This one had a little of everything. It cracks me up when you downplay the technical aspects that we mere mortals would be terrified of! MAD RESPECT you guys!
Thanks Michael! Yes it really did have a bit of everything, and you're right there are a few spots that would be scary if someone was coming to them without a lot of experience. But not bad compared to some of the other stuff we've done this year -- for sure easier technically than Russell, University, and Whitney Mountaineer's!
3:32 "These boulders are sure bouldering." Said the professor in geology at CU in Boulder, Colorado. 😎👍 I had the privilege to work and live in Estes Park from 1989 to 2005.
Haha wow, what a place to live, having RMNP as your back yard! This trip has been the longest amount of time we've ever spent in the area, and we absolutely love it and will for sure be coming back often! ❤️
@LiveHardxLoveHard at one point, you mentioned Mt. Shasta in Northern California. Since 2014 I've been living in Ashland, Oregon. Every summer I offer rides into town and back up to trail for Pacific Crest Trail hikers! They call us Trail Angel's. ❤️👍
Thanks Steve! Love that you were holding your breath while we were breathing hard! That hike was a serious cardio challenge -- so glad you enjoyed it! ❤️
Did that climb in 1985, a few months after moving to CO for grad school. Awesome experience. Thanks for allowing me to relive it again! I remember every step and have a great photo from the summit.
Sal that is so cool! One of our favorite things about this channel is hearing stories like that -- so happy this video brought back great memories!! ❤️
There it is! The one I was waiting for. Fond memories of that day and meeting you two. I actually set a PR that day round trip because I was acclimatized. Told you you didn’t need those microspikes! And yes, 5 steps forward, 5 breaths, repeat. That Trough is 600’ vertical and about 600 yards and definitely is the crux! Excellent work you two!
Haha you were def right about the spikes -- it was a piece of cake in terms of the ice. We were talking for days afterward about your epic run of climbs and sufferfests, and felt very inspired by it. Seriously well done on your part, and here's hoping you won't feel too much of a letdown getting back to regular life after all that epic adventuring! ❤️
@@LiveHardxLoveHard thanks for all of the kind words! That's kind of my MO as I only get to go to the mountains 1-2 times per year so I need to cram as much in as I can while I am there. I live in Cincinnati, OH and am always training for the next big adventure, which hopefully will be backpacking in the Cascades next year. But yes, the neurochemicals are tanking at the moment...so it is time to plan the next one! Hope to run into you two again sometime. I'll be watching! 👀
WOW brought back so many memories of my many climbs of Longs Peak!!!! I always love climbing these awesome peaks through you guys - my climbing days are over unfortunately but with these videos I feel I can be there again!!!!
David that makes us so happy to hear! We love taking you guys to new places, but also to places you love and remember fondly. It gives us a real sense of purpose in filming and sharing these adventures, so we're just delighted you enjoyed it and it brought back good memories! ❤️
Great job guys, Longs is exactly as you cronicled it. Blessed with great weather you captured summit perspectives that were breathtaking!! This one is special! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thank you! That is great to hear -- we could tell early on that the weather was going to be perfect, so we just kept reminding ourselves to keep the lenses clean (not always easy when you're really tired) and not mess up the filming of those incredible views. So glad it turned out well!! ❤️
Hi Guys, Welcome to my neigborhood. I live down in Fort Collins. Fall is a GREAT time to climb Longs. It is "technical" (with a couple of fatalities every year). For the readers, the last 2400' vertical takes four times as much time as the first 2600' vertical up to the Boulder Field. Well at least you found your way back to the Keyhole Route instead of the Cable Route (another animal). 14,259 ft. One of 58 fourteeners in the state. Like I tell my visitors, RMNP is not the greatest Park in the US, but it is "our Park" (42 miles from the house...I can see Longs from my front yard). Thanks and stay safe! Paul P.S. Adam & Elise, You scare the heck out of me. The ledge that you were sitting and walking on has a 2300' drop off down to Chasm Lake. At 72, Chasm Lake is about my limit these days (They actually do have fatalities almost every year from cardiac arrest....generally old guys like me).
