m rope with a pretty decent elongation. If your rope is a little less dynamic than others, you may want to bring two instead of my method. Go light, TRY to go fast!!!
~Wm
By Guy Humphrey From: Fort Collins CO Aug 26, 2005
If you leave a pack at the base of the North Chimney, make sure that you bury it or hide it. The ravens know how to use zippers!!!
FYI- The Park Service and (hopefully) competent volunteers will be doing an East Face/ Diamond clean up on the weekend of Sept 17/18th. The cleanup teams will be ascending Kiener's and rapping in from Table ledge. They will be removing as much tat and bail junk as they can on The D and the Lower E. Face. It might be wise to avoid the area that weekend as it could be a bit of a madhouse.
By brent armstrong From: Closer to RR than the Strip Sep 6, 2005
Climbing ranger called me today at work (Trail Ridge Outfitters) and told me the cleanup had been cancelled, and asked me to take down all signs.
My partners and I have been doing a sort of cleanup of our own this year, and have cleaned most of the tat from the Yellow Wall area of the Diamond (Obelisk to Forrest Finish). I filled my backpack last week cleaning 7 pounds of tat off just the Yellow Wall/Forrest Finish route. Many of the manky fixed anchors have been removed completely, so bring bail supplies when you climb up there just in case. Let's try to preserve this amazing place, and keep it a wild adventurous climbing area.
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