This is the highest peak in Rocky Mountain National Park. It is one of the 54 14,000-foot peaks of Colorado. It is a prized playground for the budding hiker/mountaineer, the intermediate to advanced rock climber, the intermediate to advanced mixed/ice climber, the middle-altitude big wall aid climber; and it even sports a few high-end rock routes. Some still come to try to free some of the old aid routes here. Most adventures involve most of a day to a multi-day affair.
The peak itself consists of a variety of different subsections for which it may be more helpful to reorganize this section. There is the vertical arena of the Diamond, the Lower East Face, The Upper East Face, Chasm View Wall, the North Face/Ridge, The Southern Ridge(s), the West Face, Ship's Prow, Keyboard of the Winds, & The Palisades.
A hike up to the eastern cirque of Long's is probably one of the more scenic hikes in the Front Range.
Despite the popularity of the peak and the associated heavy travel, there is still plenty of loose rocks in here. Some have lost body parts to this. Be careful.
The weather here can be the crux. Often storms will surprise the unwary as it comes hidden by the bulk of the peak. Some have lost a few toes, some have lost more.
Getting off the peak can be an adventure in and of itself. There is the Keyhole route around the West side, the North Face scramble & rappel(s), the D7 rappels, and even Keplinger's Couloir.
Getting There
There are many ways to access this peak. This peak lies NW of Denver by 70 miles/1.5 hrs. From Denver, take US 36 to CO Hwy 7 in Lyons, and head N at the top of the canyon or US 36 into RMNP. Likely the most common is from CO Hwy 7, aka Peak-to-Peak Hwy, and the Long's Area trailhead. This approach will be at least 5 miles. You can approach via Glacier Gorge, Storm Pass, Boulder Brook/N Long's Peak Trail/Granite Pass, & even the Wild Basin entrance.
An incredible climb at high altitude on the most famous wall in Colorado. This is the easiest route on the Diamond, but that doesn't mean it's not world class. The route includes incredible climbing with awesome exposure and high alpine weather. Although I have heard the route described as both stiff, and easy for the grade, I think that the published ratings are quite accurate.P1: Start in the middle of the wall at a less than vertical broken pi...[more]
Printer Friendly View
RSS Feed
