Kelso Ridge compared to Keyhole Route

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Gulf_Coast_Hiker
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Re: Kelso Ridge compared to Keyhole Route

Post by Gulf_Coast_Hiker »

daway8 wrote: Mon Jun 26, 2023 10:37 am
Gray's South ridge from Ruby is much, much easier and far more trivial than Kelso Ridge.

I did a dramatized TR on the ridge from Ruby here: https://www.14ers.com/php14ers/triprepo ... m=tripmine
You really have to work at it to make it interesting whereas Kelso Ridge has some fun scrambles even by it's easiest variation.

People interested in comparisons of ridges may benefit from this TR I did a ways back that includes Kelso and several other classics: https://www.14ers.com/php14ers/triprepo ... m=tripmine
Thank you so much, that's great stuff. Appreciate it!
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Re: Kelso Ridge compared to Keyhole Route

Post by ReachingHigher »

daway8 wrote: Mon Jun 26, 2023 10:37 am
Gulf_Coast_Hiker wrote: Mon Jun 26, 2023 9:54 am Can anyone compare Kelso ridge to Gray's south ridge coming from Ruby mountain?
Gray's South ridge from Ruby is much, much easier and far more trivial than Kelso Ridge.

I did a dramatized TR on the ridge from Ruby here: https://www.14ers.com/php14ers/triprepo ... m=tripmine
You really have to work at it to make it interesting whereas Kelso Ridge has some fun scrambles even by it's easiest variation.

People interested in comparisons of ridges may benefit from this TR I did a ways back that includes Kelso and several other classics: https://www.14ers.com/php14ers/triprepo ... m=tripmine
Thank you for posting this. I will look those up.
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Re: Kelso Ridge compared to Keyhole Route

Post by ReachingHigher »

And thank you everyone for sharing your thoughts/comparisons. I feel like I have a much better idea of what to expect.
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Rollie Free
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Re: Kelso Ridge compared to Keyhole Route

Post by Rollie Free »

I've done Kelso a few tines and felt sorry for those who went straight at the rifle turn off trail.Speaking of which, don't expect it to be a highway. It's somewhat obvious but a very skinny little trail.it looks like an animal trail. Kelso ridge itself takes a little route finding. I actually had more problems the second time but I am a naturally unintuitive route finder....bad, is probably a better word.
If you like actual scrambling but not something extreme, this is your route. Look forward to it. It's as fun as Longs but not as long. You can still knock off Grays on your way back. I wouldnt suggest taking Kelso back down. The worst part of the route is trying to hike up Torreys gravelly peak. Two steps forward and slide two steps back.Not tons of fun.
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Re: Kelso Ridge compared to Keyhole Route

Post by ECF55 »

I guess I'm coming at this from the other direction. Longs is a really compelling hike, but I haven't attempted it.

I have a couple legitimate Class 3 hikes under my belt and have tacked on some mileage to otherwise standard Class 2 hikes:
- Kelso Ridge (Grays & Torreys) from the Interstate (14 miles, 5200 ft; Class 3)
- Sneffels SW Ridge from Blue Lakes (13.6 miles, 5100 ft; Class 3)
- Princeton from the Bottom (13.3 miles, 5400 ft; Class 2)
- Elbert SE Ridge from Black Cloud (11 miles, 5300 ft; Class 2)

Longs Keyhole Route stats appear to be in the same ballpark as the hikes above (14.5 miles, 5100 ft), which would place it in the "Big Day" category with a long approach and a challenging summit push on slow terrain. However, the distance between the Keyhole and the summit is ~0.7 miles with an average grade of 29%, which would put it slightly less steep on average compared to Kelso Ridge and Sneffels SW Ridge. Contributors also stress the exposure and steepness of the Longs Keyhole path, but not the technicality of the climbing (Class 3ish).

Would you all group these hikes "in kind" for stamina/commitment and summit push challenge? Thanks.
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Re: Kelso Ridge compared to Keyhole Route

Post by Hiker Mike »

ECF55 wrote: Fri Oct 11, 2024 10:44 pm I have a couple legitimate Class 3 hikes under my belt and have tacked on some mileage to otherwise standard Class 2 hikes:
- Kelso Ridge (Grays & Torreys) from the Interstate (14 miles, 5200 ft; Class 3)
- Sneffels SW Ridge from Blue Lakes (13.6 miles, 5100 ft; Class 3)
- Princeton from the Bottom (13.3 miles, 5400 ft; Class 2)
- Elbert SE Ridge from Black Cloud (11 miles, 5300 ft; Class 2)

Longs Keyhole Route stats appear to be in the same ballpark as the hikes above (14.5 miles, 5100 ft), which would place it in the "Big Day" category with a long approach and a challenging summit push on slow terrain. However, the distance between the Keyhole and the summit is ~0.7 miles with an average grade of 29%, which would put it slightly less steep on average compared to Kelso Ridge and Sneffels SW Ridge. Contributors also stress the exposure and steepness of the Longs Keyhole path, but not the technicality of the climbing (Class 3ish).