Paul you always have the best and most interesting information -- thank you! Honestly not surprised at all that there are cardiac fatalities -- our hearts were absolutely hammering going up the trough and also up that final slab. I think we're going to go back and do your Chasm Lake hike in a week or two -- it looked so beautiful from the summit, and we were talking about how fun it would be to jump in so I think we're going to go do it. What a great place to live -- you have chosen very well! ❤️
I see Long's Peak everyday! I live in Longmont, just down the mountain. Glad you found a nice fall day to climb--today the peak was shrouded in this beautiful spiraling cloud. Plus I think it finally snowed up there so not sure how much casual climbing is left for this year. Nice to see you all in my neck of the woods!
Thanks Eric! Wow that is so cool you live in Longmont -- home of the famous Mr. Money Mustache without whose sage advice Adam would not be early retired today! Yes we saw the snow this weekend, and are wondering if it might derail a couple of our 14er plans for next week. If so though no big deal -- we'll just do some of the classic RMNP lake hikes instead. There are so many good options here, you can't lose! ❤️
@@LiveHardxLoveHard Well now I'm intrigued by this Mustache man and if he could convince me to retire as well! Hope you all find some nice hikes up high on 14ers, but you can't go wrong in RMNP either. A shorter hike outside the park that's nice is Kruger rock--you'll get a teeny scramble up to the top of the rock with amazing views all around and toward Long's peak. I take my kiddos there often. Can't say Longmont itself is a hotbed of action, but some nice restaurants here if you make it down. Lyons is a cute place, too. And also I grew up in Colo Spgs so another classic front range 14er is Pikes Peak--I think it's something like 20 miles round trip and 7000 vert! (never did it myself :) ) Happy trails!
So glad you liked it, Karin! This one had been top of our list (right behind Russell, which as you know we did earlier this summer) for a long time, and it did not disappoint! ❤️
Thanks very much, Jed! We absolutely love it here, and now that we're fully nomadic we're planning to spend a lot more time adventuring in CO the next few years!! ❤️
So glad you liked it! You definitely need to do Longs. It is really not too technical or dangerous (at least in dry conditions), and from the Keyhole on it is absolutely iconic! ❤️
Thanks Rick! Yes we've been staying in the area, which was nice because it gave us the opportunity to wait and choose the day with the best weather forecast. The one thing we definitely wanted to avoid was coming down those slabs in any kind of rain or lightning! ❤️
Yes!!! So glad to get it done, Bruce. And glad we waited until we could do it in the fall, because the conditions were absolutely perfect and it that made it very enjoyable! ❤️
Thanks Phil -- this one was a real bucket-lister for us, and it definitely lived up to expectations with those views the whole way after the Keyhole! ❤️
Thanks very much! Yes dealing with exposure is mostly just a matter of practice. If you'd been doing all those crazy Sierra climbs with us earlier this summer like Russell, University, and Whitney Mountaineers, then the ledges on this one wouldn't seem scary. But if you'd been doing more just hiking on regular groomed trails and then all of a sudden you're on a ledge looking at a 1000 foot drop it could be terrifying! ❤️
Arielle you would LOVE it here! Oh my gosh, the hikes we've been doing are just insane. We actually thought of you when we did Conundrum, which I think we'll post next week. You would love that hike so much -- you'll see why. ❤️
Heck Yeah.! Another Rip Snotin uphill.! You Kats totally rocked it out.! That boulder field looked Gnarly.! If I had a dollar for every time I accidentally got off trail, I would be Rich.! LOL.! But seriously it happens so fast and especially on snow hikes. Mind blowing no other people were out there as you had the summit to yourselves. Sugar High to the top, Love it.! Awesome footage as usual.!
