Longs Peak (Winter & Spring)
The trip report on this page represents the 19th and 21st times 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.
1.
Date: February 1, 2024 (Thu)Trip Report #: 670Partners: Lisa Foster, Tommy Campbell2.
Date: April 12, 2024 (Fri)Trip Report #: 684Partner: Lisa FosterRoute: Cables Route on North Face (winter, M2)
My first winter ascent and second spring ascent of Longs Peak.
Route Overlays
Historical Sidenote About the Cables Route
The Cables Route which we used for our ascent got its name from the fact that in 1925 and 1926, steel cables were installed on the slab above Chasm View, which eliminated the need for rope and belays; subsequently, the Cables Route became the standard route to the summit. The cables, and most of the eyebolts to which they were secured, were removed in 1973 in an effort to "naturalize the park". However, a few were left in place for belays and rappels. After that, the Keyhole Route (which I have also done, click link for trip report), which is easier but longer, quickly became the most poplar route on the mountain.
My Dad's First Backpacking Trip + A Poem About It
I always pass on my trip reports to my parents. My dad was particularly interested in this trip report, since the first "backpacking" (his words) trip my dad did was in 1972 (he was 22 years old at the time), to camp overnight in the Boulderfield on Longs Peak and climb the Cables Route with his friend Deisel. The cables were still present at the time.
My dad did not have a camera with him, but Deisel did. On a previous climb (July 2022) which had involved downclimbing the Cables Route, I had thought it would be cool to add some photos from their adventure in this trip report, but when my dad emailed Deisel he replied with: "Tell Steph I was so scared of climbing the Cable Route I took no pictures, except on the Boulder Field and at the summit."
But my Cables Route adventures inspired Deisel to write a poem marking the 50th anniversary of their Longs Peak climb. The poem is given to the right.
Sleeping at the Base of Longs Peak
In the Boulder Field, Mid-August 1972
- William Deisel Timmerman, August 2022
It was 50 years ago, as I remember it,
And, truth be told, much of it is not remembered,
When I went to sleep high up in a boulder field,
Woke up in the night under a full moon
To piss, and there I was on the moon,
The boulders all rounded and white like eggs.
I thought to myself, I must be sleeping on the moon.
In the morning humans awoke from between the boulders
All around us from their cocoon sleeping bags.
As I looked up to the summit of
Longs Peak, having never climbed a mountain
In my life, I remember thinking this is going to be
Great or sure as hell I am going to die today.
Trip Report #1 (February 2024)
(my first winter ascent of Longs Peak)
Intro
The last week of January 2024 had record-breaking spring-like temperatures in Colorado, with highs near the 70's in Boulder and 60's in Estes Park. The warm weather lasted only a few days, from Monday to Thursday. I was going a bit stir crazy sitting inside working. So when Lisa Foster invited me to join her and her friend Tommy on a winter ascent of Longs Peak on Thursday (they had a third who couldn't make it last minute), I was all in.
This climb marked my first winter ascent of Longs Peak and my 19th time to the summit of Longs Peak (all previous ascents had been in the summer, via various routes, including multiple times via the vertical face of the Diamond). But for Lisa, who had done over 200 (!) ascents of Longs Peak, this climb marked her 50th month (!) in a row summiting Longs Peak. (She actually holds the record for consecutive months, having surpassed legendary climber Jim Detterline’s record of 30 months long ago. Quite impressive. Especially since for a good proportion of the year conditions can be rather gnarly on Longs.)
We climbed the Cables Route on the North Face of Longs, which is the most common ascent route in the winter. This route is the most direct of all the moderate routes on Longs Peak, and is mostly 3rd class apart from a short technical crux (5.4 in summer, usually M2 in winter). It is a popular descent route since you can keep it at 3rd class if you rappel from eyebolts to get past the crux. There was just a little ice on the route and the temperatures were mild, so I felt like I got off easy for my first winter ascent of Longs. Tommy led the roped pitch. We basked in the sun on the summit for almost an hour.
(Note: Although I had never ascended the Cables Route before this trip report, I have descended it several times. Two of these times are documented in trip reports—Kiener's to Cables Route link-up in July 2022 and Meeker to Longs link-up in August 2022—since both these times I solo downclimbed the route rather than rappelled past the crux.)
Our entire adventure took just over 12 hours car to car. It was an awesome day out, the kind of day I wish I could repeat over and over. Thanks Lisa and Tommy for inviting me along!
