Longs Peak - North Face Trip Report

Alpine Ice 2 cl 5.4 on Longs Peak 14,260’.

On the North Face of Longs there are eye bolts left behind from being first put up in 1925. There once were braded cables connecting between every eye bolt. They were removed in 1973 due to lighting striking climbers ascending the face.

Bruce and Craig were visiting us from Ohio. We spoke the night before to assure a start time and check over our equipment. Due warm conditions in the afternoon we decided to start at 12:30 am. We walked through the trees approaching the alpine tundra arriving at the Boulderfield at sun rise.

Alpine Glow means we gotta go.

Early morning melting on the rock slabs as we move over the first mixed rock and snow sending the 5.4 crux.

Past the cables section there was good step kicking conditions.

Bruce and Craig stopping for a photo opportunity with the ridge between Mt. Lady Washington in the back drop.

Strong work gentlemen for reaching the summit!

Yeah we climbed that! What did you do today?

We went down the way we came up.  Stopping back at the Boulderfield to have afternoon snack and dunk our drinking bottles in the plentiful stream of fresh snowmelt, admiring the route once again. Our conversations begin as we descend the Longs Peak Trail to the trail head.

Conditions are great in Rocky Mountain National Park.  I'd love to be your guide on your next adventure.  Call the office today and lets get out in the mountains together.

Joey Thompson

CMS Guide

jthompson@totalclimbing.com
800-836-4008 x3

RMNP Conditions Report - 6/28/2011

Below are a few different recent reports our office has received from our guides.

Longs Peak

"I went up the North Face of Long's on Friday (6/24).  There is a lot of snow out there.  We were walking across patches of snow after the first mile on the trail.  There is plenty of water out there; the trail from Granite pass to the Boulderfield has a stream running in places.  The campsites in the Boulderfield are free of snow.  We walked up rocks to snow about 200 meters below the cables.  The snow was soft at 7am.  No major wet slides around but some pin wheeeling of rocks. Mostly snow through the cables with a touch of exposed rock.  I saw three bolts exposed and used two for anchors.  The very top one is still buried.  I would guess the snow is melting fast and we do not seem to be getting cold nights.  I bet the North Face is a safer choice until the Keyhole melts out some more." - R. Hunter

The Petit

"I climbed the Petit yesterday (6/26). The trail in is mostly dry until Loch Vale, after which it is almost all snow. At around 7am we found the snow slope below Lake of Glass to be frozen solid. There were descent steps but it was very slippery in approach shoes. A pair of aluminum crampons and some trekking poles would be nice. There is a bunch of avi debris spread across the trail there also, including some descent size trees which apparently came down from above the cliff higher up.

There is still a lot of snow at the base of the Petit. We ended up starting further to the left and higher up than I have in the past, and we had to traverse right across about 20ft of soft snow to get to the rock. The route and raps were completely dry. The hike out was very wet." - C. Burk

Dreamweaver and the Notch Couloir

"Climbed Dreamweaver and the Notch yesterday (6/26). Dreamweaver is in pretty good shape. Great bootpack to bottom of first constriction. First two are all rock, second two are snow/ice. Only one tool needed, no screws. I descended Lamb's Slide to get to Broadway, mostly snow. Notch was wet snow @ 6am. Good bootpack going up it, some ice @ dogleg. South ridge to summit was mostly dry. North Face is still snowy, echo Russell in that it's the easiest choice up Long's right now. Mostly kicking steps." - M. Soucy

Dreamweaver updated:
"Guided Dreamweaver today (6/28). The route is still in great shape. Things heating up there quickly, we left the Ships Prow Bivy at 4:30am and I would not have wanted to start any later. Lower snow slopes getting into the couloir proper were punchy, but got better the higher you went. Still good quick descending down the Loft.


Still enough snow to skirt the left side of Chasm lake. Looks like snow all the way up The Flying Dutchman still as well.

