Longs Peak Winter Walkup

[daway8]

As I was converting my 13er checklist to the advanced mode allowing you to track multiple climbs, I found myself opening old photo archives to confirm dates and such. I stumbled across some photos of Longs peak taken on a climb of Storm Peak on 5/28/2007. I remember being fascinated by seeing people seemingly "just walk right up" Longs Peak without needing to bother with the Keyhole/Trough/Narrows/etc (obvious oversimplification in hindsight). I might possibly have inquired about this before but the search engine on this site is horrible (either that or I've not yet mastered it) and it's probably time for a revisit of the subject anyways.

Sooo...

I believe the tracks seen in the photo montage below (added red arrows to make them easier to spot) are roughly following the Cables route, or some variant of it. In recent weeks (though very much NOT so at this particular moment) I had seen the avy forecast around Longs be green at all altitudes. So what I'm wondering is if the avy forecast were to once again reset to green at all altitudes (not holding my breath for this to happen anytime soon with the major incoming dumps, and yes, even at green there are things to watch out for...) how likely is it to find this route with a solid enough snow coverage during calendar winter (as opposed to May when these photos were taken) to basically "just walk right up" from the Boulder Field (but obviously with ice axe/crampons and a tested ability to properly self-arrest so as not to plunge to your death if you slipped at the wrong moment)?

Basically that's another way of asking if this could be the lazy man's way of getting a Longs snowflake (for those who miss out on the even lazier way of doing it on the first day of winter in a dry year, lol). Or does this route look deceptively easy from a distance and/or just virtually never has solid stable snow connecting all the way during calendar winter? (Not necessarily opposed to technical climbs in winter, just scoping out possible options).

Longs Peak winter walkup.jpg

[ekalina]

Others who are more in the know will undoubtedly chime in, but I believe 1) they are following the old cables route, and 2) it is not a walk up because it involves two pitches of 5.3-5.4. While one could certainly solo it, snow/ice would make it a dicey proposition, and I seem to remember a trip report or two that mentioned encountering some icy sections on this route.

Good description on summitpost:
https://www.summitpost.org/cables-route ... ace/156530

[SnowAlien]

There's not much snow sticking to Longs in winter (winds!) This type of coverage on North face is definitely a spring phenomenon, and quite rare at that (needs a wet, cold, low wind spring for it to happen). 2007 was a very big snow year. In some springs there may even be enough coverage for a continuous ski descent (years 2017, 2019) and a 2-day window in 2021 or 2022 (blink and you missed it). In winter it's typically dry with some ice.
https://www.14ers.com/php14ers/triprepo ... trip=13231

[Embercleave]

Something I can actually comment on since this is something I have actually done (Though in Spring).

This is 'just' cables. It certainly is perhaps the most direct line during any season since it doesn't have pitches of trad on the east face nor does it involve traversing exposed snow slopes like the backside of keyhole. It is a direct line straight from the Boulderfield.

What's a little deceptive about it though is the section of rock that you climb just before angling climber's left to traverse along the face. Depending on snow years it goes from being steep snow with eyebolts buried to eyebolts exposed and a mixed climb of 5.2ish rock with ice and s**t jammed in the cracks. It is only one pitch (Something double 40-50 m ropes handled well for when I did it). but it takes what would otherwise be a pretty straight forward snow climb on steep to moderate snow to being a relatively easy yet still technical route.

Definitely would recommend pickets, rock pro, cord etc. Otherwise you risk getting yourself into a situation of having to take your time down climbing some pretty fun terrain.

When I did it in Spring, the lower part was steep snow, the bolts were exposed and we roped up the pitch and then we had a nice snow climb with minor scrambling at the top to summit. The descent was the same route with a rappel off a slung boulder. Personally? The rock climb felt really easy. Would almost be comfortable soloing it. Even in crampons and boots.

[Aphelion]

Highly unlikely. I climbed Cables last Jan, and while we did find the lower pitch to be covered with snow, it wasn't great snow, and our crampons were often scraping rock underneath. Coverage was definitely not nearly as much as in your photos. The second technical part was still mostly bare, albeit with patches of ice. The bolts were exposed on the upper portion, but not the lower. But it's pretty much a smooth snow scramble once you get past that.

