Longs Peak (Early Spring)
The trip report on this page represents the 20th 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: March 22, 2024 (Fri)Trip Report #: 679Partner: Lisa Foster
Route: Keyhole Route (~14.5 miles, 5100 ft gain/loss, early spring)
My first spring ascent of Longs Peak.
Intro
In February, I had joined Lisa Foster on a winter ascent of Longs Peak via the Cables Route on the North Face. This marked my first winter ascent of Longs Peak, and Lisa's 50th month (!) in a row summiting Longs. I had a blast, and I told her to keep me in mind for any future Longs Peak ascents. So I was psyched when in late March, she called me and asked if I was interested in making a summit bid on Longs the next day. She had been up there the previous day but had turned around at The Trough due to deep snow. But she wanted to know if I was interested in an early spring ascent of the Keyhole Route with lots of trail-breaking. I was all in. This was worth a PTO day for sure.
This was my 20th time reaching the summit of Longs, and my first spring ascent. I have climbed Longs Peak via the Keyhole Route more than once in the summer, when it is merely a 3rd class scramble, but in the winter/spring it is an entirely different experience. To be honest, I almost bailed out when we reached the Boulderfield, when my hands became so cold and useless that I was worried about frostbite. I had two electric and two chemical hand warmers per mitt too! But Lisa offered to exchange mittens with me for awhile, which was a lifesaver. I rallied and we continued. I am so glad we did. (Thanks Lisa!)
Our entire adventure took just over 17 hours car to car. The way up took 12 hours and the way down took just under 5 hours. Most of the terrain was snow-covered, and the snow was deep at times, slowing down the ascent significantly. We wore snowshoes from treeline to The Keyhole, and crampons from The Keyhole to the summit. It was a gorgeous day and I reveled in every bit of it (except maybe the cold hand episode).
The following page gives overlays and photos from my first spring ascent of Longs Peak. Enjoy.
(And I am going to buy a pair of mittens more capable of keeping my hands warm at 12,000-14,000 feet in the winter. A couple of hundred dollars is worth keeping all 10 digits.)
Route OverlayS
Summer*,** conditions
* conditions in summer can vary quite a bit, from bone dry to wet to icy
** the conditions we had during this climb were early spring conditions....much snowier, colder, and more technical than in the summer
Map
Time Stats
CLOCK TIMES:
Longs Peak Trailhead: 1:05 am
The Keyhole: 7:35-8:10 am
The Ledges: 8:10-9:29 am
The Trough: 9:29-10:49 am
The Narrows: 10:49 am - 12:23 pm
The Homestretch: 12:23-1:07 pm
Summit: 1:07-1:25 pm
The Keyhole: 3:25 pm
Longs Peak Trailhead: 6:20 pm
SPLIT TIMES:
Longs Peak Trailhead to The Keyhole: 6 hours 30 min
Keyhole to Summit: 4 hour 57 min
The Ledges: 1 hour 19 min
The Trough: 1 hour 20 min
The Narrows: 1 hour 34 min
The Homestretch: 44 min
Descent to The Keyhole: 2 hours
The Keyhole to Longs Peak Trailhead: 2 hours 55 min
Up: 12 hours 2 min; Down: 4 hours 55 min
Total car-to-car (includes breaks and gearing up): 17 hours 15 min
Photos
Trailhead to The Boulderfield
2nd
Hike/snowshoe a bit over 6 miles from the Longs Peak Trailhead to The Boulderfield. The Boulderfield is a broad rocky expanse on the north shoulder of Longs Peak below The Keyhole.
The Keyhole
3rd
The Keyhole is a pronounced notch in the northwest ridge of Longs Peak. The Keyhole is the key to the route, allowing access from the east side of Longs Peak to the west side.
The distance from the Keyhole to the summit is about a mile but it is a time-consuming mile with lots of route-finding, exposure, and scrambling (or snow travel in spring/winter/fall). From here, the route spirals around the west and south sides of the mountain to the summit. The route is marked at crucial spots with painted yellow and red bull's-eyes (mostly buried on the day of this trip report).
The Ledges
3rd
The Ledges are about 0.3 mile long and connect The Keyhole to The Trough. In the summer this is just rock, but in the spring ascent in this trip report, it was snow slopes.
The Trough
3rd
The Trough is a long gully on the back (west) side of Longs Peak that extends all the way down into Glacier Gorge and it passes by the upper reaches of Longs Peak 0.3 miles from the The Keyhole. Climb The Trough for 550 feet to the west ridge of Longs Peak. Even in the summer, The Trough is often filled with snow and may require crampons and ice axe. In the spring ascent in this trip report, we booted up through sometimes deep snow. It was a good workout.
The Narrows
3rd
The Narrows is a slender shelf located at the top of The Trough. In the summer you scramble across on broken ledges, then around a rib to the base of The Homestretch. In the spring ascent in this trip report, we decided to rope up for most of The Narrows, since the snow was steep and a fall would be fatal. We found occasional protection in rock outcrops.
The Homestretch
3rd
The Homestretch is a steep ramp on the south face of Longs. It leads to the summit. In the summer, it can be a bit slick or icy. In the spring ascent in this trip report, we booted up through deep but stable snow.
Summit
The top of Longs Peak is 14,259 feet. The highest summit in RMNP. Enjoy the view! We had the summit to ourselves.
Descent
Reverse the route.