Thanks Randy! Glad to hear you're with us on the getting off-trail 😂 It's crazy how often that happens, but thank goodness for for GPS ! There were some other people on the climb, but we purposely went a bit later (not starting until almost sunrise) so that we'd be pretty much alone on our way up, which was very fun and of course good for filming! ❤️
Oooh that must have been gorgeous at sunrise! Congrats to you as well, and totally see why this was one of your faves. Incredible views, and just the right amount of challenge without being overly dangerous. Truly a classic climb. ❤️
Incredible filming again from you lovely duo! My legs tingling at end watching those drops! Imersive viewing ! Oh and I now have a jelly bean craving 😋
Haha thanks Jules! And remember jelly beans aren't just for high peaks -- they are also a totally legit snack in the middle of a long local training run or hike or bike, so make sure to get out there this weekend and earn those beans!! ❤️
Longs Peak is a really special mountain. It's popular for a good reason. It's also not for everyone, especially if people aren't acclimated to the altitude or experienced. Fortunately, I have great memories of Longs. When I climbed it, I was working at a job where I got my birthday paid off. I ended up getting paid to climb Longs on my Bday. The weather was great that day. I also was in really good shape and climbed the 13er, Mount Meeker, the weekend before via Iron Gates. The trough is definitely where I feel like my a$$ was getting kicked the most lol. That area is just really cool and special. Great video guys☝☝👍👍
Thanks so much, and that's a great story about actually getting paid while you climbed Longs!! We didn't think our day could have gone much better, but our jobs paying us to do it would have definitely taken it up even another level. Totally agree with you about the trough. Even being acclimated, that thing is just plain tough on the cardio. ❤️
So happy and proud for you guys! Really reminds me of Whitney, especially the ledges. Loved every step with you! The snack spot looked like it was carved out especially for you guys😂 Perfect weather too! Once again, thanks for the adventure and the great footage! You will sleep well tonight, and thank goodness for jelly beans😂🏜️
Thanks Mary! Yes we also thought of Whitney often on this one -- just a lot of cardio effort at high altitude, but also beautiful views and not too dangerous. That was Adam's dream snack spot for sure -- he sat there for like half an hour! ❤️
I’ve been doing a lot of hiking for my Achilles tendon recovery, but that extreme climbing is so out of my wheelhouse! You guys be careful!❤ but you are livin’!!😊
You two are a very nice couple, and you both seem so supportive of eachother. Im so glad I remembered you both, it may have been around four or three years since I last watched you both. Either way, congratulations for climbing this!! You two are super amazing
Thank you so much -- we're glad you remembered us too! You have a lot to catch up on from the last few years, and remember that even if RU-vid doesn't notify you, we post new videos every Thursday so you can always find us whenever you want to see a new adventure! ❤️
Nailed it - perfect timing. As you likely know, on a summer day, that route can have hundreds of hikers on it. I've climbed Longs 3x. 1st time - 20yo, flat-lander, my buddy got sick at the Keyhole, I continued on alone. We did it ALL wrong. Late start, no altitude acclimatization, ended up hiking from the Boulder Filed down in the dark with no lights. 2nd time - 30 yo, good weather forecast, got blown off the top as we looked DOWN at lightning below us. 3rd time - a day exactly like your video, mid-October. Calm wind on Summit, people were tossing Frisbees on the Summit. You guys did have a bit of smoke on the horizon, otherwise the views are even better. The sketchy part of this climb that kills folks, is going down the Homestretch (last 200 as you call it), when the afternoon rains kick in, slick as snot. When you were crossing the back traverse before the Trough, did you look up at all at what's called the "Keyboard of the Winds?" Trivia - one of the first people to climb it was Enos Mills, when he was 15. He went on to become a guide, and climbed it about 340 times. He pretty much pioneered the "Cables" route, you 2 would enjoy that next time you go up. www.nps.gov/romo/keyboard_of_the_winds.htm
This is fantastic information -- thank you! I think we need to try the cables route for sure. Also, love the stories of your three different climbs. It really puts in perspective how big a difference things like weather, preparation, and acclimatization can make. Great comment all the way around. ❤️
Good evening Elise.. That Peak is so high. More 14000 feet and very demanding for energy.. But you have your jelly beans... Secret why you are spinning around.. Ah ah... The views are amazing like usual... Have a great Nite.. For me only 2 days before I dig my toes in warm sands and water of Cuba... 😘🤗👌🍷
Oh my gosh Serge that is so fun you're going to Cuba -- so excited to hear about it! Meanwhile yes, those jelly beans definitely gave me a sugar high, and I loved it. Have a safe trip!!! ❤️ --E
I've done this climb on a full moon in the 90s Once we got out of the forest we didn't need headlamps. It's a fun one, especially the back side when everyone is throwing rocks at you for an hour 😂
That sounds amazing with the full moon! Ya that's exactly why we put helmets on for the back side -- we just didn't know if people above would be accidentally kicking rocks, so decided to play it safe! ❤️
Yes! We highly recommend that you go for this one. Even though it's pretty easy technically, the cardio/altitude challenge is intense and the views from the Keyhole onward are truly spectacular. You will definitely not regret this one, and then while you're in the area we highly recommend doing the Kelso ridge traverse and bagging a double 14er on the following weekend! ❤️
@@LiveHardxLoveHard cool! If you are ever around Taos, NM, check out Wheeler Peak and the adjacent peaks. You can hit 4 or 5 -13ers if I remember correctly. Beautiful country. Wheeler is the highest point in New Mexico.
