PRINT: Rock Climb Eroica, RMNP

Eroica

5.12b PG13, Trad, Alpine, 7 pitches,

Avg: 3.8 from 8 votes
FA: Roger Briggs, Eric Doub, 1987
Colorado > Alpine Rock > RMNP - Rock > Long's Peak > Diamond

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.

Description

Eroica may be one of the best lines on the Diamond. The climbing is sustained, the rock is incredible and each pitch has just the right amount of spicy to keep your mind engaged. This is an all-time outing and one of the better adventures in RMNP!

P1. Climb the first 5.10 pitch of the Casual Route, and belay on a small ledge with 2 pitons just bellow a thin seam.

P2. Thought provoking 5.11 climbing with a mix of thin cracks and face climbing. Belay on a sloping ledge with solid cams about 25 feet below the obvious, right-facing corner above.

P3. 5.11+ stemming in a perfect right-facing corner with some of the best rock on the Diamond! It's nice to have a solid set of RPs for this pitch, as the gear is thin but good when you get it. In the middle of the corner, a 2-bolt station was added for the Honeymoon is Over. Skip this station, bust left around the corner, and face climb up brilliant rock to a fixed piton/bolt anchor.

P4. Climb thin 5.11- off the belay with very little pro options until a fixed piton about 25-ish feet off the anchor. Higher on the pitch, a bolt protects a 5.12- section that trends left. Belay on a natural anchor to the left in a small corner.

P5. Climb strait above the anchor until it's possible to head right into a flared crack system. A bit of a spicy section above the flared cracks leads to an incredible traverse left into the crux sequence (5.12b). It is pumpy climbing with no stopper moves, hang on for the ride! Once at Table Ledge, head right 15 feet, and belay on a small ledge.

P6. Climb start up cracks above and right of belay for 30 meters, 5.11c climbing with good pro.

P7. A long 5.10 pitch with mixed cracks leads to the top of the wall.

Location

It is right of Casual Route.

Protection

2 sets of RPs, doubles from grey TCU - #1 BD cam, singles BD #2/3, and a good selection of slings.

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

Every single route on the east face of Long's Peak. A full caption is in comments.

The iron Mike Pennings at the top of the 5.11+ corner.

Eroica crux stem dihedral.<br>
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You can also see The Honey Moon is Over and the Casual.

Eroica crux stem dihedral. You can also see The Honey Moon is Over and the Casual.

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

j wharton

This gets my vote as the best 5.12 on the Diamond. The last two pitches are a bit dirty, but the meat of the route is amazing. Watch out for the 11+ stem pitch. It might feel harder than the 12b pitch if you haven't been standing on your feet lately.

In the likely event there are other parties on the Casual route, it is relatively easy (5.9-ish) to climb just to the right via an obvious right facing roof/corner system, and then diagonal back left to gain the nice ledge below the first 5.11 pitch.

Andrew Rothner and I linked Endless Summer into Eroica in about 12 hours on 9/9/15. Worth noting for no other reason than this was Andrew's first trip up the Diamond. Not too shabby! Sep 15, 2015

WadeM
Auburn, Ca

Agree with Josh that the 11+ stem pitch is harder than the 12b. This climb is stout. Last two pitches are now very mungy. We avoided one of the pitches by traversing over to Yellow Wall and then came back.

The crux stem pitch (not the 12) no longer has any pins as noted on the topo. Jul 11, 2016

ejesse Jesse
Colorado Springs

Amazing route, super sustained climbing the entire way, and all on solid rock. It's pitch after pitch of classic climbing with the crux being my least favorite pitch (it's a bit wandery and could use a bit of traffic), so don't expect D1's fabulous finishing crux.

CONDITION ALERT: P4 as described here, P3 in the Fixed Pin guide at 11d (which is part of P3 and P4 here) is missing its fixed pins. I am guessing the knife blades fell out in the freeze thaws, as you can see where they were supposed to be. Past the piton and bolt anchor, you only get one pin, 3 feet below the bolt and about 80 or 90 feet up (the bolt has red tat that hangs to the same height as the pin). The 3-4 spaced pins protecting the dihedral are gone. As of 10 July 2016, about halfway to the bolt and 40 feet up 5.10/11, you can place a green then a blue Alien, but after those, it's another 30 or so feet to the pin, on engaging terrain. Anyways, I could not find much for natural protection in the 170' pitch as I could not get an RP to sit in the only openings in the seam which I presume were the pin scars. With pro effectively in a total of 3 places, a fall on the pitch could be really dangerous, so beware if relying on the published route topos or what you have heard previously. I found it a lot more serious than any other route with an R rating I have done in The Park. Jul 12, 2016

Colin Simon
Boulder, CO

Ejesse,

Any beta on what pitons fell out and their locations?

Contemplating going up there and putting them back in. Jul 18, 2016

ejesse Jesse
Colorado Springs

Colin - PM'd with longer rambling.

Above the old bolt pin anchor I think 1 goes before the scoop in the corner and the other about 12 feet below the other pin and bolt at the crux, above the scoop.

Thanks! Jul 25, 2016

alix morris
Bishop, CA

Hiya,

Anyone know the condition of this route now? Are there pins? Jul 10, 2017

j wharton

With the permission of Roger Briggs, the anchor atop the 11+ stem pitch has been upgraded. Many Thanks to Dylan Cousins for his hard work. Also some pins have been added to restore the route to its "original" condition. Sep 11, 2018