another death on Longs Peak

When I scrambled the 15th highest mountain in Colorado in August, I was surprised at how DANGEROUS it is:

… It gets hairy, quickly. Exposure. Potential rockfall. … Many have been killed on this mountain.
I slipped badly on black ice here, the rock still frozen. …

In fact, I slipped badly just past the Keyhole. (The sun had not reached the other side.)

climbing Longs Peak, Rocky Mtn National Park

According to the National Park Service:

A hiker along the Keyhole Route of Longs Peak has been killed in a fall of about 300 feet …

The was at least the third fatality on Longs Peak this summer, and the second that occurred near the Keyhole …

National Parks Traveler

2 Replies to “another death on Longs Peak”

  1. At 14,255, Longs is actually the 15th highest in Colorado.

    A small matter, as a few feet make no difference. Longs is clearly one of the finest mts in the America’s, holding it’s own in vertical grandeur with the classic peaks in the Alps.

    Climbing ranger Jim Detterline has now summited 359 times. It is hazardous for many reasons – exposure, weather, and technical terrain (makes that other “10 Scariest Hikes in the World” list look like walks in the park).

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