It was so beautiful in person, Jessica! When we got up to the Keyhole it was breathtaking and around the backside it was especially breathtaking with all those lakes thousands of feet below. The Sierra will probably always be our favorite, but the Rockies are truly incredible! ❤️
It was great to meet you too, Aidan! Lindsey looks awesome and is on our list for sure, but someone told us last month that it was closed for some reason. Did they open the trails back up, or did you just renegade it? It is for for sure one that we want to do! ❤️
Congratulations! Great video! Climbing the Keyhole Route to the top of Longs Peak is an awesome adventure! Looks like you had nice weather, good route conditions, and picked a nice day without any crowds. I had similar weather and route conditions on my Longs Peak Keyhole Route summit day. It did get super windy on my way down near the boulder field section below the Keyhole. A gust of wind knocked me down when I was standing on a large flat boulder. I was fine. I was more shocked from being blown off of my feet by wind for the first time. Ha-ha!
Congrats to you too, Bernie! Yes it is really a spectacular climb in the right conditions, and we were super lucky to get such a nice day. High winds can definitely be treacherous on this kind of thing though -- glad you were ok from your wind-fall! ❤️
Yes!! One day we are going to do that same thing -- this one, Shasta, Mont Blanc, Dragon Peak, Russell, and a few others are all ones I would love to see on a big screen! ❤️ --E
Yes! You should definitely put this one near the top of your list. It is beautiful, and fun, and apparently even more fun if you ingest about half a pound of jelly beans like Elise 😂 --A
Thanks Paul! Super happy to share this one with you -- it's been on our bucket list for years, and for good reason. It was totally gorgeous in person!! ❤️
GREAT footage you guys! Welcome to CO! The Keyhole route on Longs was my first 14'er, and I must have been in darned good shape, because re-living it with your footage made me remember how loooong it is! Honestly getting those last miles back to the trailhead were the longest! Such an iconic mountain, and you've inspired me to go do it again!
Thanks Forrest! Wow what an awesome climb to have be your first 14er! We had a similar experience in that our first one was Mt. Whitney many years ago, which is similar to Longs in being very high, very long, and very beautiful. We try to revisit it whenever we can just because it's great and brings happy great memories, so we def think you're right to do Longs again. It is fabulous, and a great reminder of why we all love the mountaineering lifestyle! ❤️
What an epic adventure! Longs has been on my list for a while. It must be a formidable hike if it had you two feeling pretty tired. I look forward to the members video for more beta
Very glad to hear this is on your list, Colby. It is spectacular, and super fun without being overly dangerous. The biggest challenge is just the time spent at very high altitude -- you start to feel so, so tired up there especially when it's steep. We'll detail all of it, and our prep, in the beta video in a couple days! --A
Congratulations to you both! Longs is such a "long" day of hiking/climbing. 15 miles RT and 5000 feet of vertical gain. I will never climb Longs, I'm a slipper, tripper and a rock tipper. Gravity loves to hug me. You both had the perfect day, clear skies, no wind and no people, which is very unusual. Where Adam dangled his feet, Chasm Lake below. I just hiked to her, September 28th. I live at 5000 feet and still struggle at times above 11,000. Lots of breather breaks. I hope your decent went smoothly, so many slick, steep and exposed areas. So happy you both made it to RMNP. Will there be any more Colorado climbs during your trip here? You don't have to spoil anything.
