Longs Peak
Longs Peak from the north.
Elevation	14,259 ft (4,346 m) NAVD 88[1]
Prominence	2,940 ft (896 m)[2]
Listing	Colorado Fourteeners
Location
Longs Peak Boulder County, Colorado, USA
Range	Front Range
Coordinates	40°15′18″N 105°36′54″W / 40.25501353°N 105.61511529°W / 40.25501353; -105.61511529Coordinates: 40°15′18″N 105°36′54″W / 40.25501353°N 105.61511529°W / 40.25501353; -105.61511529[1]
Topo map	USGS Longs Peak
Climbing
First ascent	1868 by John Wesley Powell and party
Easiest route	Keyhole (scramble)

Longs Peak is one of the 53 mountains with summits over 14,000 feet in Colorado.^[3] It can be prominently seen from Longmont, Colorado, as well as from the rest of the Colorado Front Range. It is named after Major Stephen Long, who explored the area in the 1820s. Longs Peak is one of the most prominent mountains in Colorado, rising 7,000 feet above the town of Estes Park, Colorado to the northeast, and 9,000 feet above the town of Lyons, Colorado to the east.

Together with the nearby Mount Meeker, the two are sometimes referred to as the Twin Peaks (not to be confused with a nearby lower mountain called Twin Sisters).

History of ascents[link]

As the only "fourteener" in Rocky Mountain National Park, the peak has long been of interest to climbers. The easiest route is not "technical" during the summer season. It was probably first used by pre-Columbian indigenous people collecting eagle feathers.

The first recorded ascent was in 1868 by the surveying party of John Wesley Powell. The East Face of the mountain is quite steep, and is surmounted by a gigantic sheer cliff known as "The Diamond" (so-named because of its shape, approximately that of a cut diamond seen from the side and inverted - see image at right). Another famous profile belongs to Longs Peak: to the southeast of the summit is a series of rises which, when viewed from the northeast, resembles a beaver. The photo shows the beaver climbing the south (left side) of the mountain.

In 1954 the first proposal made to the National Park Service to climb The Diamond was met with an official closure, a stance not changed until 1960. The Diamond was first ascended by Dave Rearick and Bob Kamps that year, by a route that would come to be known simply as D1. This route would later be listed in Allen Steck and Steve Roper's influential book Fifty Classic Climbs of North America.^[4][5] The easiest route on the face is the Casual Route (5.10a),^[6] first climbed in 1977. It has since become the most popular route up the wall.

The oldest person to summit Longs Peak was Rev. William "Col. Billy" Butler, who climbed it on September 2, 1926, his 85th birthday. In 1932, Clerin “Zumie” Zumwalt summited Longs Peak 53 times. ^[7]

Mills Glacier[link]

Longs Peak has one glacier named Mills Glacier. The glacier is located around 12,800 feet (3,900 m)^[8] at the base of the Eastern Face, just above Chasm Lake. Another permanent snowfield, called The Dove, is located north of Longs Peak. Longs Peak is one of fewer than 50 mountains in Colorado that have a glacier.^[9]

Hiking Longs Peak[link]

The Keyhole as seen from the Boulder Field. A small stone shelter (Agnes Vaille Memorial) approximately 10 feet (3 m) high that sits on the left side of the Keyhole gives a sense of scale.

Trails that ascend Longs Peak include the East Longs Peak Trail, the Longs Peak Trail, the Keyhole Route, Clark's Arrow and the Shelf Trail. Most days, no technical climbing is required to reach the summit of Longs Peak during the summer season, which typically runs from mid July through early September. Outside of this window the popular "Keyhole" route is still open, however its rating is upgraded to "technical" as treacherous ice formation and snow fall necessitates the use of specialized climbing equipment including, at a minimum, crampons and an ice axe. It is one of the most difficult Class 3 fourteener scrambles in Colorado.^[10] The hike from the trailhead to the summit is 8 miles (13 km) each way. Most hikers begin before dawn in order to reach the summit and return below the tree line before frequent afternoon thunderstorms bring a risk of lightning strikes. The most difficult portion of the hike begins at the Boulder Field, 6.4 miles (10 km) into the hike. After scrambling over the boulders, hikers reach the Keyhole at 6.7 miles (10.5 km).

The following quarter of a mile involves a scramble along narrow ledges, many of which may have nearly sheer cliffs of 1,000 feet (305 m) or more just off the edge. The next portion of the hike includes climbing over 600 vertical feet (183 m) up the Trough before reaching the most exposed section of the hike, the Narrows. Just beyond the Narrows, the Notch signifies the beginning of the Homestretch, a steep climb to the football field-sized, flat summit. It is possible to camp out overnight in the Boulder Field (permit required) which makes for a less arduous two day hike, although this is fairly exposed to the elements. 57 people have died climbing or hiking Longs Peak. According to the National Park Service, 2 people, on average, die every year attempting to climb the mountain. In the summer of 2005 a Japanese climber was blown off a ledge after reaching the summit. On September 3, 2006 a man fell 800 feet (244 m) to his death when some rocks let go while he was descending the Loft route. Less experienced mountaineers are encouraged to use a guide for this summit to mitigate risk and increase the probability of a summit.

