The East Face of Longs Peak in winter. The Diamond is the steepest portion of the face. The Keyhole route ascends the back side of the peak; Kiener's Route climbs ledges and cracks to the snowy ramp on the left. Jim Mediatore
The summit of Long's Peak (14,259') from the north, near the end of the hiking trail. The Keyhole climbing route begins on the lower right ridgeline at the distinctly shaped notch, then continues around the peak to the west and south. Kathy Wing
Hikers approaching the Keyhole. The climbing route begins in earnest at this point, more than 1,000 feet below the summit. Kathy Wing
Early morning light catches the east-facing rocks of the Keyhole. From here, the route launches onto the shady west face of Long's Peak and traverses toward the Trough. Kathy Wing
Known as 'the Ledges', this section of the route traverses a portion of the lower West Face of Long's to reach a broad southeast trending couloir called the Trough, which provides a good ascent route. Kathy Wing
'The Trough', a broad talus gully, ascends some 600 feet and provides access to a narrow bench poised at the ridgeline where the West Face meets the South Face. Kathy Wing
At the top of the Trough, climbers traverse onto the upper South Face of Long's and follow a narrow ledge system - 'the Narrows' - with significant vertical exposure. From here on, there is no room for error. Kathy Wing
Looking west from the top of the Trough, the view takes in the 13,000-foot-plus summits of Pagoda Mountain and Cheifs Head Peak. Kathy Wing
The last 300 vertical feet of climbing, called 'the Homestretch', is class 3 scrambling, and ascends polished granite slabs worn smooth by thousands of climbers. Our guides often use a rope on this section to provide added security, especially if rain, snow, or rime-ice is present. Kathy Wing
Climbers negotiating steep scrambling terrain on the Homestretch, just below the 14,000-foot summit of Long's Peak, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado. Kathy Wing
The view from Long's summit, looking South. The broad level area is known as the Loft. Beyond, 13,911-foot Mt. Meeker shows its North Face, site of many difficult rock climbs. Kathy Wing
The view from Long's summit, looking east by northeast toward Estes Park, Big Thompson Canyon, and the plains. Kathy Wing
The East Long's Peak hiking trail provides access to the Boulder Field marked on the map. Beyond this feature, the Keyhole climbing route ascends class 2 and class 3 scrambling terrain on the west and south sides of the summit block. Courtesy of Kathy Wing.
Longs Peak Hiking & Climbing
Just a couple hours from Denver, Longs Peak, the highest point in the northern Front Range, beckons hikers to its 14,259-foot summit. But the final mile of the ascent of the Keyhole route is a strenuous Class 3 scramble, and a guide is highly recommended to help manage the risks and insure a rewarding experience.
