How is Long Peak Keyhole??

[AdamC]

What is Longs Peak Keyhole route like right now, if anyone knows?

[JosephG]

See
http://www.14ers.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=23735" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

and

http://www.14ers.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=23761" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;.

Good luck.

[AdamC]

thank you much

[AdamC]

Wish I could go with someone but I cant get out there till the 21st earliest.

[TomPierce]

I am familiar with the route in winter and was up there yesterday with a really great collection of climbers. We stopped at the Keyhole for a variety of reasons but I think all would agree it was a great day.

The route seemed to have a tad more snow than is the norm for this time of the year, but the recent warm temps should aid snow consolidation. The winter crux of the Keyhole route, IMO, is the Ledges section. In the summer no big deal but in the winter a micro-slide is possible and given the slabby terrain a self arrest is probably near impossible. Someone truly comfortable rock scrambling in crampons should be fine, but anyone thinking they will have either near-summer conditions, or conversely solid winter postholing will be way over his/her respective head. Again, just my view. Not expert terrain, but IMO if you pop the consequences could be dire; the runnout is ugly. Who knows? You may find it a cake walk, Longs is often fickle.

Not sure of your experience so don't mean to preach. I will say (if you've not done this before) that a summit attempt of Longs in the winter is usually a long (pun intended) day, and in the winter things almost always go slooower. You have to have the fluids/food/clothing/headlamp/navigation skills to exit in the dark if things take longer than expected. If you examine the circumstances of the winter deaths up there, it's not so much the technical issues as a cause of death as it is the lack of preparation (route finding, hypothermia, etc.)

Climb safe, enjoy, good luck!

-Tom

[Brian C]

Here is a picture of us starting across the ledges on Sat. We ended up turning around a while after this because we felt the snow was not offering enough stability to be as safe as we wanted due to a weak layer from new snow the day before. As Tom said, a micro-slide would send you for a ride nobody would want to take. I dug a few small pits further along the ledges and there were places that would easily fail to around 15 inches and other places that were great. I have not been to the top in full winter conditions but what I saw a few days ago is very doable as long as the conditions allow. If you go, really be aware of the snow you're on so you have fun and be safe.

[AdamC]

Thanks a bunch guys! Very helpful. Also looking for someone to climb with in about a week and a half if your interested.

[Brian C]

Thanks a bunch guys! Very helpful. Also looking for someone to climb with in about a week and a half if your interested.

Maybe. What are your planned dates? Have you done something like this before?

[AdamC]

Plan on going between the 21-29th

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