Would you all group these hikes "in kind" for stamina/commitment and summit push challenge? Thanks.
I think it is difficult to compare the above hikes to the Longs Keyhole route. It is certainly is a long day on Longs but it isn't until you cross the Keyhole that things get tough. It is certainly Class 3 but I would not rate it a technical climb.

Princeton is a long hike from the bottom. It wore me out and I only made it the summit ridge before incoming storms and tired legs forced me down. Two days later in a rented Jeep, I drove to the towers and made the summit.

Mike
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Re: Kelso Ridge compared to Keyhole Route

Post by terrysrunning »

I wouldn't put too much stock in that "average grade". There are parts that are mostly traversing along ledges, and then parts that are quite steep (and loose, in the Trough) and polished rock, in the case of the Home Stretch. I would say that at no point are you actually climbing at that "average" gradient.
ECF55 wrote: Fri Oct 11, 2024 10:44 pm I guess I'm coming at this from the other direction. Longs is a really compelling hike, but I haven't attempted it.

I have a couple legitimate Class 3 hikes under my belt and have tacked on some mileage to otherwise standard Class 2 hikes:
- Kelso Ridge (Grays & Torreys) from the Interstate (14 miles, 5200 ft; Class 3)
- Sneffels SW Ridge from Blue Lakes (13.6 miles, 5100 ft; Class 3)
- Princeton from the Bottom (13.3 miles, 5400 ft; Class 2)
- Elbert SE Ridge from Black Cloud (11 miles, 5300 ft; Class 2)

Longs Keyhole Route stats appear to be in the same ballpark as the hikes above (14.5 miles, 5100 ft), which would place it in the "Big Day" category with a long approach and a challenging summit push on slow terrain. However, the distance between the Keyhole and the summit is ~0.7 miles with an average grade of 29%, which would put it slightly less steep on average compared to Kelso Ridge and Sneffels SW Ridge. Contributors also stress the exposure and steepness of the Longs Keyhole path, but not the technicality of the climbing (Class 3ish).

Would you all group these hikes "in kind" for stamina/commitment and summit push challenge? Thanks.
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Re: Kelso Ridge compared to Keyhole Route

Post by ECF55 »

terrysrunning wrote: Sat Oct 12, 2024 4:04 pm I wouldn't put too much stock in that "average grade". There are parts that are mostly traversing along ledges, and then parts that are quite steep (and loose, in the Trough) and polished rock, in the case of the Home Stretch. I would say that at no point are you actually climbing at that "average" gradient.
I definitely agree with that statement to not put too much into average gradient. I think the Class rating gives you the highest incremental rating of the trail (e.g., specific moves or stretches) and the average grade just gives a feel for how much energy is required for the terminal stretch of the hike to the summit.

Longs strikes me as a heavy day with a big approach, but it doesn’t necessarily strike me as significantly more challenging than the Class 3 efforts I’ve already completed (Sneffels SW Ridge from Blue Lakes and Kelso from the Interstate). But I’m just interested in perspectives if I’m off base.

Hiker Mike wrote: Sat Oct 12, 2024 7:59 am Princeton is a long hike from the bottom.
Yeah, it’s a big day from the bottom. However, I found that access road to be fast and not so taxing (but boring). The talus hopping…not so fast.
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Re: Kelso Ridge compared to Keyhole Route

Post by daway8 »

ECF55 wrote: Sat Oct 12, 2024 7:38 pm Longs strikes me as a heavy day with a big approach, but it doesn’t necessarily strike me as significantly more challenging than the Class 3 efforts I’ve already completed (Sneffels SW Ridge from Blue Lakes and Kelso from the Interstate). But I’m just interested in perspectives if I’m off base.
Longs has always felt like a bigger day to me than Kelso Ridge - even from the Interstate. Part of that is that the extra mileage from the interstate is just a brainless slog. But on Longs you have to be mentally alert from the Boulder Field on, and you're constantly changing it up: first it's boulder hopping, then watching your footing on the Ledges, then the demoralizing drop in altitude to the base of the Trough, followed by regaining all that and so much more, while being alert for loose rocks, then you have the exposure of the Narrows, then the steep push up the Homestretch. Then you do it all in reverse, including the painful regain up the Ledges.