Heres a photo of one of the upper cruxes of Dreamweaver and one of Meeker/Loft." -E. Whewell

Notchtop

"A bunch of us climbed Notchtop yesterday (6/26) via Spiral route.  Lots of loose blocks crept towards the edge of ledges with the recent melt-out.  There is still a bit of snow in the east meadows up high but only 50' or so; the upper snow is avoidable.  Strong winds kept us off the raps, we descended off the w. Ridge which was all dry until the descent gully which is very full of snow.  Large cornices are over the NE face and eventually above the descent gully further down, definitely the one of the biggest hazard of the day up there.  Its possible to thread the needle and keep it safe but still heads up.  We took crampons and an axe each; never used the crampons but the axes were great to have for the descent." - A. Councell

Sundance - off Trail Ridge

"I was on the North Face of Sundance on Saturday (6/25) with a client for snow skills / couloir climb.  This area is about a quarter mile east of the slopes that people ski and refer to by the same name.  Great access and nice variety of options.  The climbers right options are free of cornice hazard.  (The central couloir has a good size cornice still.)  We were on snow at 6:30 am and were getting 3-5cm boot pen at ~12K ft, (N and NE aspects).  Only got worse from there.  No freeze overnight." - M. Lipscomb

This is a great time to get out in the mountains.  There is still a ton of snow to be climbed and the alpine rock season is now here.  Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or if you'd like to set up an outing with one of our guides.

Thanks and be safe out there,

Colorado Mountain School Staff

800-836-4008 x3

RMNP Conditions Report - June 22, 2011

A view northwards into the Park from Longs' N. Face (6/6)

I look out to the east of the Colorado sky
The canyons are throwin' dust in the storms eye
And the storms gettin' angry I know that its so
It's fixin' to blow a little more of Colorado 

Chris Ledoux

Dominik rock climbing on Lumpy's Left Book on a windy, chilly day (6/14)

Summer has arrived on the calendar but winter fights to hold onto the mountains.  The wind has been blowing hard, making for cold climbing conditions throughout the Park.  It snowed about 4-6" on Trail Ridge Road a couple days ago, reminding us all that the mountains and weather don't care at all what the calendar says.  For those of us who love the snow and playing in it, this extended winter/spring has been a blessing.  But the winds, oh the winds, just can't seem to take a hint and die down.  Winds make an otherwise balmy day of cragging at Lumpy Ridge into a shiver-fest and turn the alpine world into a screaming nightmare.  However, aside from good spring skiing, another benefit to the cooler/wintry weather has been a general absence of the vicious afternoon thunderstorms that are often the norm come summer.  This isn't to say we haven't had a few t-storms here and there but nothing like what is often the case around here. 

The amazing Flying Buttress soaring through the clouds (6/4)

A weekend-trip into the Chasm Lake Cirque last week gave us awesome climbing conditions on a few of the classics.  Dreamweaver on Mt. Meeker was in fairly good shape, with the lower cruxes being mostly filled in with snow.  Looking too easy, we opted to climb a steeper mixed line about 50' to the right of the standard start, which ended up being WI3ish/M5ish and a fun/hard variation to the climb.  You could take an ice-screw for Dreamweaver but you probably wouldn't need it; lots of rock gear around.  The descent down the Loft is about as easy as it gets right now, with the usual 60' cliffs being mostly buried.  I've heard of people rappelling this area recently (and we did find a hopelessly awful "anchor" pinched between to small boulders that I wouldn't hang my hat on) but careful downclimbing through the steeper sections gives way to 1000' of glissading into Chasm Meadows. 

Looking up our mixed, harder variation to Dreamweaver (6/5)

Looking down the same pitch as Roger sends (6/5)

Roger nearing the top of the hard climbing on good ice (6/5)

We also linked Martha's on Mt. Lady Washington in the N. Face on Longs, which ended up being a great link-up.  Martha's, however, was on its last leg with delaminating ice and lots of loose rubble to contend with.  CMS Guide Bob Chase guided it a few days ago and suggested that the route is done for the season, too much objective hazard to guide safely. 

Nearing the top of Dreamweaver (6/5)

The N. Face on Longs was great climbing on firm snow.  There are three bolts exposed on the old Cables Route and lots of boot-tracks to suggest possible route options to the summit.  We enjoyed a near-windless summit (oddly) and I was able to get a look at the upper Keyhole.  The Homestretch had substantial snow on it with the current line of ascent traversing on snow higher than the typical dry/summer climb.  The Trough looks like it's all snow from top to bottom and most of the ledges and the boulders up to the Keyhole are covered in snow.  The Boulderfield is melting out but most of the campsites remain under snow.  Upper Glacier Gorge remains pretty snow-locked as well but the east faces of the various peaks are definitely much less snowy than two weeks ago.  Black Lake and the lakes above are all pretty frozen still.

