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Klettergarden
Longs Peak — Keyhole Ridge (III 5.5) On a busy day, the Longs Peak trailhead can feel more like Disney World than the mountains, replete with Donald and Goofy wearing jeans and sweatshirts, carrying canteens and three-pound Maglites, and sporting fanny packs crammed with trusty plastic-poncho/human-kite set-ups. Google the Keyhole route and you’ll understand why — more than 19,000 sites give tree-by-boulder-by-bush descriptions of Longs’ trade route. Interspersed in the madness (and contributing to it) stride climbers sheathed in black Schoeller, making their Diamond pilgrimages. Fortunately, on the Keyhole Ridge, you ditch the crowds at the Keyhole itself, a giant window between the mountain’s east and west facets.
Options abound on the Keyhole Ridge. Start by finding the cleanest line from the Keyhole to the ridge proper — depending on where you ascend, you’ll face 100 to 200 feet of fifth class. Once on top, it’s worth a quick drop over the other side to grab a bird’s-eye view of Pagoda Peak’s rocky ridgeline and Chief’s Head’s sheer walls. As the altitude jumps, a few technical steps and cracks keep things interesting. Steer up and left along the northeast face, keeping the climbing at 5.5. Breathe steadily along as the climbing eases, and follow fourth-class terrain to the football-field-sized summit. Prepare a good “war story” to share with the hikers on the way back. Remember: from where they sit, you’ve walked in from the edge of the world, which, I suppose, is exactly right. Guide Services Shops • Estes Park Mountain Shop: 866.303.6548 Guidebooks and Web Resources • Rocky Mountain National Park: The High Peaks, by Richard Rossiter Estes Park Hot Spots • Climber’s Lodge — bunkhouse and showers: 800.836.4008 Senior Contributing Editor Majka Burhardt has guided and climbed most of the routes in this article more times than she can remember. Still, she gladly does them whenever the chance arises.
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