Longs Peak: The Cable, Keyhole Lollypop

Nice video post. It really gives a sense of the climb. I was a CSU student (from CT) back in June, 1973, 18 years old. A friend (who was much older, being 19) and I decided, after a Friday evening of drinking 3.2 beer, that we would climb Longs Peak on Saturday morning. Neither of us were climbers, had only a topo map showing the route, and did not start the hike until about 9:30 AM. Everyone we met along the hike, including a park ranger, warned us that if we were heading for the summit, we needed to have started no later than about 6:30 AM. "Naw, naw, we're just going for a hike." But after we passed everyone (except for an old guy in lederhosen) along the way up, we started gaining confidence. At the Boulder field, we were again admonished to turn around by people who had already summited and were coming down from the Keyhole But then we saw these little dots up on the North face on what turned out to be the cable route. We thought, well if they can do it, so can we. After crossing the Boulder Field, we climbed up a pretty steep snowfield and reached a steel cable covered in ice. It seemed like the way up. It was extremely scary, but we started up it. The whole slope seemed to lean towards the Diamond, so there was no messing up. Whole sections of the cable and rock were covered in ice. About half way up the cable, a storm blew over the top of the mountain and it started to lightning. The mountain had blocked our view of the approaching storm. Someone below us yelled to get down, then proceeded to run, then slide down the snowfield out-of-control and crash into rocks at the base. We decided that person knew even less about mountain climbing than we did. Scared to death, we weighed our options and decided that death by lightning hanging onto a steel cable was preferable to the terror of going back down that same icy cable and a certain fall to our deaths. So we kept going. At the top of the cable it became just a steep scramble and by the time we reached the summit the storm had passed, and we were left alone, everyone with any sense having already gotten off the top. The sun emerged and we had beautiful views of mountains in almost every direction and the plains to the east. We returned from the top via the Keyhole route, the one actually marked on the topo map. That was itself pretty scary. By the time we got back down to the Boulder Field, the clouds closed in again and a cold drizzle began. On the way down, we met some crazy person (like you folks) who was running up the trail in the rain. We started running down to overcome the cold and soaking and reached the trailhead as dusk was settling in. That crazy guy managed to run up and out of sight, probably to the Boulder Field, then turn around and catch up with us again just as we reached the trailhead. We found out later that the Park Service removed that cable about two weeks after our climb, apparently because so many stupid people were falling or getting struck by lightning. Youth allows you sometimes to survive some stupid decisions. That climb is still one of the most memorable. Although I never became much of a climber, I did become a pretty good hiker. At CSU I met a Colorado girl who had climbed about 1/2 of the 14rs with her family and the Grand Teton and thought 3 weeks of Outward Bound school was pretty easy. I married her, and later with a newborn on our backs, we wrote the first statewide hiking guide, The Hiker's Guide to Colorado, published in 1984. We wrote a second statewide hiking guide (Hiking Colorado II) published in 1999 and more recently two books on the history of skiing (The Lost Ski Areas of Colorado's Front Range and Northern Mountains, and one on the Central and Southern Mountains). Thanks for posting your video. It brought back some frightening (and enjoyable) memories. God bless.

be aware. This is not the way to go up Longs Peak unless you are very experienced with scrambling and hopefully with some technical rock climbing training or you shouldn't be here. This is the standard roped rappel descent route usually done after doing one of the very difficult technical climbs of the Diamond Face of Longs. . Rated 5.4. Easy for technical climbers but one slip and you are a goner. I am all for adventure but just taking a "random" route up an unknown route is only asking for trouble. In climbing school we used to teach the Number one rule of mountaineering, "the mountains don't care". Not trying to bash the video. These guys are super fit and impressive. Just putting a little caution out there to the unwary.

"We decided to just go up some random route..." sounds like a lead-in on Accidents in N American Mountaineering.

You guys are Fn crazy to do those steep & icy climbs with no rope/ safety gear!!! Whoa!

