Longs Peak

We summitted the Longs via a creative route. Kicked stepped across Mills Glacier to the base of Stettner's Ledges route, several pitches up to Broadway...then on via Kieners. The traverse of Broadway can be breath-stopping at some points. Roping up and walking in coils just ensures that you'll all be found together. Just joking, the quick minded can set an emergency belay..so stay focused. Somewhere along the way we made some detours and the result was a "variation" of the established routes. Our guide and lead, John Bicknell (CMS)was great. Short of blinding snow...we pretty much experienced all of Longs weather patterns. It was a very long hard summit day, but well worth it. It was lonely at the top..only one other person signed the log besides ourselves. Only the hardy and/or crazy that day? Our descent route was around the backside and via Camelback(?) saddle. We ended up with the lake between us and the Hilton Hole bivi site. I was pretty gassed and thanks to my Bro-in-law Craig and John, I got to rest. They retrieved the bivi site gear and we hooked back up for the hike down.

This particular climb was a great deal more technical (the routes we took) than our Grand Teton O-S route climb last year. Be prepared physcially, technically and mentally if you plan a technical assault of this mountain. Have fun.