 Approaching Longs' N. Face

 Looking up at the Cables Route, bolts exposed (6/6)

Descending the N. Face of Longs

In general, in the Chasm Lake area, south-facing snow routes are pretty much done.  Flying Dutchman, Lambslide, the Notch, and Kieners all look awesome and fairly snowy.  The Flying Buttress (5.9) appears to be dry as are some of the NW-facing rock routes high on Meeker's N. Face.  The Yellow Wall on the Diamond looks good but getting up there would be the crux.  I don't know how it looks currently but the Window route was in fat last week.  Of particular note, I witnessed a couple of climbers running for their lives while crossing the snow-field under Mt. Lady Washington's S. Face as a large rock came bounding off the mountain above them.  This was at 10:30am.  Falling rock is a very real hazard and prudence suggests quick passage below suspect cliffs; "pepper" on the snow below cliffs suggests how active rockfall may be but it's still worth moving quickly in those spots.  You never know. 

 Cornice-triggered slab in Wild Basin

 Looking west towards a snowy Keyhole

 Ice dribbling out of rock on Longs' N. Face (6/6)

 Looking down the Homestretch

 Looking down on Lambslide from the summit of Longs

 The Window on Longs

A snowy Boulderfield (6/6)

Snow-climbing is better than most years, with a longer-than-usual period of warm days and freezing/clear nights.  With Trail Ridge Road open (unless another rogue snowstorm blows through), snow-alpine routes are easily accessible all over the area (Sundance, for example).  This area is popular with both climbers and skiers and offers some great terrain.  The Never Summer Range is also a lot more accessible for us Front-Rangers now; they are living up to their name, looking in full winter conditions.  I wish I had a day off so I could get up there and ski some of the lines I've been ogling for years!

 Looking across the N. Face of Sundance

 More of the N. Face of Sundance, looking west

Climbing steep snow on Sundance N. Face (6/13)

I was recently guiding around the Crestones in the Sangre de Cristo Range just outside of Westcliffe where the snowpack was overall much thinner than the central/northern parts of Colorado.  We endured 50mph winds for the three days we were up there and although many people turned around as a result we managed to get up a more than a few mountains.  Overall dry conditions lended nicely to rock climbing but the screaming winds kept us off our main objectives for the moment.  Looking northwards towards Crested Butte/Aspen, the mountains looked much whiter. 

 Snow climbing on Sundance Mt's N. Face (6/13)

AJ on Sundance

I was just talking with the Aspen Expeditions guys and they were saying that they have huge cornices in their area.  This ties into our area because we, also, are dealing with a fatter-than-usual snowpack.  Large cornices are hanging precipitously all over; in both Aspen and RMNP these monsters are dropping with little warning.  The scary thing is that these events don't seem to be tied to a time of day; for example, some are dropping in the night, others in the heat of the day, and still others at 8:00am.  A recent report from the Ptarmigan Fingers suggested great snow climbing but noting a fresh cornice release and minor wet-loose activity at 10:30am.  Noticing a pattern?  With these warmer days upon us, pay special attention to any terrain that leads you to climbing underneath these natural guillotines. 

Large cornices like this present a big hazard, ready to fall off and obliterate

Finally, summer feels like it's arrived with blazing-hot temps along the Front Range valleys.  While Eldo and the Flatirons continue to heat up and become uncomfortable to climb in the afternoon, climbers will be turning their attention to the alpine.  The Petit S. Face is reportedly climbable/dry as is the S. Ridge on Notchtop.  Even if you're just alpine-rock climbing, it's probably worth wearing boots and bringing the mountaineering gear (at least an ice axe) for the approach/descent...just in case.  CMS Guide Eric Whewell just got back from the Tyndall Gorge area and wrote in: "Hallet appeared to be climbable...but still lots of snow on the descent."  There is lots of dry rock in the Park but you should be prepared for wet stuff too; this may mean "new-routing" or deviating from the typical routes. 

