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The North Face of Longs Peak could fit in either the ski mountaineering, ice and mixed, or alpine rock categories as it changes by season and storm to reveal many different characteristics. It can be the quickest way to the summit of Longs Peak or the quickest way to fall off the mountain when avalanche hazard is high.
longs peak north face
martha
First
Ascent:
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Enos
Mills?
1900?
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Climbing Styles:
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Fall:
mixed route Winter: avalanche trap
Spring:
ski descents/ moderate
mountaineering
Summer:
short rock climb and scramble to summit of
Longs Peak
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Difficulty:
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5.4 slab or 50
degree snow or ice
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Length:
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1-2
pitches, 180' technical and 600' of scrambling
Grade II
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Season:
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summer, fall,
spring
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Longs
Peak, Colorado 14,255'
North
Face aka Cables
Route
Grade II 5.4
rock, mixed or 50 degree skiing
The crux pitches in typical spring
conditions with half ice/snow and half exposed rock on the
climb. One of the eye bolts is just above the
climber.
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Description
You’ll
gain 4,850 feet from the trailhead to the summit of Rocky
Mountain National Park's highest summit. The route is
commonly
done in a long day and a high level of fitness and some
technical experience are necessary
to
get both up and down this route now that the cables have been removed.
It is
very common for groups to camp the night before, usually at
the
Boulderfield campsites, directly below the North Face or for a
more protected camp, the Jim's Grove campsites are the highest tree
covered camping spot on Longs.
At
all higher bivy sites (directly below the North Face, tents are not
allowed and a
bivy permit (issued by the backcountry office) is
required.
It is
approximately 6.5 miles each way from the trailhead to summit of Longs
Peak via the North Face route, one of the most direct and quickest ways
to the summit of Longs Peak.
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The
North Face of Longs Peak in September conditions, 2007
The
North Face of Longs Peak marked in blue in May 2007
conditions.
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Avalanche
Danger
The
North Face of Longs Peak often has very significant avalanche hazard,
typically from mid-November until late April. This very
exposed
northern aspect is often lee or cross-loaded after a snowstorm and it's
perfect upper 40 degree average angle, slick bed surface (rock slabs)
and undercut nature (unsupported by cliffs) are the perfect ingredients
for dangerous slab avalanche conditions.
With
a terrain trap as
serious as the Diamond below, extreme caution should be used in
evaluating the potential for slab avalanches and this area should be
avoided when these conditions exist which is common for most of the
winter months. The Keyhole or Trough Couloir routes are the
preferred
"moderate" routes to the summit of Longs Peak in the winter months.
Approach:
Leaving
the Longs Peak trailhead at 9,400', one ascends the rocky trail to
above treeline to reach the Jim's Grove trail
junction after 2.8 miles
and 1,600' of elevation gain. This initial section typically
takes
around 1:15 hours. If you cross the creek at the Jim's Grove
junction
(11,000') and take the old trail up towards Granite Pass, you
can
cut-off about a half mile by avoiding the longer way which passes by
the Chasm Lake Junction.
From
the Jim's Grove cut-off to Granite Pass is another mile and
1,000'
vertical feet of elevation gain (45 minutes). From Granite
Pass follow
the long switchbacks up to the Boulderfield and continue all the way to
the campsites which are another 1.5 miles and 45 minutes up from
Granite Pass. Including breaks, the typical total time to the
Boulderfield (12,760') is around 3 hours and this is typically
where
one would want to be by sunrise in the summer months when thunderstorms
ar a regular hazard.
At
the Boulderfield campsites, head straight-up towards the North Face
route and when it is dry, there are some switchback trails in the dirt
and scree of the upper 1,000' before the Chasm View (13,400')
that
will make the way a bit easier. Stay below and right of the
small rock
tower which sits on the north side of the ridgecrest and after a few
more hundred feet of 3rd class scrambling, clean rock slabs will block
further easy progress and depending on snow cover and climber ability,
the rope comes out at this point and from 2-5 pitches of low 5th class
climbing take one into the upper half of the route which is all 3rd
class again to the summit.
(upper left) The
"eye bolt" at the top of the crux pitch. (upper right) Skiers
descending the north face in mid-June 2009 conditions. Photo
courtesy of Rio Roman.
Technical
Pitches:
From
the base of the rock slabs that compose the technical pitches of the
North Face route, depending on the quantity and quality of the snow
covering the route, typically this section is done in one or
two pitch
lengths and when the route is completely melted out, it is very easy to
use the three large "eye bolts" which stick out from the rock about a
foot high.
One
bolt is at the base of the technical bit (usually the
last to melt out) , one in the middle of the crux pitch, and one at the
top of the crux pitch. It is generally easier to girth-hitch
a
shoulder-length (24") runner though the eye of the bolt as the diameter
of the metal is too large for most carabiners to fit around.
From
the top of the crux pitch of climbing, continue up and climber's left
towards the summit and when the route is melted out completely, there
are a number of cairns which help delineate where the easiest route
goes. The last 600 vertical feet of climbing above the rock
slabs is
an easy hike with a bit of scrambling when dry or a mellow ski descent
or snow ascent when covered with an "agreeable" snow covering,
typically no steeper than 45 degrees.
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(upper
left) Joanne
Helmuth cruising up stellar snow conditions on a May 2007 ascent
(upper right)
Rappelling down the North Face in October, 2007 conditions.
Descent:
Most
climbers scramble down the upper face and then do two 30 meter rappels
from the bolts on the North Face route or take the easier but longer
"Keyhole Route" back to the Boulderfield.
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Seasons:
May through October
are typically the best months for an ascent of the North
Face. Spring
is more likely to be wet from snowmelt or dangerous from avalanches,
the months of July and August are the worst time for thunderstorms,.
The autumn
season quickly gives mixed climbing
conditions (crampons and
tools) until the route is too dangerous due to avalanche risk
and a
particularly nasty terrain trap (being taken over the
Diamond in an
avalanche).
In typical winter conditions, this face is one of the worst slopes to
spend time on as it is perfect upper 30 degree angles, unsupported, and
often wind-loaded with sensitive slabs. A no worse terrain
trap than the Diamond exists and so confidence in snowpack strength
should be high when choosing this objective.
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Savoring
the summit of Longs Peak on a calm, quiet May afternoon.
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Permits:
No
permit is required to climb Longs Peak. Bivy permits or camping permits
are required and available at the Rocky Mtn National Park Backcountry
Office (970-586-1242). They are strictly enforced
and they must be
picked up in person, during business hours.
Gear:
One
rope (A 60-meter length is best, but 50 meters will suffice)
and one half set of cams (6), from one-half
to three inches. Four
to five slings shoulder-length runners and a 48"
sling would be sufficient. A helmet is a always a good idea in the mountains
where not
all handholds have been regularly tested and tightened.
Most
climbers use sticky "approach" shoes or comfy rock shoes when
the rock
is dry in summer. Good mountain boots with
or without crampons and an
ice axe will be necessary when the route is snow
covered and an ice
"tool" might be handy when there is much ice on the
climb (Sept- Nov, June-July).
Rain
gear is essential as is warm clothing (fleece top,
warm hat and gloves). The north face of Longs goes
into the shade early
(by 11 a.m.) and temperatures can drop
fast.
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