I did the cable route 30 years ago. Yep, ice. In July. No protection. Your video reminded me how stupid I was.

YO, if you guys keep ascending routes like that you're gonna get rekt

These guys are the best youtubers of this kind hands down. Imitators are out there but none as good, funny and adventurous. Cant get enough of their videos, they have inspired me to hit the trails. Love it!

This video should be labeled “Longs Peak - What not to do”. Broke every rule in the book.

I think the video itself was pretty rad. I wish it had a bit of a disclaimer at the beginning though. Many people have died while climbing Longs because they were not educated on their route, came unprepared without the right gear, and got off-trail. While these dudes are total pros at the trail running gig, people should know that if you want to climb this peak or any other 14er, you should do your research and not pick a route at the drop of a hat like that. Glad they made it up and down safely though. For more information on climbing 14ers safely, go to 14ers.com.

Great fun, love your adventures. I love Longs. First climbed it by the Key Hole Route back in the 1980s. Woke up one fine early October day and thought, why not go climb Longs? Hitchhiked from Boulder. Snow started at the keyhole (little stone building thing in the video), and ice axe and crampon climb from there. Hiked out in the dark, hitchhiked back to Boulder. Showered. Walked 3 miles to a party, danced until dawn, walked home. Ah the energy of youth! Long gone. Last time I was just short of 60. Went straight up the East Face, the vertical rock face called the Diamond for its shape. 1,400-1,500 ft of steep, in some places overhanging, granite technical climbing. This time though started very early and got out in time for a dinner in Estes Park while the sun was still out! If one does not want that much adventure the hike into Chasm Lake is stunning and pretty easy. About half the distance and climb of going to the top. Highly recommend it.

Danny, since discovering your channel a few years ago, I've consumed your videos with a level of enthusiasm that's comparable to the feeling I get when my visit to Krispy Kreme coincides with the Hot-and-Now light.  What a perfect ratio of adventure and humor. I've laughed a lot...but nothing was funnier than the time one of your mates (I believe it was Matt) was feeling bad on a traverse, and you commented that you weren't sure how his mom was going to get her minivan up there!! Keep it up. And get your crew to the southeast. The Smoky Mountains are top-notch, and I'd love to see your story telling there.

I love these comments. I'm stuck in the appalachians right now but a big life goal is to move out to 14er country next year. What I love about the comments is how serious the folks are about the sport. I've been doing whitewater in the southeast for 20 years and I know exactly what happens when people are prepared vs unprepared. I look forward to learning from the rocky mt climbing community and treating these mountains with the respect they deserve. I will say that this up and down in 24 hours thing isn't gonna be my cup of tea though. I gotta be out on those slopes for at least a few nights to get the full experience

Yeah theres no way you'll catch me on the cable route lol

8:06 I use to live in Estes Park, CO. from 1989 to 2005. I learned that shelter was build longtime ago, after some climbers got caught in a bag snow storm and died. It's intentions, an emergency shelter.

That was intense. There is no way I would have made it up the Cable route, I actually felt anxiety when you showed the ice. Great video, some beautiful shots of the mountain. Makes me want to go back.

The Keyhole Hut was built many years ago as a rescue- survival station. Decades ago, a couple (man/wife) got caught near there with no shelter and died of overnight of exposure (we're talking a lady in an ankle length dress, who was a good climber, but bit it.) Today, the normal flatland crowd tries Long's Peak in cotton sweatpants, windbreakers, and some with a 6pak of beer (don't do it at that altitude) and often get caught in weather on the back side (Keyhole route). I have cajoled and helped many dad's who think their grade school kids and wives in light clothes are safe back there. you cannot run from sudden weather back there. SO, the Park Ranger's use the stone hut for rescue, for injury triage, and of course, it is a respite for people stuck on Old Beaver mountain. Weather can change to winter up there in 10 minutes. JiminCO

Quickly becoming one of my favorite Youtube channels - keep the adventures coming !

These guys are lucky they did not get hurt.

Great example of what not to do.

That dangerous mountain has taken lives