 Nearing the summit of Humboldt, Crestones behind (6/19)

 Bighorn sheep below the Crestone Needle

The complex and steep E. Face of the Crestones

Obviously Lumpy is all dry but I keep hearing about the ticks up at McGregor Slab.  I'm keen to head up to Wizard's Gate on Twin Sisters which seems to have finally dried out.  There's so much to do in the Park, too much.  The only bummer is that there's not enough time to get out and do it all.  The conditions change so quickly and this season is just too short.  The mountains are alive and demand respect (it's been a tragic year in other mountains these past 6 weeks) so let's keep it safe up there.  Send it!

Looking towards the Crestones from Kit Carson's summit (6/19)

Fresh snow on the Crestone Needle in...summer? (6/20)

If you have any observations from RMNP or have questions, please feel free to contact me at acouncell@totalclimbing.com.  It's great to hear from readers! 

Andrew Councell is a CMS Guide and year-round Estes Park resident

 The Never Summer Range living up to its name (6/21)

Upper Forest Canyon looking snowier than usual (6/21)

Alpine Guide Course

Congrats to our guides Norie Kazaki and Ian Fowler for successfully completing the AMGA Alpine Guides Course this past month held in Rocky Mountain National Park. No easy task! But non the less it looks like they had fun. Working hard to play hard!

Revo Sunglass Giveaway!

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Check out the CMS Facebook for your chance to win.
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RMNP Conditions Report - June 9, 2011

Hiking into the alpen glow in Chasm Lake Cirque (6/4)

In my worst moments of anguish, I seemed to discover the deep significance of existence of which till then I had been unaware. I saw it was better to be true than to be strong. The marks of the ordeal are apparent on my body: I was saved and I had won my freedom…the assurance and serenity of a man who has fulfilled himself…A new and splendid life has opened out before me.  -- Maurice Herzog

 Greg Sievers hiking back to the car on Trail Ridge Road (6/9)

Those words, “better to be true than to be strong” have really resonated with me. There are those who are strong but hollow or empty underneath that strength; their strength hides the deeper flaw like a thin facade. Strong but trapped in a cycle, not free. Of course, it’d be awesome to be both true and strong but if nothing else, at the least, let me be true and free.

 Andy and Donovan getting into the business on Martha Couloir, Mt. Lady Washington (6/4)

Anyway, enough of my blithering. After a quick trip to Rainier, I came home to Colorado to find yet more inclement weather, rain in the lowlands and snow in the high country. Since then, with the onset of warm, summer-like weather the Park has been changing too rapidly to even try to keep up with. The snow has been melting so fast that we’re navigating obstacles in the afternoon that were completely buried that same morning. With some barely-freezing temps at night (but thankfully combined with clear nights), we’ve been able to enjoy some good snow/ice climbing around the Park but have had to start much earlier than usual to get up and off the snow before it gets too warm. This week we’ve at least had temps a little cooler at night and the same holds true for the foreseeable future. However, it does look like the classic afternoon/evening thunderstorms are beginning to start up. We enjoyed a fantastic lightning show last night from our house!

 Sunrise over the Twin Sisters (6/4)

Andy moving strong in the upper pitches of Martha's (6/4)

The skiing in the Park continues to be better than usual with the best coverage in June many of us have seen in a long time. This morning, for example, we skied down the north side of Sundance and found perfect corn and an easy, fun descent. Other areas like the Ptarmigans and Notchtop lines are holding plenty of snow as well. As of Monday, it was still possible to keep the skis on all the way to the Bear Lk TH coming down the Tyndall Gorge. Elsewhere (Longs, Flattop, Glacier Gorge) you can expect to be walking the skis quite a ways from the parking lot, with intermittent snow gradually giving way to skinnable terrain.

 Greg S. getting ready to ski down the N. side of Sundance (6/9)

Trail Ridge Road is open, giving skiers easy access to lots of high-altitude snow. Too many people hang up their skis too early; June is typically not the greatest month for skiing but, so far, this year has proved a major exception with great skiing likely to be had well into the month.
While warm, sunny rock beckons from the Estes valley and Boulder areas, many of us have been opting to play in the alpine. As I’ve already mentioned, one of the most challenging elements lately has been just getting up early enough to get to and climb the routes before they become too warm & dangerous.

