Longs Peak Trip Report 08/15/2016

Report Type	Full
Peak(s)	Longs Peak - 14,259 feet
Date Posted	08/15/2016
Date Climbed	08/13/2016
Author	pbakwin

Alexander's Chimney
I've been working on the Longs Peak Project this year. It entails climbing Longs by a different route each month of the year. I actually started in December 2015 with an ascent via Keplinger's with Bill Wright & Charlie Nuttelman as they completed their own LPP. Bill has done it twice now (2008 & 2015), and Charlie became only the second person to finish this project (which was originally envisioned, but never completed, by Bill Briggs). So far I've completed 9 months (Dec-Aug) and somehow racked up 16 ascents total. This is a report on the latest (August) ascent, Alexander's Chimney. Alexander's doesn't seem to be done that much as a summer climb - it's more popular as an early season ice climb. But we did find a good "summer" route description on mountainproject.com - very useful and generally accurate. I'm a good scrambler, but not much of a real climber. When ropes come out I lose interest quickly. Nevertheless, trying to find 12 distinct routes that are all within my scrambling / soloing ability (given weather, etc.) isn't easy. Alexander's sounded like it might fit, being nominally only YDS 5.5, but having never done the route, and having heard some horror stories of wet and icy 5th class climbing (including the famous Anton Krupicka episode depicted in the film "In the High Country"), I thought gear might make sense this time. I recruited my good friend Buzz, who has many positive qualities and in this case they include (1) having soloed the route years ago, and (2) he actually owns climbing gear! We even brought crampons for Lambs Slide, which was indeed on the icy side (but we with just Microspikes we could have done a short, fairly low-angle crossing to a 4th class approach to the Chimney). Buzz on Lamb's Slide (all photos by Buzz) But anyway, with the crampons we tramped up Lambs to below the Chimney and did a shorter section of 4th class ledges to reach the base of the Chimney. A good bit of water was indeed coming down the Chimney. We roped up and Buzz did a very short lead up a slippery 12' step to enter the bottom of the Chimney, where he found a great fixed anchor. He belayed me up & handing me the gear said "Just keep going". The next pitch was 120' of super wet and even a little icy 5.EZ - easy climbing but very insecure feeling. Our feet were immediately wet, and our hands became quite cold. Not being a climber I'm not great at placing gear, but did find a fixed pin about halfway up on the left, and put in a cam on a "headwall" section near the top. Given how dry the weather has been lately I conclude that this section of the climb is always wet and probably almost always icy. We again found good fixed anchors at the top of the pitch, just under the huge chockstone. Chimney pitch - ended up going left at this point I brought Buzz up and he grabbed the pro and headed right on a slightly sloping traverse on a thin ledge for about 120' - only 4th class but super airy and would make an exciting solo. This pitch ended at the obvious "Dog Ear Flakes", where we were slightly confused because the route description said to look for LEFT facing dihedrals, but to us the dihedrals seemed to be facing RIGHT. We were quickly convinced that we were on the right route by finding a pin right at the crux move (5.5) not far above the flakes. After this short pitch was another 4th class ascending traverse (left) into the "Yellow Bowl", which is a large, low-angle area with a lot of loose rock. The final pitch out of the left side of the Yellow Bowl was short and anticlimactic, supposed to be 5.4 but seemed easier. Soon we were coiling the rope and making the final 3rd class moves to reach Broadway just before the infamous "step around" move. First 4th class traverse We made quick work of the rest of Broadway and the familiar scrambling on lower Kieners. Then, where Kieners starts to angle right to follow the top of the Diamond, we just continued straight on up, paralleling the Notch Couloir. This was a good choice as the rock was better and more fun than upper Kieners, but still quite easy (4th & low 5th class) and not very exposed. We climbed straight up to the Stepladder (5.5) and shortly thereafter reached the summit. Broadway High over Chasm Lake Descent via the North Face was uneventful, though surprisingly the Cables pitch was still very wet and even held some verglas, though it was early afternoon and quite warm. We didn't bother to pull out the gear again, but just carefully downclimbed, meeting the hordes briefly in the Boulderfield before leaving the main trail to take all the climber's shortcuts back to the parking lot. Icy DC of the Cables So, is Alexander's a worthwhile summer climb? I'd say it's not bad. There's one kind of yucky wet, icy pitch, but then a bunch of interesting, airy, easy climbing which then meets a super-classic route - Kieners. You want to do this route in late summer on a warm day & with a late start so that most of the ice is melted. And bring Microspikes to get across the short section of lower Lambs Slide. I have to say it's remarkable to think of J. Alexander doing this route solo, on-sight in 1922! Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

Alexander's Chimney

I've been working on the Longs Peak Project this year. It entails climbing Longs by a different route each month of the year. I actually started in December 2015 with an ascent via Keplinger's with Bill Wright & Charlie Nuttelman as they completed their own LPP. Bill has done it twice now (2008 & 2015), and Charlie became only the second person to finish this project (which was originally envisioned, but never completed, by Bill Briggs). So far I've completed 9 months (Dec-Aug) and somehow racked up 16 ascents total. This is a report on the latest (August) ascent, Alexander's Chimney.

Alexander's doesn't seem to be done that much as a summer climb - it's more popular as an early season ice climb. But we did find a good "summer" route description on mountainproject.com - very useful and generally accurate.

I'm a good scrambler, but not much of a real climber. When ropes come out I lose interest quickly. Nevertheless, trying to find 12 distinct routes that are all within my scrambling / soloing ability (given weather, etc.) isn't easy. Alexander's sounded like it might fit, being nominally only YDS 5.5, but having never done the route, and having heard some horror stories of wet and icy 5th class climbing (including the famous Anton Krupicka episode depicted in the film "In the High Country"), I thought gear might make sense this time. I recruited my good friend Buzz, who has many positive qualities and in this case they include (1) having soloed the route years ago, and (2) he actually owns climbing gear! We even brought crampons for Lambs Slide, which was indeed on the icy side (but we with just Microspikes we could have done a short, fairly low-angle crossing to a 4th class approach to the Chimney).