The following page gives overlays and photos from my first winter ascent of Longs Peak. Enjoy.
Update: The following month, March 2024, I joined Lisa for her 51st month in a row climbing Longs Peak. We climbed the Keyhole Route. It was technically early spring but conditions were more wintery than on the Cables ascent in February.
Time Stats
CLOCK TIMES:
Leave Longs Peak Trailhead: 3:00 am
Arrive at Chasm View (just below base of technical climbing): 7:55 am
Start climbing Cables Route: 9:02 am
Arrive on Summit: 10:31 am
Leave Summit: 11:20 am
Arive back at Chasm View: 12:20 pm
Longs Peak Trailhead: 3:25 pm
SPLIT TIMES:
Longs Peak Trailhead to Chasm View: 4 hours 55 min
Climb Cables Route to Summit: 1 hour 29 min
Basking in sun and views on summit: 49 min
Descent from Summit back to Chasm View: 1 hour
Chasm View to Longs Peak Trailhead: 2 hours 40 min
Total car-to-car (includes breaks and gearing up): 12 hours 25 min
Photos
Approach
2nd-3rd, some snow
From the Longs Peak Trailhead, hike up to Boulderfield, and from there to Chasm View below the North Face.
Cables Route on the North Face
5.4 or M2
The technical (5.4 in summer, M2 in winter) section of the route is about 150 feet of right-facing dihedral that starts not far above Chasm View. Otherwise, this route is mostly 3rd class (above the crux dihedral, scramble south up 3rd class slabs and boulders to the summit.)
Top!
The top of Longs Peak is 14,259 feet. The highest summit in RMNP. Enjoy the view!
Descent via the Cables Route on North Face
Reverse the ascent. Make two rappels from eyebolts to rappel over the crux section.
Hike out
2nd, possibly snowy
Hike down the the trail in the Boulderfield, and from there back to the Longs Peak Parking Lot.
Trip Report #2 (April 2024)
(my second spring ascent of Longs Peak and first time in the spring via the Cables Route)
Intro
This was the third month in a row that I joined Lisa for her monthly ascent of Longs Peak (her 52nd month in a row!). It had been a cold but sunny week, and snow was quite stable in the mountains. The forecast was stellar. A perfect time to climb the Cables Route!
We left the Longs Peak trailhead at 1:30am. It was a touch windy on the approach, but nothing out of the ordinary. By the time we started to climb, the north face was basking in the sun. Snow conditions were perfect (where was everyone?). We enjoyed a long break on the summit. Our entire adventure took just under 14 hours car to car. It was another awesome Longs day with Lisa!
Below are some photos from the climb. Several of them were taken by Lisa, with credit given (it's always great to have a partner who takes photos as well!).
Time Stats
CLOCK TIMES:
Leave Longs Peak Trailhead: 1:35 am
Arrive at base of North Face: 7:43 am
Start climbing Cables Route: 8:17 am
Arrive on Summit: 10:01 am
Leave Summit: 10:45 am
Arive back at Chasm View: 12:19 pm
Longs Peak Trailhead: 3:25 pm
SPLIT TIMES:
Longs Peak Trailhead to base of North Fce: 6 hours 8 min
Climb Cables Route to Summit: 1 hour 44 min
Basking in sun and views on summit: 44 min
Descent from Summit back to Chasm View: 1 hour 34 min
Chasm View to Longs Peak Trailhead: 3 hours 6 min
Total car-to-car (includes breaks and gearing up): 13 hours 50 min
Photos
Approach
2nd-3rd, some snow
From the Longs Peak Trailhead, hike up to Boulderfield, and from there to Chasm View below the North Face.
Cables Route on the North Face
5.4 or M2
The technical (5.4 in summer, M2 in winter) section of the route is about 150 feet of right-facing dihedral that starts not far above Chasm View. Otherwise, this route is mostly 3rd class (above the crux dihedral, scramble south up 3rd class slabs and boulders to the summit.)
Top!
The top of Longs Peak is 14,259 feet. The highest summit in RMNP. Enjoy the view!
Descent via the Cables Route on North Face
Reverse the ascent. Make two rappels from eyebolts to rappel over the crux section.
Hike out
2nd, possibly snowy
Hike down the the trail in the Boulderfield, and from there back to the Longs Peak Parking Lot.