THE DIAMOND

The trip report on this page represents the 1st and 16th times I have climbed the Diamond.

I cannot seem to get enough of this amazing alpine wall of granite, and I keep wanting to come back. I have put together a "Diamond Beta Page" summarizing the main methods of approach and descent as well as summarizing/comparing the time stats of the various approaches and descents I have taken. Check it out by clicking the link above.

Other routes I've climbed on The Diamond: Ariana (5.12a, 6p, ~800') • Black Dagger (5.11a, 3p) (+ D7 Pitches 1&2 (5.10b, 2p)) • Casual Route (5.10a, 8p, ~800') • Curving Vine (5.11a, 6p, ~800') + Forrest Finish above Table Ledge (5.9, 2p) to summit • D1 (5.12a, 7p, ~1200') • D7 (5.11c, 5p, ~800') • The Obelisk Pitches 4-6 (5.11b, 3p, ~210') • Pervertical Sanctuary (5.10d, 6p, ~800') • Yellow Wall Pitches 1-4 + Forrest Finish (5.10, 6p, ~800')

Category: Colorado (RMNP)Summit Elev: 14,255 ft (Longs Peak); 13,700 ft (Table Ledge at top of route) Rock Type: Granite

This page contains two trip reports:

Date: August 6, 2014 (Wed)Trip Report #: 173Partner: Nate Beckwith

Date: July 28, 2021 (Wed)Trip Report #: 484Partner: Lynn Anderson

Route: Ariana (5.12a, 6p)

This was the first route I climbed on the Diamond, and set the seed for my eventual move to Colorado.

Table of Contents for this page

Route Overlay

Trip Report #2 (July 2021)

Trip Report #1 (August 2014)

Route Overlay

Trip Report #2 (July 2021)

(second time climbing Ariana)

Intro

In 2014, I was on a climbing road trip through Wyoming that had somehow ended up in Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. I had a couple of days free. I paged through a guidebook for the area and came across an image of a pretty phenomenal looking wall. It was called The Diamond. Okay, I wanted to climb that for sure. I made a post on mountainproject looking for someone interested in climbing the Diamond. Given the committing and difficult nature of the objective, I don't think I actually expected anyone to respond, so I decided to spend the day running up and down the Keyhole Route to the summit of Longs Peak. On the summit, I checked my email, and lo and behold I had an email from a Nate Beckwith interested in climbing the Diamond the next day. I emailed him back to confirm I was good to go, and ran back down the trail to get ready for a typical pre-dawn start. I assumed we would just climb the Casual Route (this is the easiest route up the Diamond, but at 13,000+ feet and with the alpine weather and athletic approach, thinking it's a casual route is what gets people into trouble). But when we met at the trailhead in the wee hours of the morning, Nate proposed we climb a route called Ariana. I hadn't heard of this route, but not wanting to raise any worry that I was not up for the Diamond, I think all I said was "Sure! Sounds good!" And off we went. Long story short, that day was probably a turning point in my climbing career and perhaps in my life path in general. It was awesome. Climbing 5.12a at 13,000 feet capped off with being pummeled with hail just as we reached the top of the route. I was blown away. THIS was the kind of climbing I wanted to do. Over and over. And over. More than once I have been grateful that Nate Beckwith took the risk to climb with me that day.

Five years later, in June 2019, I had moved to Boulder. One reason was for grad school. The other reason was now I was positioned a little less than an hour from the trailhead leading to the Diamond. I proceeded to climb the Diamond several times, but always had it in the back of my mind to climb Ariana again. But 5.12 (or even 5.11 for that matter) leading on the Diamond is not really my thing, even though I highly enjoy following it. In July 2021, my crusher climbing partner Lynn was psyched to climb Ariana, so up we went; Lynn did an impressive job leading the crux pitches while I enjoyed the ride and led the easier pitches. Both of us got every move on the route free, and Lynn just took a couple of short lead falls while figuring out the 5.12 crux while I slipped on the initial 5.11 move and also slipped off into a 4 second hang on the 5.11+ pitch. Thanks Lynn for an awesome day out. What an amazing route!

