Mt. Meeker + Longs Peak
The trip report on this page represents the 17th time I have been to the summit of Longs Peak.
I can see Longs Peak from my living room window, and one of my favorite ways to spend a day is an adventure to the summit. I have put together a "Longs Peak Page" summarizing the routes I have done on Longs Peak. Check it out by clicking the link above.
Date: August 17, 2022 (Wed)Trip Report #: 571Partner: solo
Route MEEKER up: East Ridge (3rd)
Route LONGS PEAK up: The Beaver (5.5) + Clark's Arrow (3rd) + Gorrell's Traverse (5.4)
Route LONGS PEAK down: Cables Route on North Face (5.4)
Total: ~13.5 miles, 6500 ft gain/loss
A should-be mega classic scramble loop trip over the summits of Meeker and Longs Peak.
Intro
This summer, I had gotten into a pattern of midweek solo fitness laps of Longs Peak. I was enjoying experiencing the various ways to get to the summit but keep the climbing at mostly 3rd and 4th and low 5th at most. I had soloed the incredibly popular Keyhole Route (3rd), classic Keyhole Ridge (5.5), and historical Kiener's (4th) to Cables Route (5.4). A missing link for me was to summit Longs from the Loft, and to scope out the various ways to negotiate the 100-foot deep Notch feature on this side. So I planned a nice loop: East Ridge (3rd) of Meeker to the Loft, up The Beaver (5.5) to the summit of Longs, and down the Cables Route (5.4) on the North Face. The Notch would be negotiated via the Gorrell's Traverse (5.4) or Clark's Arrow (3rd).
East Ridge of Meeker: This long route provides commanding views of the East Longs Peak area, and offers and excellent traverse of Mount Meeker.
The Beaver: This delightful line up the left skyline of the east face profile of Longs Peak, beginning from The Loft. This route gets its name from the last buttress in the southeast ridge of Longs, south of the Notch, was dubbed the Beaver long ago, although its likeness to a beaver is only apparent from the northeast. FA: Warren Gorrell, Watson, 1935.
Gorrell's Traverse connects the lower southeast ridge with the summit of Longs. It avoids the 100-foot rappel on The Beaver with an ingenious traverse down and north into the big gully on the west side of the Notch.
Clark's Arrow is nice 3rd class way to get from the Loft to the Notch.
The Cables Route on the North Face is the most direct of all the moderate routes on Longs Peak, and is a popular descent route. The Cables Route is a good snow climb in the winter and spring, and a good scramble (mostly 3rd with a short 5.4 section) in the summer.
The following page gives map, overlays, and photos from this nice loop trip over the summits of Mt. Meeker and Longs Peak.
MAP
Route OverlayS
Time Stats
Longs Peak Trailhead (9,400 ft): 4:40 am
Chasm Meadows (11,540 ft): 6:10 am
Mt. Meeker Summit (13,911 ft): 7:51 am
The Loft (13,450 ft): 8:05 am
Longs Peak Summit (14,259 ft) (spent an extra 35 minutes scoping out Gorrell's Traverse): 9:36 am
Boulderfield (12,760 ft): 10:39 am
Longs Peak Trailhead (9,400 ft): 12:22 pm
Total car-to-car (includes breaks and exploring): 7 hours 42 minutes
Photos
Longs Peak Trailhead to Chasm Meadows
2nd
Start from the Longs Peak Trailhead and hike to Chasm Junction. Take the trail to Chasm Meadows.
From Chasm Meadows, I accessed the East Ridge of Mt. Meeker; from the summit of Meeker, it is a short and easy descent to The Loft (a broad 13,450-foot col between Meeker and Longs). It is also possible to get to the Loft directly from Chasm Meadows, by following a path up the drainage. But having hiked up the drainage, I would say that the East Ridge of Meeker is a much more enjoyable way to get to the Loft, and doesn't add too much time.
East Ridge of Mt. Meeker
3rd
From Chasm Meadows, follow a footpath south into the basin beneath the north face. Ascend talus and boulders to the East Ridge of Meeker above. The Iron Gates (3rd) variation (which I took), accesses the East Ridge by ascending a talus gully between two columns of dark rock at the east end of the north face. This is an excellent shortcut, and gives the route more character. This is also an important return route for climbs on the east side of the north face.
Once on the ridge crest, scramble southwest along the narrow ridge and gain the false summit (13,850 feet), whence the true summit can be seen about 0.2 miles to the west. A large block in the saddle between the summits is best passed on the north side.