 Hiking back up Sundance, a very snow-covered Fall River Road below (6/9)

For example, this past week I saw a couple of parties start way too late up Lambslide with the intention of either climbing the Notch Couloir or Keiners on Longs Peak. At around 10:30, while we were sitting comfortably atop Mt. Lady Washington, I witnessed a climber get absolutely pummeled by an avalanche as he was halfway across Broadway ledge. I held my breath, expecting to see this climber get swept off Broadway but, somehow, he managed to hang on…and keep going (I still can’t figure that part out, I’d have turned around so fast it’d make your head spin).

 Longs grand E. Face & Diamond as of 6/6

Last Sunday, above the Dragontail Couloir on Flattop, myself and a guest were talking about a huge, overhanging cornice that was looming over the lookers’ right fork of the DTC. A party of skiers had just finished skiing the run maybe 20-30 minutes before it suddenly calved off the cliff face as we watched in awe from above. The cornice (and entrained snow) swept 85% of the width of the couloir, screaming down to Emerald Lake with fridge-sized blocks bounding intact 1500’ down. Had that party of skiers been a little later, they would not have survived the carnage.

 Where the cornice broke off and landed before it's 2000' plunge (6/5)

The cornice-triggered avalanche sweeping towards Emerald Lake (6/5)

I was climbing in Martha Couloir last Saturday (along with nearly a dozen other people) and found conditions to be quite good (firm and frozen) despite the big warm-up. We found protectable ice for nearly 200’ of climbing. But when I was guiding the same route again on Monday, we found significantly different conditions. There was still some ice, and still good climbing to be had, but you could see a remarkable difference in the coverage and quality of the ice on the route. Underneath it all was a veritable waterfall you could hear, draining from the sun-soaked snowfield above. And the smoked from the Arizona wildfire wasn’t helping the issue either, clouding the nighttime sky, trapping the heat and keeping the snow surface from cooling. Fortunately that issue seems to have blown itself out but beware if it should come back. With cold, clear nights we at least get a window, however small, of safe climbing conditions but if things never cool off and refreeze, look out: the mountains will be shedding their white skins.

 Another cornice triggered avalanche, this one a slab ~2' deep on Notchtop's NE Face (6/5)

For a brief while, Stettner’s Ledges and Fields Chimney looked like awesome ice/mixed routes but I think they’re well melted out now. Alexander’s Chimney is so buried that the route starts somewhere around the usual second pitch. There are boot-tracks up most of the classics in the Chasm Lake Cirque (Dreamweaver, Flying Dutchman, Lambslide, the Notch, Longs’ N. Face, etc), and maybe up some of the lesser-known routes after an AMGA Alpine Guides Course just wrapped up a few days in the area. The N. Chimney is roughly half of its usual length with snow reaching nearly to Broadway. While the Diamond’s Yellow Wall itself looks dry, melting snow from near the summit guarantees adventure climbing at some point. The Casual Route is guarded by 2-3 ton blobs of snow sitting on ledges above the first 3-4 pitches. Even the Chasm View wall holds snow on most of the ledges.

 Climbing the far left side of the Dragontail Couloir with lots of Arizona smoke in the air (6/5)

Anthony V. topping out the Dragontail (6/5)

A number of parties have climbed Hallet Chimney recently, one reporting thin/sketchy/unprotectable conditions but a little easier-than-usual climbing. On Notchtop the Spiral Route has been climbed and the rock routes above Spiral’s long ledge traverse are apparently dry. I would imagine that, while maybe still wet in spots, the S. Face of the Petit holds good rock climbing as well. Upper Glacier Gorge still looks very filled in, with the Spearhead sticking out like a nunatak, still surrounded by deep snows.

 Three skiers descending the N. Face of Longs (6/4)

The main thing to watch out for now is how quickly the snow warms up during the day. Wet-loose avalanches are no joke, especially when you’re climbing. How cold/clear it was the night before may give you some indication of how much time you have but if you’re sinking knees deep in slush than it’s too late…get off steep snow as quickly as you can. And as we were reminded just a few days ago, be very skeptical of any climbing underneath cornices. They have been popping off all over the Park with some (like we saw) with no visual indicators. Otherwise, the Park is amazing right now with lots of fun climbing and skiing to be had. We’re off to a great start to the summer climbing season!

 Anthony V. sending Martha's (6/6)

Andrew Councell is a CMS Guide and year-round Estes Park resident

 Topping out a great alpine route with some of the best views in the Park!