With Kelso, you really only have a few short bursts of scrambling and then most people stroll down the standard route.

So even though on paper a lot of the stats may seem similar, I'd still rank Longs Keyhole route as a bigger day than Kelso Ridge from the Interstate, in large part because of the combination of the physical and mental aspects of dealing with everything from the Boulder Field up.

But as far as technical difficulty, I wouldn't say there's all that much difference - Longs just adds more of an endurance aspect, in my opinion. But I'd say it's a natural progression from what you've done.
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Re: Kelso Ridge compared to Keyhole Route

Post by ECF55 »

terrysrunning wrote: Sat Oct 12, 2024 4:04 pm I wouldn't put too much stock in that "average grade". There are parts that are mostly traversing along ledges, and then parts that are quite steep (and loose, in the Trough) and polished rock, in the case of the Home Stretch. I would say that at no point are you actually climbing at that "average" gradient.
I was looking for some more beta on Longs Keyhole and came across some really illustrative shots of back side of the mountain, with its two traverses and two steep sections ( https://stephabegg.com/trip-reports/col ... gs-trough/ ). Wow! If I'm being honest, it's the most intimidating stretch of "trail" that I have ever considered hiking. Are there any good analogues for the Trough? Is it as loose as Sneffels South Slopes, or is it a little more solid pile of rocks (Sneffels SW Ridge/Princeton Summit)? It certainly looks steep. Also, how congested are the two traverses in the summer? It is tricky to pass, or just annoying to wait for the conga line? Thanks!
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Re: Kelso Ridge compared to Keyhole Route

Post by sunbleached »

ECF55 wrote: Mon Jun 16, 2025 10:11 pm
terrysrunning wrote: Sat Oct 12, 2024 4:04 pm I wouldn't put too much stock in that "average grade". There are parts that are mostly traversing along ledges, and then parts that are quite steep (and loose, in the Trough) and polished rock, in the case of the Home Stretch. I would say that at no point are you actually climbing at that "average" gradient.
I was looking for some more beta on Longs Keyhole and came across some really illustrative shots of back side of the mountain, with its two traverses and two steep sections ( https://stephabegg.com/trip-reports/col ... gs-trough/ ). Wow! If I'm being honest, it's the most intimidating stretch of "trail" that I have ever considered hiking. Are there any good analogues for the Trough? Is it as loose as Sneffels South Slopes, or is it a little more solid pile of rocks (Sneffels SW Ridge/Princeton Summit)? It certainly looks steep. Also, how congested are the two traverses in the summer? It is tricky to pass, or just annoying to wait for the conga line? Thanks!
The person you linked did a spring ascent, which is certainly a different animal. I did Longs via the Radical Slam last August and did not have much difficulty at all in the Narrows section before skedaddling off to Pagoda Mountain. If anything, I felt that the difficulty of Longs is a bit overstated. Yes, it can be a long day, and you should prepare to use your hands for balance, but at no point did I feel unsafe. The rock is also *quite* solid the whole way, owing mostly in part to it being such a popular trail that it's extremely cleaned-up.

The Homestretch portion on Longs is slabby and steeper than other sections, but again not too bad so long as you just take your time on the very solid rock.
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Re: Kelso Ridge compared to Keyhole Route

Post by madmattd »

ECF55 wrote: Mon Jun 16, 2025 10:11 pmI was looking for some more beta on Longs Keyhole and came across some really illustrative shots of back side of the mountain, with its two traverses and two steep sections ( https://stephabegg.com/trip-reports/col ... gs-trough/ ). Wow! If I'm being honest, it's the most intimidating stretch of "trail" that I have ever considered hiking. Are there any good analogues for the Trough? Is it as loose as Sneffels South Slopes, or is it a little more solid pile of rocks (Sneffels SW Ridge/Princeton Summit)? It certainly looks steep. Also, how congested are the two traverses in the summer? It is tricky to pass, or just annoying to wait for the conga line? Thanks!
The trough has loose and mostly-solid areas depending on the line you take - it's pretty wide with lots of options. But it's not this giant pile of loose garbage ready to all let go at once. I'm not sure it's even as bad as Sneffels SW Ridge (the lower portion in the gullies) from the looseness aspect, but it's not a terrible comparison. The trough is long, and fairly steep, but nothing all that bad. Still enough loose rock to warrant a helmet and care when others are around imo. Plenty of discussion out there about the move at the top of the trough and alternate options.

The ledges have plenty of passing opportunities. The narrows have fewer, but still plenty - I've had no issues passing by folks on either stretch. But my trips have been mid-week (but still in late summer), I'm sure the conga line is a lot worse on weekends.