Thanks very much, and you are so right about the perfect day -- we've been really lucky with the weather on this trip. Yes, there will be several more CO hikes and climbs -- including maybe a dip into your Chasm Lake next weekend. When we were looking down at it we both wanted to jump in! And definitely stay tuned for the Kelso Traverse which we just did, and will post in a couple weeks. That one was zesty! ❤️
Haha thanks Catherine, we felt the same way! It was really enjoyable to do such an iconic climb and realize that we've gotten to the point where technically, at least, it was quite easy for us. Cardio-wise, it was still very challenging but that's all part of the adventure! ❤️
@@LiveHardxLoveHard Yes, I could see the altitude was a challenge. I have never hiked at high altitudes, but I have worked in Peru and Bolivia at altitudes of 3000-4000 metres where even "normal" activities like facilitating a workshop are physically challenging until you have acclimatized. So all the more kudos to you folks for crushing that aspect of the climb, too, AND filming it at the same time!
Awesome Video. Myself and a couple of friends climbed Longs back in high school. I only made it to the "home stretch". My fear of heights got me on the last 200. My other friends made it to the summit. Definitely the scariest hike I have ever done.
Thanks so much -- that's very cool you did it in high school! Totally understandable that you didn't do the final stretch, especially if you were already feeling dizzy at all from the altitude. We've bailed on plenty of routes where we didn't feel safe, including just last summer on the Oberrothorn traverse. Always better to play it safe and live to climb another day! ❤️
I’m labeling this the Jellybean episode! Not only was my favorite Jellybean (aka Elise) spectacular on this climb, but kudos to Adam for overcoming the old altitude nemesis and not having a heart attack. Great stuff guys beautiful photos! Loved it! ❤
Haha yes LB! This was definitely jelly beans for the win -- they even got Adam to the top in pretty good shape 😂 I really loved this one. It was the perfect combination of difficulty, excitement, and gorgeous views, plus you know how much I love beating Adam to the top!! ❤️ --E
Gerard we're so happy to show you this peak! It's one of the great climbs in Colorado, and we were very lucky to have perfect weather the whole way -- the views from the top were amazing! ❤️
Where to start, I absolutely loved this. The video itself was awesome, with the typically great LH^2 music. But you are walking my footsteps. That difficult, for me, hike that made me realize I was capable of more than I thought, was to boulder field. That is a special hike right there, but a sudden sleet storm keep us out of the keyhole. I always wondered what the rest was like and have watched several videos trying to get an idea of that scramble. In true LH^2 form, you finally got it right. This is the video I have been looking for, documented like someone was right there with you. I cannot tell you how awesome this was to watch. And I need to know where you get your jellybeans, Elise was just sparkling up there. Thanks again for taking us along on your grand adventure.
That makes us so happy to hear! Seriously, knowing that we got to take you along to see the rest of a hike you love makes the whole thing worth it to us -- that is what it's all about, and we're just delighted you loved it!! ❤️
Ledges, Narrows, the Trough...oh my! So Jealous! Key Hole route is on my list. I Just recently knocked out Pikes Peak Barr trail route, to build up confindence in the distance part of the route. Now it's just tackling the polished slab dicey parts! Photos of the home stretch going straight always look crazy. Amazing video!