[justiner]

Cables can be found in many many different conditions, but it's usually the quickest way up in Winter. If you find it totally snow-bound with stable conditions - and I'm talking everything covered, it is particularly fast and straightforward, without anything harder than plunge-step-step. But it can be steep. You still would want to follow the general line of the Cables route where the bolts are.

Keyhole in those conditions is a slog.

[arthurspiderman]

I was up on Cables on the 17th and conditions are not nearly as filled in as your pics show. The trail down low was well packed and it’s pretty dry above tree line so I was able to make it to the base of the Cables in under 2 hours. However, the technical pitches are in really rough shape. The nice weaknesses you would typically ascend are covered in a few inches of ice so it’s very slippery but not really enough to get much hold from your tools/crampons.

I bet in March it’ll be better filled in with snow but at the moment, I’d say the easiest way to go up cables would be to bring trail runners or rock shoes and go up the dry slabs instead of the ice filled cracks.

IMG_8044.jpg

[justiner]

I’d say the easiest way to go up cables would be to bring trail runners or rock shoes and go up the dry slabs instead of the ice filled cracks.

I do wish, but following the Cables route where the bolts are is still the easiest way to get in/out of the business, and continue on to where it's just snow. Those slabs out to looker's right are just too steep, and they go on for a while. If Cables is icey - and you're right: it's often cracks filled with ice with nothing great to stand on/nothing great to thwack at, it can be in more of a difficult condition than at other times.

[arthurspiderman]

I’d say the easiest way to go up cables would be to bring trail runners or rock shoes and go up the dry slabs instead of the ice filled cracks.

I do wish, but following the Cables route where the bolts are is still the easiest way to get in/out of the business, and continue on to where it's just snow. Those slabs out to looker's right are just too steep, and they go on for a while. If Cables is icey - and you're right: it's often cracks filled with ice with nothing great to stand on/nothing great to thwack at, it can be in more of a difficult condition than at other times.

From what I saw, the slabs on the right looked to be slightly tougher than slabs on the 1st flatiron. Not easy compared to the nice crack system, but I think it would've been preferable with the right footwear. Maybe I'm super off on that assessment but I'll try to head back later this winter and see how it goes if the ice/snow isn't filled in enough.

[justiner]

From what I saw, the slabs on the right looked to be slightly tougher than slabs on the 1st flatiron. Not easy compared to the nice crack system, but I think it would've been preferable with the right footwear. Maybe I'm super off on that assessment but I'll try to head back later this winter and see how it goes if the ice/snow isn't filled in enough.

Maybe, but there's also the function of friction, where the sandstone of the flatirons just has more grit to it than the smooth granite polished from all that snow slowly being dragged down (glacier-like) found on Longs. Plus, the flatiron standstone has a bit of conglomerate in it, which makes nice blobs and pockets. Still, you can get into trouble on some of the smoother stuff,



If there was an easier way than Cables, we'd all be doing it. There are some other routes on that aspect, but I've never checked them out. I think they all generally follow either a crack or ledge system. There's one just to the left of Cables, that some people use when Cables is occupied, but I've never checked it out myself. Supposed to be similar in grade, but lacking bolts.

[pbakwin]

I guess I've done the Cables at least 50 times if you count up & down. Probably every month of the year. Indeed you can find wonderful conditions when it is completely snow covered, but that pretty much only happens in spring & is kind of rare. More likely there will be a short "mixed" section at the crux step at least. The NF gets zero sun in winter, so never melts. I was there a couple weeks ago and it was a few inches of sugar snow on top of rock, not a speck of ice. Ice is much better because tools work. The best climbing is April-May- maybe early June. Then again when it's more or less dry in late summer when it becomes an easy rock climb. There are many other routes on the NF, all of which are seldom climbed, and all require at least a short section of 5th class.

[daway8]

Indeed you can find wonderful conditions when it is completely snow covered, but that pretty much only happens in spring & is kind of rare.

That seems to sum it up and is about what I expected to hear. Just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing some periodic window where there's a comparatively "easy" winter walkup. Sounds like it's not an impossible scenario but not worth holding your breath for. So much for the Longs snowflake gimmie...

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A related question: curious what folks think of the comparative sketch factor of potentially mixed climbing on Cables vs. doing Trough to Narrows and dealing with ice/snow crossing the Narrows.

For Cables vs Narrows which one is likely to be less hair raising in winter?

Any other key considerations for picking a Longs winter route?