The Loft
3rd
Descend easily from the summit of Meeker directly to The Loft. The Loft is the broad 13,450-foot col between Meeker and Longs.
Clark's Arrow
3rd
On this trip, I conservatively chose to do Clark's Arrow (3rd) to get to the Notch. Along the way, I scoped out Gorrell's Traverse (5.4), a quicker and harder way to access the Notch. Gorrell's Traverse connects the top of the Beaver with the end of Clark's Arrow. To scope out Gorrell's Traverse, from the end of Clark's Arrow, I climbed up it to the top of the Beaver and then I climbed back down it. Next time, I will just do the 3rd class scramble up The Beaver formation and take Gorrell's Traverse down to access the Notch (this would avoid the need to take Clark's Arrow.) Photos and description for Clark's Arrow are given in this section. Photos and description for Gorrell's Traverse are in the next section.
Clark's Arrow is an excellent 3rd class route to the summit of Longs Peak. It is far less travelled than The Keyhole Route. From the lowest point of The Loft, hike west towards Chiefs Head Peak, sighting along two cairns of white rock, and arrive at another cairn as the slope begins to drop off into Wild Basin. Do not descend this slope. Instead, contour northwest, pass beneath a small buttress, and angle up to another cairn on the skyline. Go a short ways further for about 100 feet. There used to be a big block with a white arrow in a circle painted on the west face. This is Clark's Arrow. This block supposedly slid off the back of Longs Peak during the great flood of 2012 (I couldn't find it so perhaps it did). Hike north along a vague path that passes beneath the towers of the Palisades and gain the scree-filed basin below the Notch.
The Beaver formation + Gorrell's Traverse
3rd + 5.4
On this trip, I conservatively chose to do Clark's Arrow (3rd) to get to the Notch. Along the way, I scoped out Gorrell's Traverse (5.4), a quicker and harder way to access the Notch. Gorrell's Traverse connects the top of the Beaver with the end of Clark's Arrow. To scope out Gorrell's Traverse, from the end of Clark's Arrow, I climbed up it to the top of the Beaver and then I climbed back down it. Next time, I will just do the 3rd class scramble up The Beaver formation and take Gorrell's Traverse down to access the Notch (this would avoid the need to take Clark's Arrow.) Photos and description for Clark's Arrow are given in the previous section. Photos and description for Gorrell's Traverse are in this section.
The Beaver is essentially the formation that creates the Southeast Peak of Longs, which is separated from the main summit of longs by the Notch. From the Loft, hike up the backside of the Beaver until reaching a high point at the south side of the Notch. From here, either make a 100-foot rappel from a bolted rappel station or do Gorrell's Traverse (5.4). Gorrell's Traverse avoids the 100-foot rappel on The Beaver route with an ingenious traverse down and north into the big gully on the west side of the Notch. From the highest point on the southeast ridge, above the Notch, descend to the southwest and locate a cairn above the left side of a narrow chimney. Downclimb the chimney for about 200 feet to a broken platform that is about 100 feet above the gully leading up to the Notch. Climb left, facing in, towards the Notch, until it is possible to scramble down in the the gully.
The Notch
4th
The Notch is the 13,600 notch between The Beaver formation and the final summit slopes of Longs Peak. To complete The Beaver route, from the end of Clark's Arrow or Gorrell's Traverse, scramble to the Notch. (It is also possible to instead head up and left on 3rd class terrain to gain the Homestretch on the Keyhole Route, to avoid the 5th class terrain on The Beaver route after the Notch.)
The Stepladder
5.5
Scramble up to a ledge on the north, then move right for 30 feet on the east face to the first weakness encountered. This groove is called The Stepladder, and it leads to the southeast ridge. At 5.5, it is the crux of The Beaver route (apart from The Stepladder, The Beaver can be done at 3rd class). Take the southeast ridge to the summit, nice exposed 4th.
Top!
Enjoy the view. And the crowds.
Descent via Cables Route on North Face
5.4
There are a few viable options for descent. You can reverse the route. But that seems rather boring. For a nice loop trip over Longs, descend the Keyhole Route (3rd) or the Cables Route (5.4 or rappel) on the North Face and regain the trail in the Boulderfield. The Cables Route is quicker but harder. I took the Cables Route.
The Cables Route is the most direct of all the moderate routes on Longs Peak, and is a popular descent route. Previous to this trip report, I had descended the Cables Route multiple times after ascents of the Diamond (usually my partner and I rappelled the 5.4 section although once we downclimbed it). Click this link to go to a trip report for a solo summer ascent of the Cables Route, which includes some history of why the route is called Cables.