Thanks so much -- very glad you enjoyed it! I really think if you give yourself enough time to pick your way up and down the slabs you'll be fine on it. There are lots of cracks and good handholds, it's just about taking your time and not getting dizzy or anything. Please let us know when you do it -- it's a fantastic climb, and we'll be super psyched for you! ❤️
Yes we're pretty used to slab descending so it was ok for us, but we've hear a lot of people come down that part on their butts, and nothing wrong with that! ❤️
Oh my gosh this one was SO cool -- it's like the Mt. Whitney of Colorado. The trick is to find a day without afternoon thunderstorms, which is why we did this trip in the fall because there is way less storm danger. As long as you don't have a storm it's honestly not that bad to take your time and do this thing in a day, but if you had rain and lightning roll in while your were anywhere above the boulder field it would be a nightmare! ❤️
It sure was, Ted. And at that point we'd been above 13,000 for a long time and weren't feeling great. I almost threw up getting back to the Keyhole. But still, totally freaking worth it! --A
☀️ 🦅 Wow Another Cracking vlog Adam & Elise. Sure you guys have your own "private" spacecraft & you're zooming off to other worlds ! 😁 Thanks for sharing the views Have a great day you two ❤ 🐿🐿
Haha thanks John! Oh my gosh don't even get Adam started on spacecraft. He's already devising a plan for going into space once it's more affordable!! ❤️ --E
Thanks Chris! It was great running into you too -- man, what an amazing October it's been for hiking and climbing here, right? We just went and did the RMNP ultimate lakes hike yesterday, and it was absolutely gorgeous the whole way. Hope you're getting out and doing some more fun ones before the weather changes! ❤️
I too took the bad turn on the Chasm Lake Trail, adding mileage and vert to an already difficult day, so you're not alone there. They need better signage at that trail intersection!
Haha yes Theo! The problem is that everyone stops there for a snack, to use the solar toilet, etc, and then when you get going again the Chasm Lake Trail is right there and looks like it's going the right direction! ❤️
Haha ya that was Adam's ultimate snack spot -- he stayed on that thing for at least 30 minutes! It really is a very cool peak, and in person the views from the top were stunning! ❤️
My God, that was a good one ! Mt Whitney with Mt Russel exposure (at least in a few places).SPECTACULAR ! RU-vid might get complaints about heavily-breathing females w/ no trigger warning, though. During the heyday of my Sierra career, I pondered a road trip from So Cal for Longs Peak, but never pulled the trigger. I am really regretting that right now. Most writeups I saw spoke of ropes and helmets and deaths., at the time (late 70’s, early 80’s). But you guys waltzed right up (no rope, no deaths) Your video was exhilarating - 14ers reward you with views that are so especially privileged. That endless boulder field approach looked like a rolled-ankle tank trap, alright. Snow would average it out but that means there’d be even more wind-packed snow and ice on those ledges, also. Back to ropes and placing protection. This one made my heart soar as much as your Russel climb. Thankyouthankyou.
Thanks very much, Charles! Really happy you enjoyed it. It sounds like your Sierra career was a lot like ours -- exhilarating and also making you hungry for even more 14ers -- and we really do feel blessed to be nomadic and able to shift back and forth between CA and CO. Eventually we'd like to climb every single 14er in both states, so hopefully lots more excitement in the months and years to come! ❤️
Haha well now that we're fully nomadic we're definitely spending a lot more time in CO, Moises! Our hope is to eventually climb all the 14ers in America, so you'll def be seeing us a lot in Colorado!! ❤️
nice!! The reason why Longs is so deadly is because it's the closest 14er to Denver and therefore, gets lots of inexperienced tourists trying to climb it. It's pretty straightforward compared to other class 3 14ers, mind you, at least by the Keyhole route. I agree 100% with your comparison with Whitney!
Thanks, and that makes a lot of sense. It's easy to imagine someone inexperienced and not altitude acclimated getting dizzy and just falling right off a ledge. But wow what a beautiful climb it is -- the views from the top are stunning. Stay tuned for the Kelso Ridge traverse in a couple weeks. That one added a bit of spice to this month's 14er adventures! ❤️
@@LiveHardxLoveHard Kelso is a lot of fun, and a relatively short day. IMO, if you can do Kelso then Capital is no problem, just a longer day. Have fun!
