GORP - Rocky Mountain National Park - Colorado

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PARKS

Rocky Mountain National Park
Climbing

Photograph of Crater Lake/Longs Peak Rocky Mountain National Park offers a variety of challenging ascents for the climber throughout the year. Rocky Mountain encompasses 113 named mountain peaks over 10,000 feet and 71 over 12,000 feet. The park contains stretch of legendary high peaks, including Hallett Peak (12,173'), Otis Peak (12,486') McHenry's Peak (13,327'), Chiefs Head Peak (13,579'), Spearhead (12,575'), Half Mountain (11,482'), and the renowned Longs Peak (14,256'). Some climbers claim that the Diamond cliff of Long's Peak is the best alpine wall in the U.S.

Technical climbs do not require registration either at the trailhead or in advance, but registration is always required for overnight bivouacs. It is your responsibility to leave details about your destination with someone who can report your absence if you happen to be overdue. For information about permits and regulations see a park ranger. Minimum impact climbing techniques are essential to the preservation of this proposed wilderness area. Motorized drills are prohibited to avoid damaged rock, disturbance to raptor habitat, and to eliminate noise from undeveloped areas in the park. Climbers are urged to leave no trace by using brown-colored chalk, neutral colored webbing, and traveling on established trails. Pack out what you pack in, so that others may enjoy their climbing experiences.

More on climbing in RMNP
Climbing the Diamond — Rocky Mountain National Park's epic challenge may well be the most spectacular alpine climb in the U.S.

One of the Best in the U.S. — Rocky Mountain National Park is consistently one of the top ten parks for rock climbing.

High elevation travel should never be attempted without adequate knowledge or experience. Longs Peak, the highest of the park's 113 named mountains, can be negotiated, during late summer, without technical equipment. The north and east faces are for technical climbing only. Even though technical equipment is not needed, the lengthy climb via the Keyhole route is demanding. The elevation gain is 4,700 feet (1,433 meters) and the 16-mile (26-kilometer) round trip can take 12 hours. Be sure you are acclimated to high elevations and in good physical condition before you try this rigorous trip. When ascending Longs Peak, as with any climb in Rocky Mountain National Park, be prepared for sudden changes in the weather and start before 6 a.m. to avoid afternoon lightning storms.

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