Keyboard of the Winds - Dark Tower (Tower Three)

Category: Colorado (RMNP)Summit Elev: 13,400 ftRock Type: Granite, Gneiss, Biotite Schist
Date: July 17, 2022 (Sun)Trip Report #: 558Partner: Nate Arganbright

Route: Step-in-Stein (5.10a, 4p)

The second of two climbs on a two-night, two-day weekend in the spectacular Upper Glacier Gorge.

Intro

The previous weekend, Nate and I had spent two nights and two days in Upper Glacier Gorge, climbing two routes: Refugium (5.10a, 5p) on Arrowhead and East Prow (5.9+/10b, 6p) on The Spearhead. We had such a good weekend that we decided to return the next weekend and climb two more routes. I secured a bivy permit for Upper Glacier Gorge (need to be climbing a route that is at least four pitches to qualify for a bivy permit), and Nate and I bivied up there for two nights (Friday and Saturday nights) at our favorite bivy location below Spearhead. On Saturday we climbed North Ridge (5.6-5.8, 8p) of Spearhead and on Sunday we climbed Step-in-Stein (5.10a, 4p) on Dark Tower in the Keyboard of the Winds.

The Keyboard of the Winds is the name for the sweeping, serrated southwest ridge of Longs Peak. This ridge presents a very dramatic skyline from the Black Lake Cirque. There are seven towers, ranging in height from 250 to 700 feet tall, and all above 13,000 feet. There is at least one route up each tower. One unique quality of the Keyboard of the Winds is that they poke through the interface between the two main rock types in RMNP: gneiss and granite—climbing a tower begins on granite and ends on gneiss.

On this trip, we climbed The Dark Tower, also known more mundanely as Tower Three. The Dark Tower is located some 1,500 feet down and southwest from the top of the Trough on The Keyhole Route. The route Step-in-Stein ascends the west side of the tower.

This page gives a trip report for our climb of Step-in-Stein. I also give some photos of our two days and nights hanging out in this spectacular area. Enjoy!

Route OverlayS

Pitch-by-Pitch Photos

Approach

2nd-3rd

From Glacier Gorge, the best way to get to the base of the Dark Tower is to scramble up 3rd class terrain alongside The Trough. 

Scrambling up 3rd class terrain alongside the Trough. Either right or left of the Trough will work.
Approaching the Keyboard. Photo by Nate.
Approaching the Dark Tower. Photo by Nate.
Hikers at The Keyhole.
A view back down towards Glacier Gorge, with the shadows of the Keyboard.

Pitch 1

5.9, 200+'

Climb up to a prominent left-facing dihedral and follow it to a small roof. Undercling out left to another crack system, then head into a large left-facing corner. Follow it up and left to a small stance. This is a long pitch.

Looking up the route. Brrr....cold to be climbing in the shade (even though it was highs in the high 90's in Boulder!).
The rope shows where the route goes.

Pitch 2

5.10a, 200'

Head out right into a left-facing dihedral, climb straight up, and pull a roof on good holds. Face climb up and left to the left side of a sharp arete. Start on the left side of the arete, climb up and right, and swing back onto the main face (very exposed!). Continue up and right to belay on a sloping ledge at the right side of the tower.

Nate starting up Pitch 2.
Pitch 2. Notice how the pitch started on granite and ended up on gneiss.
Looking down while leading Pitch 2. Photo by Nate.
Nate leading the upper headwall on Pitch 2.

Pitch 3

5.9+, 120'

Step left and ascend a short headwall for 20 feet. Walk 10 feet, and then climb another awkward wall, being careful to avoid a loose chockstone. At its top, walk another 10 feet, then climb a wide crack up and right to belay on a ledge.

Pitch 3.
Some green lichen en route.

Pitch 4

5.10a, 30'

Traverse around the right side of the tower for 80 feet and re-establish the belay. Climb a short, steep crack that splits the summit block. Belay on top.

A short thin hands splitter on Pitch 4.
A window (in the North Cascades we call these "cannonholes") in the ridge. The Keyhole is in the distance. Cool photo by Nate.

