Longs Peak, Colorado  14,255'

Casual Route  aka 'The Integral' 

Grade IV 5.10 

A topo of the route as done in 6 pitches from Broadway Ledge to Table Ledge with a rappel down the D 7  Route.

Route Description and Considerations

You’ll gain 4,850 feet from the trailhead to the summit of Rocky Mountain National Park's highest summit.   

The route is commonly done in a long day from the trailhead  and a high level of fitness and  technical experience are necessary to get up and down this route in a day just from Chasm Lake. 

It is very common for teams to camp the night before, usually at the Chasm Lake Bivy sites, directly below the North Face (for the rappel approach) or for a more protected camp, the Jim's Grove campsites are the highest tree covered camping on Longs. 

At all  bivy sited, tents are not allowed and a bivy permit (issued by the backcountry office) is required.    

It is approximately 5.5  miles each way from the trailhead to the base of the east face of Longs Peak via Chasm Lake and the North Chimney approach route, which combined with The Casual makes one of the most direct paths to the summit of Longs Peak.

Climbing the Casual on a weekday will help in avoiding the crowds and in the summer months, the goal is to be up and off this beast before noon to avoid electrocution so focusing on moving at a speedy pace when possible, especially at change-over's, anchors, etc can be key to survival.  

Crossing the Mill's Glacier can be the first crux of the day and in early season crampons may be necessary along with an axe if the snow is piled deep and steep.  Eventually it can be done in approach shoes or with lightweight crampons (aluminum) and likely without an axe as the snow will melt down to a mild  angle.

Frank Nederhand finishing the 5.7 traverse pitch in snowy July conditions.

Steph Davis swinging around on the Diamond on a hot summer day.

The east face of Longs Peak after an afternoon deluge sent water and rocks off of Broadway and down the lower east slabs.

Approach:

Leaving the Longs Peak trailhead at 9,400', one ascends the rocky trail to above treeline to reach the Jim's Grove trail junction after 2.8 miles and 1,600' of elevation gain.  This initial section typically takes around 1:15 hours.  From Jim's Grove it is approx. another 30 minutes to Chasm Pass and in two hours you should be at Chasm Lake or somewhere around it's shores, aiming to be roped up at the base of the North Chimney within three hours of leaving the car.  In the summer months, this usually requires a 2am trailhead departure to be starting up the North Chimney by first light.

It's also very common for parties to do a bivouac just above Chasm Lake under some very large boulders.  Alternate bivy sites include the Chasm View and the Broadway Ledge.  The Chasm View is the best option for getting on the route ahead of other parties, but it can also be logistically more difficult unless you plan on descending down to Broadway in which case you can take all of your camping gear down there with you when you start the day.

At all bivy sites, tents are not allowed and a bivy permit must be picked-up from the backcountry office prior to your departure which includes parking permits for the trailhead.  Marmots and other rodents are rampant, so put everything away well-hung or buried under massive rocks.

Allow three hours to reach the base of the North Chimney or the Chasm View rappels and plan to get there before sunrise to make the most of what will likely be a long day, times can range from 12hrs. roundtrip (car to car) or up to 15, 20 or more.

(upper left) The rappel line down Chasm View at the base of the North Face.  (right)  Looking across Broadway, with the North Chimney the prominent cleft at center.

The approach up the North Chimney to The Casual is a route in itself, almost 800' of climbing up to 5.7 in difficulty although at least half of it is easier, yet exposed.  A slip anywhere unroped could be fatal and it is often pitched out in three to four rope lengths to Broadway.  

Looking up the North Chimney in the photo above, start on the slabs to the left and then then follow the shadow line up and left across an exposed traverse to pop up just below the start of  The Casual which is  just 30' left of the edge of the clean, stepped rock buttress on the left side of the chimney.

Technical Pitches:

P1 - (7, 50m) Begin on the left side of an easy, broken pillar, traversing from left to right to reach a right-facing dihedral which trends up and left to reach a two-piton belay stance below a steep headwall and crack system.  Pass some old bolts about 120' up this pitch and move left at that point to come into the sling anchor from the lower left.

P2-  (9+, 55m) A steep finger crack out of the belay on the left (9) after 30' of  steep jamming leads to the infamous  5.7 traverse in which the leader and belayer are both on the "sharp-end".  At a large angle piton in the steep crack, another piton 10' to the left begins a leftward traverse that goes for more than 100' across the entire slab.  Follow the few pitons (5 in '07) and the best holds and think of it as a gym 5.9+ and you'll be fine.  There are belay stances at the end of the traverse both high and low.  The lower one is at a rappel anchor on slings and the upper, 15' higher is at the base of a small box-chimney and requires #1 and #2 camalots for the belay.

(above) Nearing the end of the 5.9 crack on pitch 2 and the start of the 5.7 traverse.

P3-  (9+, 40m) Climb straight up from the anchor into the steep box-chimney then pull out right on good edges (crux) to work around the overhang.  The sustained climbing eases off after 30' and is mostly steep 5.8 up to a very nice grassy belay ledge to the left  and below the obvious dihedral with enough cracks for medium to smaller cams.  Just above this stance to the left is a fixed anchor at the base of the steep corner system composed of pins and nuts and lots of webbing.  Good for bailing-off of but not so nice for belaying.

