Casual Route, Longs Peak, CO | 5.10a - 10 pitches
The approach to the casual route is about 6.2 miles and took us about 2.5 hours. We followed the trail up to Chasm Lake and circumnavigated the lake through a large boulder field to reach the base of the climb. We overestimated how long the approach would take and arrived at the climb at 4:30am. We sat under a large rock and huddled until 7am watching the sunrise.
Justin inspecting the climb and getting ready to go
The first part of the climb was 3 pitches up the North Chimney route (5.4). Though Mountain Project and multiple articles say this part of the route is often soloed, we chose to simulclimb. It was my first time belaying with half ropes and simulclimbing. And my first experience with falling rime ice.
Ice!
The casual route tops out at the Broadway Ledge which you walk across to start up the Casual Route (5.10a).
Hearts for climbing spotted along the way
We started up the casual route and made it through pitches 1, 2 and 3. Pitch 1 is a 5.4 pillar up to an obvious crack which is the start of pitch 2. Pitch 2 followed the 5.9 crack up to a hanging belay. Pitch 3 was the infamous traverse pitch. We were lucky and had zero wind. The first step on the traverse is quite daring – though you have great feet, you need to take a few steps before you have any hands. This pitch is spooky for both the leader and the follower.
After we finished P1-3, we decided that we didn’t need to make this climb an epic. The cracks we were supposed to follow higher up were full of ice. So we rappelled down.
Everytime we think about this climb after this attempt we talk about how we need to go back. We should have kept going! We’ll be back.