Buzz on Lamb's Slide (all photos by Buzz)

But anyway, with the crampons we tramped up Lambs to below the Chimney and did a shorter section of 4th class ledges to reach the base of the Chimney. A good bit of water was indeed coming down the Chimney. We roped up and Buzz did a very short lead up a slippery 12' step to enter the bottom of the Chimney, where he found a great fixed anchor. He belayed me up & handing me the gear said "Just keep going". The next pitch was 120' of super wet and even a little icy 5.EZ - easy climbing but very insecure feeling. Our feet were immediately wet, and our hands became quite cold. Not being a climber I'm not great at placing gear, but did find a fixed pin about halfway up on the left, and put in a cam on a "headwall" section near the top. Given how dry the weather has been lately I conclude that this section of the climb is always wet and probably almost always icy. We again found good fixed anchors at the top of the pitch, just under the huge chockstone.

Chimney pitch - ended up going left at this point

I brought Buzz up and he grabbed the pro and headed right on a slightly sloping traverse on a thin ledge for about 120' - only 4th class but super airy and would make an exciting solo. This pitch ended at the obvious "Dog Ear Flakes", where we were slightly confused because the route description said to look for LEFT facing dihedrals, but to us the dihedrals seemed to be facing RIGHT. We were quickly convinced that we were on the right route by finding a pin right at the crux move (5.5) not far above the flakes. After this short pitch was another 4th class ascending traverse (left) into the "Yellow Bowl", which is a large, low-angle area with a lot of loose rock. The final pitch out of the left side of the Yellow Bowl was short and anticlimactic, supposed to be 5.4 but seemed easier. Soon we were coiling the rope and making the final 3rd class moves to reach Broadway just before the infamous "step around" move.

We made quick work of the rest of Broadway and the familiar scrambling on lower Kieners. Then, where Kieners starts to angle right to follow the top of the Diamond, we just continued straight on up, paralleling the Notch Couloir. This was a good choice as the rock was better and more fun than upper Kieners, but still quite easy (4th & low 5th class) and not very exposed. We climbed straight up to the Stepladder (5.5) and shortly thereafter reached the summit.

Descent via the North Face was uneventful, though surprisingly the Cables pitch was still very wet and even held some verglas, though it was early afternoon and quite warm. We didn't bother to pull out the gear again, but just carefully downclimbed, meeting the hordes briefly in the Boulderfield before leaving the main trail to take all the climber's shortcuts back to the parking lot.

So, is Alexander's a worthwhile summer climb? I'd say it's not bad. There's one kind of yucky wet, icy pitch, but then a bunch of interesting, airy, easy climbing which then meets a super-classic route - Kieners. You want to do this route in late summer on a warm day & with a late start so that most of the ice is melted. And bring Microspikes to get across the short section of lower Lambs Slide. I have to say it's remarkable to think of J. Alexander doing this route solo, on-sight in 1922!

Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

Comments or Questions

Monster5	Cool! 8/15/2016 11:24am Looks like a nice outing. What do you have on the slate for November? Also, how do you like running in the TX2s?
pbakwin	LPP 8/15/2016 5:28pm I've been saving the Cables as a fall-back route & hoping that will work for Nov. I have ideas for Sept & Oct, but nothing firm. Depends on weather! So far the line up has been: 12/Keplingers, 1/Loft, 2/NW Couloir, 3/Flying Dutchman, 4/Trough, 5/Notch Couloir, 6/Kieners (duathlon), 7/Rossiter's "A Walk in the Park" (Longs via Keyhole Ridge), 8/Alexander's Been using the TX2s and TX3s for over a year (wear test for La Sportiva) & I like them both a lot. TX2 is probably the best actual approach shoe for running that I've found. For one thing it has a wider toe box than a lot of approach shoes. Some people find this fit a bit off-putting for scrambling, but I don't mind. I've done dozens of Flatirons scrambles in them. Prior to this I used resoled NB110s. The TX3s I like a lot for the longer outings just because they're a little stiffer and protect my feet better than the 2s.
goingup	~~~~~~~~~~~ 8/15/2016 12:12pm You continue to inspire Peter. I always get really excited when I see a trip report from you in the mix.
dannyg23	LPP 8/15/2016 1:00pm Good luck finishing it up, that's an impressive accomplishment!
TomPierce	Congrats, cool project 8/16/2016 7:31am Nice write up, not sure I would have thought of Alexanders as a non-ice climb. I've been working on a similar project, but I'm on the 20 year plan! :lol: Lotsa climbs listed in various guidebooks but I agree, hard to find 12 summit routes that don't require more involved 5th class work. The Beaver Route/Gorrels Traverse (sp?)/upper Notch comes to mind. Anyway, great report, good luck with your LPP! -Tom
pbakwin	LPP 8/16/2016 10:05am Thanks Tom! I did Gorrell's - Stepadder summit approach on the Wild Basin Traverse in July. If things stay dry I'd consider counting that for July (instead of Walk in the Park) & re-doing Keyhole Ridge for Sept.
FireOnTheMountain	cool! 8/18/2016 9:20am nice guys. Would love to join on any of your remaining months dude, let me know if you want some company! stettners ledges would require a rope (or pretty bold scrambling) but may fit nicely into your agenda for sept. just a thought.
ltlFish99	Excellent report 11/21/2020 10:41pm That was a great report with wonderful photographs of a very beautiful place. Thank you for posting this.

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