Thanks for sharing. It would have been easy to descend from here to Chasm Junction and then back to the Trailhead. I am happy to say this is one I got right. – Battle Mountain – 12,044′ (unranked) So glad the weather held and the ice you were concerned about ended up being a non-factor. Couple this with the fact that I absolutely hate running in the dark, and I decided to give up on trying to jog anything after a quarter mile or so. The ice on the exit ramp from the Loft Couloir. I also had my phone, but did not get service in this area. Sounds….miserable. I was able to slow jog from Storm Pass back to the parking lot. Photo taken from the Sinclair Station off 51st & Federal (just north of I-70) in Denver, with the Regis University campus in the foreground (behind the fence). I had read that the trail started good, then quickly deteriorated, disappearing altogether near the top. Originally I had decided on this as a way to mitigate any potentially hazardous conditions, but now it took on a whole new meaning. Descent From the Keyhole Route on Long's, cross-country down the talus slopes (e.g. after Pagoda but the downclimb from Pagoda on the south face stumped me. I have always firmly believed that we all climb in God’s grace, and I humbly asked for wisdom and guidance in this situation. Although a bit uncertain, I decided this must be the way and pressed on ahead. I estimate I wasted at least 45-60 minutes on my incorrect route choice. As for me, the first substantial (and useful) light hit right as I was nearing the exit ramp from the Loft Couloir. That equates to 16-18 miles and approximately 8,000 vertical feet of gain. The Grand Slam was complete, the weather was holding, as the Diamond was in fine form. With an elevation of 13,497 ft., Pagoda Mountain is the 7th highest ranked peak in The Park. Haha….the club is spreading. That is a serious cat haven down there, tracks were EVERYWHERE and I even spotted a couple of dens. Third class from Pagoda/Keyboard col. Moving quickly down, Estes Cone slowly comes into view. Last look back at Taylor, McHenry’s, and Powell from the Keyhole. This offered easy passage to the start of the Homestretch and on to Longs’ summit. “Is that a waterfall?” Waterfalls mean cliffs. As I have opined before, I couldn’t help but feel that entire thing was a gift just for me. I did not find a great picture or description beforehand, so I was unsure. As I eventually reached Battle Mountain Pass, I chuckled as I put a single step on the Longs Peak trail. It’s nice to see the “standard” way of connecting these peaks has evolved somewhat over the years. The route down descends just to looker’s right of this picture. Meeker from Pagoda. I’ve wanted to do this for awhile, now I learn from your wisdom:), I will second Ricardo’s comment, Zambo – an animal you are! I was pretty happy about this. Thank you for reading if you did – happy climbing! You’re right man – it really is the stoic sentinel. Oh and also, just for good measure, the day is not truly over until you complete the final two challenges: I had my eye on this one for the past few years, but I really did not take it too seriously until this summer. I actually had to stop for a second to make sure it was the right pitch before ascending as there have always been masses of people (or snow) on it every other time I have climbed it. I knew there are not too many opportunities to have a full day to play on Longs. These were legit, neatly stacked, high cairns. Third+ class from Pagoda/Keyboard col. Strenuous+. Thousands of visitors flocked to Ha Long City in the northern province of Quang Ninh on the New Year’s Day (January 1) for the Winter Carnival, the first of its kind held in the province. We gotta get you out into the park soon here. So, with a Friday off work and forecast calling for perfect September weather, I found myself awake at 2:00 on a Friday morning and soon ready to get going at the Longs Peak Trailhead by 4:15. I did not have any pics of the cliffs saved on my phone, choosing to rely on memory instead. I also see from your topo you took a much more logical line over to Storm from Pagoda. Keyboard of the Winds (towers 1 and 2): 6.8 miles one way, 3980 foot gain (9180-13160+). Somehow we still managed to screw it up tho. Easy. I’m glad I listened and turned back when I did. The Loft proper was almost totally free of snow, giving me reassurance of the conditions for the remainder of the day. Pagoda Mountain 13497ft 4114m Longs Peak 14259ft 4346m The Keyhole 13160ft 4011m Eugenia Mine 9908ft 3020m Storm Pass 10250ft 3124m Granite Pass 12080ft 3682m Chasm Junction 11540ft 3517m B a t t l e M o u n t a i n.mi.km.mi.km.mi.km.mi.km.mi.km.mi.km.mi.km.mi.km.mi.km To Estes Park To Lily Lake 3.1mi 5.0km A combination of factors made me decide at that point to just focus on completion: a lot of this route was new terrain for me (unwise to rush while solo), most of it was cross country (pain in the ass to try to go super fast), there was a hefty bit of scrambling (again, no need to push while alone), and I was suspect of the conditions. Either that or too many gapers got off route and were eaten by the infamous RMNP gaper eating alpine pedo-panda, necessitating better markers. Longs Peak was something I'd set my sights on last year but didn't get to. 8,000 Feet These short trees blocked easy passage at tree line. 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