(As a side-note, in August 2020, I had blown out my knee, resulting in knee surgery in September 2020 for a new ACL and and meniscus repair. A few months into my recovery, my physiotherapist Rob asked me to name a goal fo the upcoming summer and I told him "to climb Ariana", figuring I was being quite unrealistic of what to expect out of my knee by the following season. But then here I am, 10.5 months post surgery, climbing a 5.12a on one of the more rugged alpine walls in the country. I guess physio pays off. Coincidentally, on this same day I climbed Ariana, my physiotherapist Rob was also on the Diamond climbing Hearts and Arrows. )

This page gives a trip report from our climb, including a route overlay, time stats from the climb, and lots of photos. Enjoy!

Time Stats

Diamond Time Stats

Pitch-by-Pitch Photos

Approach

We approached via the NORTH CHIMNEY to Broadway Ledge.

Alpenglow on the Diamond.

Approaching the North Chimney. As usual, Lynn and I soloed it. I always breathe a sigh of relief when the North Chimney is behind us for the day.

The ledge where Ariana starts. The climber in the photo is clipping the bolt at the start of the route. (The climbers ahead of us — Jessie and Josh I believe — kindly allowed us to climb before them. Although we indeed proved to be the faster party, as the day progressed I felt a bit bad about this since it forced J&J to be caught in a bottleneck with a party climbing Pervertical Sanctuary.)

Pitch 1

5.11a

ARIANA. Climb past three bolts (quite difficult warm-up!) and gain a crack that is followed to a belay on the left side of the Mitten Flake some 30 feet below the top of the flake. One can continue to the top of the Mitten Flake (standard belay for the end of Pitch 1 of Pervertical Sanctuary) but this may cause rope drag issues.

Lynn leading the cruxy start of Pitch 1. These moves felt more difficult to us than even the 5.12 and 5.11 above.

Pitch 2

5.9

ARIANA / PERVERTICAL SANCTUARY. Same as Pitch 2 of Pervertical Sanctuary (plus perhaps the end of Pitch 1 of Pervertical Sanctuary to finish off the climbing along the left side of the Mitten Flake). From the top of the Mitten, climb the crack above. Belay on the right.

This is the upper left-facing corner alongside the Mitten. I led this for the start of Pitch 2.

Looking up from the top of the Mitten. This is the standard start of Pitch 2 of Pervertical Sanctuary, but for Ariana, it may be best to start the pitch a bit lower to avoid rope drag on Pitch 1.

Lynn nearing the end of the pitch.

Pitch 3

5.9

ARIANA / PERVERTICAL SANCTUARY. Same as Pitch 3 of Pervertical Sanctuary. Head up the crack and left-facing corner to where it veers left. Then work up and right past a bolt and gain the ledge at the bottom right side of the Obelisk Pillar.

Looking up the pitch.

Old bolt.

Pitch 4

5.12a

ARIANA. Tackle a steep and undrelenting crack up the middle of the Obelisk Pillar to a belay on a small ledge just up and left of the wedged block on Pervertical Sanctuary.

Lynn starting up Pitch 4. Ariana follows the beautiful crack system above and just left. Another stellar lead by Lynn.

Climbing on Pitch 4. Taken while following the pitch.

Standing on the protruding flake at the belay at the top of Pitch 4. This is the same as the belay at the top of Pitch 4 of Pervertical Sanctuary. Note: For a better belay for Ariana that does not share the belay with Pervertical Sanctuary, we actually should have continued about two more body lengths up to a small ledge on the left.

Nest of slings at the belay anchor at the top of Pitch 4 (of Pervertical Sanctuary).

Pitch 5

5.11c

ARIANA. Climb the crack up the middle of the Obelisk Pillar to Obelisk Ledge.

Looking up Pitch 5. Ariana takes the left crack. Another stellar lead by Lynn.

Climbing on Pitch 5. Taken while following the pitch.

Pitch 6

5.9

ARIANA / PERVERTICAL SANCTUARY. From above the belay on the right side of the ledge, follow steep cracks and jugs to Table Ledge.

Looking up Pitch 6. This is the standard finish for several routes in this area, so I have climbed this pitch several times.

Table Ledge. Photo taken from the upper rappel anchor.

Descent

Table Ledge is the top of the route. From here we rappelled via the DIAMOND RAPPEL ROUTE back to Broadway Ledge (5 raps with double ropes) and then from Broadway Ledge down to the snowfield (4 raps, 1st with single rope and last 3 with double rope). We then hiked out around Chasm Lake.