Top

The tower tops out at about 13,400 feet.

Steph on the summit. Longs Peak behind. Photo by Nate.
Nate on the summit block.
Elevation 13,402 according to the Gaia app on my iPhone.

Descent

3rd-4th

Walk off the back towards the SE. There are a few ways to go from here, but we chose to downclimb a cliff band (4th) and descend between Mr. Stubbs (Tower Four) and Mrs. Stubbs (Tower Five) back to the base of Dark Tower, and then reversed the hike down the Trough back into Glacier Gorge.

Looking down the Keyboard towards Towers Four, Five, Six, and Seven.
Heading for the notch between Mr. Stubbs (Tower Four) and Mrs. Stubbs (Tower Five). Mrs. Stubbs is the obvious tower in the center of the photo.
Looking down the 3rd class gully between Mr. Stubbs and Mrs. Stubbs.
Scrambling down the 3rd class gully between Mr. Stubbs and Mrs. Stubbs.
A beautiful hike back down into Glacier Gorge. We hiked down alongside the Trough.
Almost there. Spearhead dominating the view. 

other photos

We had secured a bivy permit for Upper Glacier Gorge (need to be climbing a route that is at least four pitches to qualify for a bivy permit), and we bivied up there for two nights (Friday and Saturday nights) at our favorite bivy location below The Spearhead. What a marvelous place to hang out for the weekend!

Our bivy

Upper Glacier Gorge has some of the best bivy locations in RMNP. We stayed at one of our favorites, which we have stayed at a few times before. It is sheltered enough to keep one dry in a storm (as we found out on this trip....) and has a nice flat area for sleeping. 

Hanging out inside the bivy during a stretch of inclement weather.
A side view of the bivy.
Drying out our stuff after climbing the North Ridge and getting caught in the rain for the final two pitches.
A beautiful evening light show.
Nate enjoying some Brandon Sanderson in the evening.
My dinner: oatmeal.
Nate's dinner: chicken and dumplings with hot sauce.
My mom had given Nate some Canadian chocolate on my parents' recent visit to Colorado. We decided we liked the $1 Wal-Mart Swiss-imported dark chocolate the best so far!
Reading in the bivy during a stretch of inclement weather.
Relaxing after a morning of climbing.
Relaxing after a morning of climbing.

Flora

The wildflowers were out.

Alpine columbine.
Alpine columbine.
Elephant's head.
Elephant's head.
Parry's Primrose.
Parry's Primrose.
Thistle.
Sunflowers.
Fernleaf Lousewort.
Alpine phlox.

Elk

The Upper Glacier Gorge area often has elk in the summer. We spotted several elk in the area.

 A herd of elk near our bivy.
A couple of young elk just outside our bivy.
Zoomed in.

Scenery

Upper Glacier Gorge is a picturesque place.

Longs Peak and Keyboard of the Winds as seen from our bivy. This was the morning after the night of heavy rain.
Spearhead.

Checking out a new route on The Spearhead

A new 7-pitch 5.11c route—called The Kingfisher—had been completed on The Spearhead the previous weekend. We went to check out the start of the route, since we are interested in climbing it later this summer. It may be problematic getting to the first bolt once the snowpatch melts back though....

The base of The Kingfisher. The first pitch is 11c. 
Looking down below the top of the snow. Once the snow melts the route will start with about 20 feet of 5.11 climbing with no protection until the first bolt.

Hiking

It's a pleasant hike from Bear Lake / Glacier Gorge Trailhead to Upper Glacier Gorge. 

Leaving the Glacier Gorge Trailhead on Friday afternoon.
Nate's favorite rock: a boulder of gneiss just above Mills Lake.
A boardwalk just above Mills Lake. Glacier Gorge in the distance.
Gneiss.
There are several downed trees on the trail between Mills and Black Lakes. The root structure is quite shallow due to the granite slab bedrock just below a thin layer of soil.
I always enjoy this section of trail, which is riddled with polished roots.
Back at the Glacier Gorge Trailhead.
Temperature in Boulder at 5pm. A good weekend to be in the alpine!

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