Longs Peak | Solo Hike & Climb on Cables & Keyhole Routes! [4K UHD Cinematic]

Here's all the information you could ever hope to find. Really the best one I think, map here, I find that pretty helpful. Any camping does require permits and it usually fills up early so beware that. And here's more stuff that I'm not gonna read but it sounds like you get killed up there. Okay, here we are. Major Junction, Oldenfield, Keyhole Route, as well as the Chasm Lake Turnoff. Beautiful area in the chasm below the diamond which is the east-northeast face of Longs Peak. Beautiful sunrise. Hey, good morning, coming to you from Longs Peak. We are just a little bit above the Chasm View Lake Turnoff, heading up the Keyhole Route trail, which is also access to the Cable Trout, which is an option I'm not sure I'm gonna take. Depending on snow cover we'll just have to see. So this has been a particularly odd fall. We are early November and it has barely snowed at all. I am guessing I'm around 11,000 feet now, maybe even a little higher, and there's barely any snow just kind of deposited in this little sheltered spot along the trail. So, very peculiar. The lack of snow cover has also presented an incredible opportunity to climb this trail in relative solitude. There were only about a handful of cars at the Longs Peak parking lot, which is just generally unheard of. That was the situation this morning. So, really neat opportunity that I was just lucky to recognize, and I think it's gonna be an incredible adventure. I'm not sure if I'm gonna take the Keyhole Route up or the Cables again. I'm gonna make that decision and base it off safety, but here's hoping we get some exciting Class V on the Cables route, and if not, we'll still have some spectacular Class III on the Keyhole Route. We'll see you up there. Glad you could join me. We are cruising through the boulder field at this point. I think we're very close to the camping area. I do see a stone structure just out ahead. So, progress has been going good. The wind has picked up a little bit. It's a little colder, but I'm feeling pretty good. I'm definitely gonna go to Chasm View and take a look over the side, and hopefully I will see some non-snow-covered slab at the Cables route, where I will assess the situation. Well, I guess fair warning on that deal. I'm not sure exactly the purpose of these. We are definitely in the camping area. There are all kinds of giant windbreaks here for bivy sites, as well as the stone structure, which turns out just to be the bathroom. Okay, I have just turned off the Keyhole Route, and I'm heading a little bit more south toward Chasm View. Hopefully you can see the latrine there in the background, and there are a few scattered cairns as well, just kind of illuminating the way, like that one right there. So, again, I don't know if I'll be doing the Cables route, but I would like to just look off Chasm View at least. I'm making great time toward Chasm View. I wanted to show you the view from where I am. If you take this way, it is fast and easy. Here's the view looking toward Chasm View. On the right is the diamond, and then even further right is the Cables route. This looks marginal. I'm Beautiful Longs Peak, culminating in the diamond face. Cables route on the right behind that spire. There's probably some climbers on there right now, although I don't hear any. I just can't resist taking the shots. This is so amazing. Really, the most amazing is looking straight down. That is slightly overhanging below my feet, and just wild. Wow. Wow, wow, wow. I am cruising up along the lip of Chasm View Wall. Just to my left is that massive drop-off, and there does seem to be somewhat of a trail, so it's been pretty nice. I'll definitely stay just north of Ridge proper, and just be able to cruise right along, getting closer and closer to the Cables route all the time. Okay, I just came from down there. A little switch back here. Even in the summer, it's important to look out for ice on a north face at this altitude, and then that said, I can see tracks leading right up there, and that's definitely the sloppy section in the Cables route. Here we are above Chasm View. That is looking back down into the boulder field. Beautiful views in the background. Lumpy Ridge in the upper right-hand side. Then back to my left is the Keyhole. You can barely see in the shadows in the Keyhole route, and more beautiful vistas, and then ahead we have got the big-time Cable route here. So, here I come. I'm looking for the ahead and just follow these footprints, and then get in that dihedral and get out of here. All right, I'm staying super sweet now. I am over the crevice of the Cables route. Giant bolts, as you can see, and looking ahead, another giant eye bolt right in front of me, and very obvious tracks up and to the left. Not sure I'll follow those, but it should be a class 4 to the summit at this point. So, I'm pretty pleased. Things look fantastic. So, there's a little idea of what we just climbed up. Definitely an icy class 5. 