Longs Peak, the highest mountain in Rocky Mountain National Park at 14,259 feet, is one of Colorado's most climbed Fourteeners or 14,000-foot peaks. The Keyhole Route, the easiest way to the summit, is, in fact, the most climbed route up any Colorado Fourteener as well as one of the most difficult and dangerous regular Fourteener routes.
The Keyhole Route is, however, not simply a hike in the park. The route, spiralling up the mountain, offers lots of fun scrambling on hard granite, a few route-finding dilemmas, and lots of exposure. While lots of novice climbers ascend Longs Peak, a lot of them get in trouble, get lost, or get freaked out by the exposure.
Prime climbing season on Longs Peak is right now--July and August--so here's a link to a new article--Climbing Longs Peak: Keyhole Route Description--that offers a detailed description for the Keyhole Route, breaking it down into manageable segments. Also read my new article Longs Peak Fast Facts for lots interesting climbing tidbits about Longs Peak and its climbers. See you up there next month!
Photograph above: Climbers descend The Homestretch below the summit of Longs Peak. Photograph courtesy Doug Hatfield.
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