page_title: Longs Peak
section_title: Climbing Longs Peak
hierarchical_section_title: Longs Peak / Climbing Longs Peak
caption_attribution_description: English: Taken by J. Benjamin Wildeboer, August 2004. Small shelter to left of needle eye is about 10 x 10 x 10 feet in dimensions, gives sense of perspective. Hard to see because made of local stones matching colors. Does have square windows.
context_page_description: Longs Peak is a high and prominent mountain in the northern Front Range of the Rocky Mountains of North America. The 14,259-foot fourteener is located in the Rocky Mountain National Park Wilderness, 9.6 miles southwest by south of the Town of Estes Park, Colorado, United States. Longs Peak is the northernmost fourteener in the Rocky Mountains and the highest point in Boulder County and Rocky Mountain National Park. The mountain was named in honor of explorer Stephen Harriman Long and is featured on the Colorado state quarter.
context_section_description: 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. Only some 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 all "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.
  The hike from the trailhead to the summit is 8.4 miles (13.5 km) each way, with a total elevation gain of 4,875 feet.  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. Fifty-eight people have died climbing or hiking Longs Peak. According to the National Park Service, two people, on average, die every year attempting to climb the mountain.  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 Chasm View—the ridge between Mount Lady Washington and the east face of Longs Peak.  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 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.
  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 concerns about their appropriateness, but several of the bolts remain and are used as rappel anchors.
  Kieners Route:  A traditional mountaineering climb that involves a climb of Lambs Slide (named after Reverend Elkanah Lamb who unintentionally slid down much of the route in 1871), which is icy later in the season, then an exposed traverse of the Broadway ledge, and then low-5th class climbing.
  via the Loft:  The Loft is the semipermanent snowfield between Longs Peak and its southeastern neighbor Mt. Meeker.  The saddle pro
caption: 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.
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