Routes on Longs West Face

[Runner342]

Hey guys. I'm looking for any info on any climbing routes up the West face of Longs. A friend and I were hoping to climb up there this summer and possibly do a first ascent on some line. Looking around I've found the following routes in that vicinity - Van Diver's West Wall, Dialogue on Zen, Koren's Rain Dance, and the SW Ridge. To me that seemed like a surprisingly small amount considering how great of a wall it looks to me, although it definitely is overshadowed with the Diamond near by. Does anyone else know of any other routes up there that have already been climbed?

[SkaredShtles]

When we climbed it we were shooting for "Koren's Rain Dance" - not sure if we ended up climbing it, but we climbed something.

[Brian C]

Ask justiner.

[justiner]

pbakwin and I did Van Divers, and found it extremely fun.

The West Wall is just not as accessible as other areas of Longs, so yeah - it doesn't get as much attention.

There are some obvious crack systems to follow, which are what a lot of the routes you mention trace. Outside of those crack systems, there's def. not as much pro to be found.

Honestly, on the west side of Longs, (if you use a wide definition of, "west"), there are some really great lines that go to the summit: Northwest Gully, Van Divers, Southwest Ridge, at least two gullies between the top of the trough and Homestretch, and Skyscraper. All those are casual solos for a well-seasoned climber. The wall gets tons of sun, so you can expect some ice-free and dry conditions, atypical of the Diamond.

If you are looking for a FA somewhere, it could be a good idea to build an anchor from the summit and rap down, and take a lookie-loo - the wall steepens at the top, so your crux is probably going to be at your last pitch. The first pitch or so would be easier climbing, where it's much more slabby.

[Runner342]

pbakwin and I did Van Divers, and found it extremely fun.

The West Wall is just not as accessible as other areas of Longs, so yeah - it doesn't get as much attention.

There are some obvious crack systems to follow, which are what a lot of the routes you mention trace. Outside of those crack systems, there's def. not as much pro to be found.

Honestly, on the west side of Longs, (if you use a wide definition of, "west"), there are some really great lines that go to the summit: Northwest Gully, Van Divers, Southwest Ridge, at least two gullies between the top of the trough and Homestretch, and Skyscraper. All those are casual solos for a well-seasoned climber. The wall gets tons of sun, so you can expect some ice-free and dry conditions, atypical of the Diamond.

If you are looking for a FA somewhere, it could be a good idea to build an anchor from the summit and rap down, and take a lookie-loo - the wall steepens at the top, so your crux is probably going to be at your last pitch. The first pitch or so would be easier climbing, where it's much more slabby.

Thanks, that's some great advice. I got up the NW Gully and Skyscraper last summer (loved the "cave"!) and can't wait to try out a couple more routes in a few months.

[TomPierce]

The Gillett guide shows 11 routes on the west side. Fwiw, nothing at all in the old out of print Kimball guide. I vaguely recall Gillett also put up a route description (or maybe it was a post with pics) on MP a few years back about a low 5th route up the final summit block, my recollection is off to climber's right of the Homestretch. It's not what I'd call west face, but the best approach is probably along the west side. Just fyi.

-Tom

[Runner342]

The Gillett guide shows 11 routes on the west side. Fwiw, nothing at all in the old out of print Kimball guide. I vaguely recall Gillett also put up a route description (or maybe it was a post with pics) on MP a few years back about a low 5th route up the final summit block, my recollection is off to climber's right of the Homestretch. It's not what I'd call west face, but the best approach is probably along the west side. Just fyi.

-Tom

Thanks Tom, that's good to know. I'd been wondering if there were a few in guidebooks that weren't mentioned online. Also, could that route to the right of the homestretch be Skyscraper?

[pbakwin]

Climbing Van Diver's last fall was remarkable. It's listed in Rossiter's book but the beta is thin and actually wrong. I was unable to find a single mention of the route on the entire internet! Yet, we found a beautiful, very moderate (5.2) line right up the middle of the west face. Good stuff back there which clearly is very rarely climbed.

[TomPierce]

Runner,

Yep, I looked on MP just now and the route I recalled was indeed the Clark's Arrow/Skyscraper variation that Gillett describes. Fwiw, it's not listed in his RMNP guide, unless it's buried in an odd spot. There are other obscure guides out there (Nesbit, Fricke), out of print, that might be of interest. I've read of a few references to them but haven't bothered to try tracking them down. Just fyi.

-Tom

[DaveLanders]

I looked in my copies of Nesbit (6th edition, 1966), Fricke (1971), and Dumais (2nd edition, 1987).

Nesbit has 6 routes (in no particular geographic order): West Couloir (that everyone else calls the Northwest Couloir), Southwest Ridge, Bruns West Face (1924, location unknown), Van Diver's West Wall, West Wall, and Fourth of July (also location unknown).

Fricke has 5 routes (in order from north to south): Northwest Couloir, Van Diver's West Wall, West Wall, Fourth of July (1963, located just north of Southwest Ridge), and Southwest Ridge. He has a photo with 3 of the routes marked on it.

Dumais has 6 routes (in order from north to south): Northwest Couloir (4th class, before 1896!), Northwest Rib (5.5; this is the crest of the wall on climber's right of the Northwest Couloir), Far Left (5.6; south of the Northwest Rib), Van Diver's West Wall (5.4, 1956), West Wall Center (5.5, 1950), and Southwest Ridge (5.4, 1924). He has a photo with all 6 of the routes marked on it.

Note: Gerry Roach's 14er guide uses the name West Ridge for what everyone else calls the Southwest Ridge.

[justiner]

(barely related, but Van Diver is credited with the first rap. off of the Maiden in the Flatirons, which is pretty sweet!)