For hikers who do not wish to climb to the summit, there are less-involved hikes on the peak as well. Peacock Pool and Chasm Lake are popular hiking destinations and follow well-maintained trails. It is also rewarding to hike just to the Boulder Field, the Keyhole, or the seldom-visited but spectacular Chasm View. Camping is available at the Boulder Field and also on the lower portions of the mountain, such as Goblin's Forest next to the stream at the bottom. Technical climbers, with the correct permit, are allowed to use "bivy" sites at the base of the East Face and at Chasm View. It is also possible to camp to the south of the mountain at Sand Beach Lake.

Climbing Longs Peak[link]

Snowpack accumulation on Longs Peak

In addition to the standard "Keyhole" route, there are more serious and more technical climbs on Longs Peak. Climbers should seek qualified instruction; deaths on Longs Peak are an annual occurrence. Some of the more common routes are, in approximate order of popularity,

• North Face Cables route. This follows the Keyhole route to the Boulder Field, then ascends the North Face of the peak. It requires one or two pitches of low-5th class climbing, and is often downclimbed or rappelled by technical climbers since it is one of the fastest ways to ascend or descend the peak. In the early 20th century, enterprising guides installed a series of large steel eye bolts along this route, connecting them with a steel cable similar to systems in the Alps. The cables were removed in 1973 due to the lightning hazard, but the bolts remain and are used as rappel anchors.
• Kieners Route. A traditional mountaineering climb that involves a climb of Lambs Slide, which is icy later in the season, then an exposed traverse of the Broadway ledge, and then low-5th class climbing. Lambs Slide is so-named because of the Reverend Elkanah J. Lamb's nearly fatal tumble down it [1]. The most recent fatal tumble was November, 2006.
• via the Loft. The Loft is the semi-permanent snowfield between Longs Peak and its south-eastern neighbor Mt. Meeker. From the saddle you can traverse to either peak. One such traverse route is Gorilla's Traverse. It is also possible to ascend to the saddle via Lambs Slide.
• via the East Face. The East Face is the steep, 1,000 + foot (305 + m) wall that includes the Diamond and the Lower East Face. All climbs here are technical, from 5.10 to 5.13. It is also possible to ascend to the (climber's) left of the Diamond face proper. The routes on the right side of the Diamond are often aid climbed, and may require spending the night on the wall; the rock here can be very wet. Routes on the left side of the Diamond are usually free climbed. Only qualified climbers should attempt climbs on this face, and should take into consideration the effects of altitude and alpine conditions in addition to the difficulty rating.
• via the Notch Couloir. This is a technical climb involving rock climbing and, at some times of year, ice climbing. The Notch Couloir is to the (climber's) left of the Diamond face.

Gallery[link]

• 

  Long's Peak from Road as photographed by Ansel Adams in 1941.

• 

  Longs Peak (center) and Mount Meeker (13, 911 ft. ASL, left foreground), October 2010.

See also[link]

	Geography portal
	North America portal
	United States portal
	Colorado portal
	Geology portal
	Mountains portal

• Outline of Colorado
• Index of Colorado-related articles
• Geology of the Rocky Mountains
• Mountain ranges of the world
  • Rocky Mountains
    • Southern Rocky Mountains
    • Mountain ranges of Colorado
      • Front Range
        • Longs Peak Massif
• Mountain peaks of North America
  • Mountain peaks of the Rocky Mountains
  • Mountain peaks of the United States
    • Mountain peaks of Colorado
      • List of Colorado fourteeners
      • Major 4000 meter peaks of Colorado

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• Bernard Gillett (2001). Rocky Mountain National Park: High Peaks: The Climber's Guide. Earthbound Sports. ISBN 0-9643698-5-0. 
• Richard Rossiter (1996). Rock and Ice Climbing Rocky Mountain National Park: The High Peaks. Falcon. ISBN 0-934641-66-8. 

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Longs Peak

• "Rocky Mountains". Peakbagger.com. http://www.peakbagger.com/range.aspx?rid=14. 
  • "Southern Rocky Mountains". Peakbagger.com. http://www.peakbagger.com/range.aspx?rid=146. 
    • "Front Range". Peakbagger.com. http://www.peakbagger.com/range.aspx?rid=1463. 
      • "Longs Peak Massif". Peakbagger.com. http://www.peakbagger.com/range.aspx?rid=146315. 
        • "Longs Peak, Colorado". Peakbagger.com. http://www.peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=5642. 
• Longs Peak on 14ers.com
• Longs Peak Keyhole Route on 14ers.com
• Longs Peak on Distantpeak.com
• Longs Peak on Bivouac.com
• "Longs Peak". SummitPost.org. http://www.summitpost.org/page/150310. 
• Longs Peak hiking info
• Longs Peak on Mountain Project
• "Longs Peak". Geographic Names Information System, U.S. Geological Survey. http://geonames.usgs.gov/pls/gnispublic/f?p=gnispq:3:::NO::P3_FID:204979. 
• Longs Peak via the Boulder Field
• National Park Service guide to climbing Longs Peak
• Longs Peak Journal and Trip Report
• History of Longs Peak
• Steck and Roper's 50 Classic Climbs
• VIDEO Climbing Longs Peak - DailyCamera.com

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