Looking down on climbers at the bottom of the third pitch with the grassy belay ledge above at the sun/shadow line.

P4-  (8+, 60m) Hold on tight and climb the steep corner with hand and finger cracks that lead to one rest at 50m then a large ledge at 60m just 5 meters short of the Yellow Wall Bivy Ledge (YWBL)and directly below the stem-crack system at the start of the crux pitch. 

 Looking up (left) and down (right) the enduro dihedral pitch which ends just below the Yellow Wall Bivy Ledge.  Moving the anchor up to the YWBL makes for a better belay on the crux 5th pitch.

P5-  (5.10a , 55m) This is the "money pitch" of the route.  Move the belay up the YWBL or fire up the first flake and onto the ledge to start another endurance climbing pitch of stemming, chimney and jamming to the infamous 1 foot wide "Table Ledge".  First tackle the twin thin cracks (9+) past a few pitons and then place a few big cams before entering the 5.8 squeeze chimney as it is runout in the middle before a #2 camalot protects the exit move left and into the crux which is thin but well protected and there are usually a few fixed nuts that make it even easier to handle.  

(Above) Preparing to exit the chimney section of the 5th pitch, just before the technical crux of the route.

P6- (5.8 40m) Table Ledge is little more than a foot wide ledge or slight overlap with a few pitons at head height as you make the traverse from the top of the Casual to the rappel anchors above D7 - From the belay directly at the top of the crux pitch, start with the crux moves below the belay (#3 camalot) which become increasingly easier as one approaches the rappel bolts on the lower of the wide ledges at the left (south) end of Table Ledge.

(Above left) Bill pulling through the final crux of the Casual.  (right) Frank hanging out on Table Ledge, looking across the 5.8 traverse pitch.

Descent

The quickest way down from the summit is to descend the North Face although the Keyhole can be just as fast.  The North Face involves a couple of rappels from large eye bolts that are remnants of  when it was known as "the Cables Route".  If you have bivy gear at Chasm Lake, you will want to take the NF down to the East Ridge which leads up to Mt. Lady Washington and about half-way across sits the rock known as "the Camel" from which the direct descent down to the bivy sites begins.  This is 3rd class terrain which connects  skier's left (east) into a slight gully, usually with a large snow drift at the bottom which takes one directly down to the large boulder bivy sites.

Otherwise, from the south side of Table Ledge, do five- 50m rappels down the D7  to Broadway.  From the base of the rappels, traverse down from the bivy cave to the bolted anchors of 'Crack of Delight' that  involve a 30m, then 3-50m rappels down the slabs just climber's left of the North Chimney.

(above) Looking up the lower rappels on the east face of Longs Peak, the route known as the 'Crack of Delight'.  The bolts on this route use Metolius rap hangers and so can be hard to see as they are very low profile, even when you know where to look.

(above) The east and north faces of Longs Peak in typical May conditions.
 

Season: 

June  through September are typically the best months for an ascent of the  Diamond.  Spring is more likely to be wet from snowmelt or dangerous from avalanches, the months of July and August are the worst time for thunderstorms.

By late September, the east face of Longs quickly gives over to mixed climbing conditions (crampons and tools) until the face is potentially too dangerous due to avalanche risk 

In most winter conditions, this face is one of the more difficult  to visit as Broadway fills in with snow to a perfect upper 30 degree angle, is  unsupported, and often wind-loaded with sensitive slabs.  And with a terrain trap like the lower east face,  confidence in snowpack strength should be high when choosing this objective.

Savoring the summit of Longs Peak on a calm, quiet May afternoon.

Permits:

No permit is required to climb Longs Peak.  Bivouac permits or camping permits are required and available at the Rocky Mountain National Park Backcountry Office (970-586-1242).  Permits are strictly enforced and  must be picked up in person, during business hours in the summer season.

Gear:

One rope (A 60-meter length is best, but 50 meters will suffice) and one half set of cams (6), from one-half to three inches. Four to five slings shoulder-length runners and a 48" sling would be sufficient. A helmet is a always a good idea in the mountains where not all handholds have been regularly tested and tightened.

Running or approach shoes will ideally suffice for the approach although you may want stiff soles and waterproof boots when the approach is still snowy.  Usually boots and crampons are ideal until at least mid- June.  The route can be wet in many places including the crux until July.  Most climbers prefer a comfortable and supportive all-day climbing shoe best suited for the crack and edging style of the route and if they can be worn along with a pair of socks, even better in this cold environment.  Storm-proof rain gear and warm layers including a hat and gloves plus headlamp and extra batteries are a necessity. 

A 60 meter lead rope, ideally in the 9.3-9.5 range are nice for these types of route along with a  "tag line" of 6 or 7mm cord of the same length for rappelling.  This is a lighter and more versatile system than a double rope system.  One to two sets of nuts and a double set of camalots up to #3 and down to a #0 C3 would be helpful.  About 15 quickdraws and shoulder-length slings will be helpful for these very long pitches.  A helmet is always a good idea in the mountains where rescue is far away and there will often be parties above you or threat of falling ice.