Class 3 Routes Suggestions

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buirechain
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Class 3 Routes Suggestions

Post by buirechain »

Hello all,

I'm currently planning on ascending Long's Peak in mid August. I'm normally a class 1/2 hikers so I'm not worried about the walk up. I'm not really worried about the class 3 either since I occasionally do short sections of scrambling (I also went across Sawtooth Ridge between Bierstadt and Evans last year) and I've done at least one class 4 move. But I would like a chance to practice class 3, build up those muscles a bit, and get more comfortable before doing that at elevation and with exposure.

So, my question is where to find good routes. Because whenever I google for class 3, I end up getting results about day care classes, or Karate classes. So, I live in Fort Collins, and I'm wondering where in the Fort Collins area and in the lower reaches of RMNP on the east side and that general area, are good, long stretches of level 3 (preferably with minimum exposure). Are there lists? Do any of you have suggestions.

I'm really looking for places where I can get a work out that a real climber would balk at as boring. I tend to go out more for the views and the like, and not as much the moment to moment interplay between me and the mountain.

I also saw suggestions for beginners to find places to go class 3 when it's not essential. Any suggestions on that? I'm wondering, since I like lake hikes, if alpine likes that are surrounded on a couple of sides by steep rock would be good places to play around with class three.

Thanks in advance!
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TallGrass
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Re: Class 3 Routes Suggestions

Post by TallGrass »

Tuhare Lakes AND a climbing gym. And what do you mean "real climber"?
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Rich H
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Re: Class 3 Routes Suggestions

Post by Rich H »

Up around fort Collins there are several class 3/4 peaks. I'd suggest looking at Lists of John website and look at the peaks around Greyrock. Including Aiguille du Greyrock, North Greyrock 7180 and even Greyrock itself has some scrambling
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Derek
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Re: Class 3 Routes Suggestions

Post by Derek »

Rich H wrote:Up around fort Collins there are several class 3/4 peaks. I'd suggest looking at Lists of John website and look at the peaks around Greyrock. Including Aiguille du Greyrock, North Greyrock 7180 and even Greyrock itself has some scrambling
Good suggestion. Very enjoyable area. Here is an old (OLD) TR I did of those peaks for info: https://www.14ers.com/php14ers/tripreport.php?trip=7755
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fahixson
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Re: Class 3 Routes Suggestions

Post by fahixson »

Here's a previous thread with some suggestions that may fit what you're looking for ...
Scrambling Route Suggestions
It starts out asking about Class 4 near front range, but there are Class 3 routes listed, and then links to older threads with more Class 3 suggestions.
buirechain
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Re: Class 3 Routes Suggestions

Post by buirechain »

TallGrass wrote:And what do you mean "real climber"?
Not me. But definitely the guy I overheard calling the casual route up the diamond to Long's peak "relatively easy" (with absolutely no emphasis on relatively).

Beyond that, I don't have a good definition. As I said I don't go out looking to climb, but if I need to do a short(ish) safe climb to get somewhere I'll do it. I'm not really interested if I need to break out ropes, and I'm not interested in technical climbs. (Still not a definition, I know).

Those look like useful suggestions, especially Lists of John, which I hadn't heard of. Now I just have to figure out the best way to peruse that to find class 3 hikes. Just poking around, the Lumpy Ridge area might be good (once the seasonal closure lifts at the end of July), though many of those are only 2+ (whatever exactly that means).

I'd thought about the other Greyrock area peaks before, but not seriously enough to wonder what it would take to climb them, especially since whoever owns the inholding that has some of that area has put of signs (or at least a sign) to keep people out. Might look more though to see what's really going on there, and where exactly.

The link to previous discussions seems to have links buried within links, so definitely worth checking out. Though many are further away than I want to go (as nice as the area is, I'm not looking to drive down to the I-70 corridor for this), and probably higher than I need. It seems like a lot of the class 3 suggestions are 13ers or 14ers, but I want to work out the basic skills and muscles without working in high elevation, for the moment.
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mtree
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Re: Class 3 Routes Suggestions

Post by mtree »

Regarding Longs Keyhole route and class 3. As I recall, its basically a class 2 hike with only one area I'd consider class 3 (top of the trough) and that can be avoided to some degree. Maybe my memory is fuzzy, but I don't recall any scrambling. There is some exposure. Perhaps others who have climbed it more recently have a better analysis.
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Re: Class 3 Routes Suggestions

Post by Cygnus X1 »

Check out Static Peak near Cameron Pass.

http://www.summitpost.org/static-peak/152811
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Re: Class 3 Routes Suggestions

Post by pbakwin »

mtree wrote:Regarding Longs Keyhole route and class 3. As I recall, its basically a class 2 hike with only one area I'd consider class 3 (top of the trough) and that can be avoided to some degree. Maybe my memory is fuzzy, but I don't recall any scrambling. There is some exposure. Perhaps others who have climbed it more recently have a better analysis.
The Homestretch is Class 3.
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Andrew Russell
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Re: Class 3 Routes Suggestions

Post by Andrew Russell »

Try Palisade Mountain in the Big Thompson Canyon. It's past the narrows, but before Drake.
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Re: Class 3 Routes Suggestions

Post by cougar »

pick a good day for those foothills peaks. FWIW - the Keyhole on Longs isn't much class 3 as mentioned.

Good scrambles mentioned already lower and close to FoCo:

- Palisade : fun but can be tricky route finding if you're not experienced, and get into harder stuff, and the hwy 34 construction has done something to the start of the route. I got off route the first time.
- South rock on Horsetooth : this is the true summit, a bit more involved than the north side but still fairly easy class 3, just a bit more sustained.
- Greyrock. North Greyrock is a good one - it's fairly easy to reach, has good slab and a walk-off. The slab might be a mini-mini version of Longs.
- Aiguel du Greyrock : only a couple of moves of exposed 3.
- Static Peak : one of my favorites, lots of exposed class 3. Follows a ridge so there's no route finding. Knife-edgy. Fun and gets you scrambling experience in the alpine.
- Lookout Mtn in Wild Basin (from Sandbeach Lake TH) - look up the southeast ridge route on summitpost. All sorts of challenging fun lines on this one from 2+ to 5+. But there's some bushwhacking and route finding involved too.
- Gem Peak or the other gemstones around Gem Lake. Be careful route finding on Gem Peak though - there's a few cairns but not easy to spot. But the rock around Gem Lake is great to scramble around on.
- UN 8194 by Glen Haven : short hike to a summit block with a couple easy class 4 moves and some harder options.
- Mt Audubon southeast ridge
I also saw suggestions for beginners to find places to go class 3 when it's not essential. Any suggestions on that? I'm wondering, since I like lake hikes, if alpine likes that are surrounded on a couple of sides by steep rock would be good places to play around with class three.
Static Peak by American Lakes. East ridge. class 3 is pretty easy but sustained and exposed. You'll have to descend the same way but it's straightforward and the same deal on Longs. You'll be above Snow Lake and awesome views. Wildflowers should be peaking late July.

Mt Audubon southeast ridge is good too with an interesting downclimb in the notch.
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habaceeba
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Re: Class 3 Routes Suggestions

Post by habaceeba »

Not close to home, but:

Kelso Ridge to Torrey's
E Ridge from Helen to Father Dyer
W ridge of Dyer Mountain
W ridge of Pacific
any ridge up Crescent Mountain in Coal Creek canyon

all come to mind. I love these routes.
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