5.4. Actually, just the sawed-off bolts, which there were several of, were really nice, actually. A little security just to push off the nubs. So, that's a done deal. I'm psyched. Give you a little look over summit coming up next. Wow, way cool. Really amazing, and apparently so much slippery. That was one unexpected, yet totally incredible view. So, wow. I am super happy because that was cool ----, and we have got the summit behind us right there. So, it's time to get it done, stop playing around, check out that keyhole route. We are just finishing up the last little bit of the Cables route. Apparently, this trail is from long ago when the Cables was the principal route up here, and I didn't think above the Crooks was even class 4. Although, I will say the Crooks was every bit class 5.4, and you better be prepared for that. But, once you get to there, you can pretty much cruise it like I am right now. Find that beautiful vista if you go a little further south. Okay, my friends, I am bringing to you another epic summit, Longs Peak. We are just pushing up to the big plateau right now, and it is cool. Definitely more fun than I thought. I have to go get that. These summit views are not to be dismissed. I guess that means we are at the top. Glad you could join me. Looking off north, the Rocky Mountain National Park is huge. Extends way to the east out here. Way out in the distance, around center, is Lumpy Ridge, another very popular traditional climbing area. Further east is Park and Tye Lake out there, and then we have Mount Lady, Washington in the foreground. In the background, the way we came, and then off to the right, I honestly can't remember the name, but I know just down in there, in that flat area, is the Wah, and then a bunch more beautiful peaks in the Wild Basin off to the south. Looks like it is clear what we are doing next, and here is a quick look at the first section. Doesn't look bad at all. So, away we go. Looking down, we have got these bullseyes to the keyhole route, and assumably we pop right around the corner, and here we come, ledges. I think we are finishing up the ledges now, and it was fun. It was pretty low stress. Huge handholds, huge footholds, nothing really dumping you off the edge, so not too bad at all, and then it looks like we are going to head on down here, and we will actually get a little perspective. Boy, those bullseyes couldn't be more obvious, and there is a couple of climbers way down there. Okay, this is an amazing small world. I just ran into someone I know on Instagram, Hootiemer, and another climber that I climbed Mount Lindsay with, Carl. So, super cool. Obviously, we are a pretty small community, even though everything is so spread out, and I think the climbers that have the most experience are incredibly wise today to get up here on long speed, no crowds, really minimal problems with the ice, particularly if you are an experienced climber. So, what do you guys think about this? It is beautiful to be up here, and we are fortunate to have zero wind and blue skies on long speed. We are having a great day. It rarely ever happens. Go subscribe to HikeBikeClimb. Yeah, go follow him. Awesome, guys. I appreciate your support, and safe landings. All righty, just about out of this big gully, and it looks like we are going to be working our way to the right very shortly in order to pass through the keyhole. I was super happy with that route. It was perfect for my skill level, which is pretty gnarly to be honest, but it did go well, and I was super happy with the performance. Never felt like I was about to die, but there were exciting moments for sure. Even if you don't want to do the cables route, or maybe in the summer when there is no snow and ice, still be careful. There can always be ice up this high, and again, even if you don't, there is always the loft route as well as the keyhole, which is very cool, especially the keyhole proper, and getting to spiral around Longs Peak is pretty darn neat. So, I am glad that I got to enjoy a whole lot of that, and I am going to say great trip. Easy class 3 if you are taking the keyhole route, and at least 5.4 if you are rock climbing on the cables. Well, looks like that about does it. Perfect weather day, and I am just completing the lollipop portion of this route, arriving back at the outhouses at the boulder field, and there is the epic zone, blazed in the sun, the cable route and the summit of Longs Peak.