The boulder field is UNENDING! The whole time I was paranoid I was going to twist an ankle. My friends and I took a mini acclimatization nap on the Ledges because we were all getting headaches. We climbed on such a smoky hot day. If you two have time, you should hike up to Chasm Lake! It is gorgeous seeing the other side of Longs that rock climbers go up to summit.
You are right about the boulder field, and that is a great suggestion about Chasm Lake! In fact, I think we're going to take it next weekend because we love a good high-altitude cold plunge! ❤️
Wow, a forbidding, desolate granite landscape of boulders, cliffs, ledges -- as far as the eye can see... stunning and a bit terrifying! Thank goodness for the jellybeans! The dangle was, erm, concerningly death-defying o.o How was the return trip? Cheers! -Liam
Thanks much, Liam! Truth be told, the first part of the return trip was a bit rough. We were exhausted and had been up above 13,000 for a long time, and I almost threw up getting back to the Keyhole. But after that it was better, and once we got off the boulder field and could descend more rapidly it was actually quite nice. --A
Yes Hermann, though maybe not dry for much longer. Supposedly some big snows are coming next week so we're trying to get in as much high altitude as we can before it happens! ❤️
BAM. What's wild is Lady Washington is over 13000 on the way. If you do Meeker go up ridge from backside trail to Sand Lake. You better be standing on Audubon next! Easy. Hallett, too. Easy. You guys can run Most of those two. Indian Peaks are the scenic area. Where Eagles fly and John D got high. Nederland. Ward. GREAT ROAD from Wild Basin across! That is also best way back down to 25. From Allenspark.
Good recs as always, Dan! We'll see what happens with the storm coming this weekend -- it might close out the 14ers with snow. But even if that happens we'll still hit some great lake hikes and things like that the rest of the month. ❤️
Yes!!! Honestly, that would have been incredibly cool and if I'd known there was such a perfect snack spot up there I might just have brought a Cuban up there with me! It's not smog, but smoke from distant wildfires -- hopefully they're mostly out by now, or will be soon with rain and snow rolling in this weekend! --A
ELISE and ADAM a hello from France. What a sometimes apocalyptic landscape, the rocks are so smooth and so well arranged that they draw a road for giants. These improbable paths lead to the roof of the world, with blocks on either side resembling the ruins of forgotten temples, and hovering over these mythical places, the melody and voice of ELISE accompany the beauty of the lunar landscapes. A thousand apologies ADAM, but this time ELISE was the strongest, to believe that the roles Road Runner and the coyote have been reversed, and the grace of Road Runner belongs to her. Kisses to you both. DAN ELISE et ADAM un bonjour de France. Quel paysage parfois apocalyptique, les roches sont si lisses et si bien agencées qu’elles dessinent une chaussée pour des géants. Ces chemins improbables mènent sur le toit du monde, avec de part et d’autre des blocs ressemblants aux ruines de temples oubliés, et planant sur ces lieux mythiques, la mélodie et la voix d’ELISE accompagnent la beauté des paysages lunaires. Mille excuses ADAM, mais cette fois ELISE a été la plus forte, à croire que les rôles Bip Bip et le coyote se sont inversés, et la grâce de Bip Bip lui revient. Bises à vous deux. DAN
Haha oui Dan, tu as raison! Elise etait definitivement la plus rapide dans cette montee, et j'etais le pauvre coyote qui respirait sa poussiere 😂. Nous sommes tres heureux de partager cet endroit incroyable avec toi. Elise dit, bip bip! ❤️
Wow...another spectacular one !!...but I'll let you do the hard work while I Armchair Quarterback...And go easy on those 'healthy' Pop Tarts...until the next one...travel on !!
Haha thanks much, and I have def been taking it easy on the Pop Tarts after ingesting so many forms of sugar on this climb -- though honestly I needed all of it to get through so much effort at high altitude. But it's been lots of salads and protein ever since! ❤️ --A
Thanks so much, Dean! This one was really special to us as we've wanted to do it for a long time and finally got the opportunity. So blessed to be able to enjoy it and also share it with you guys! ❤️
@LiveHardxLoveHard Elise and Adam! Heights never used to scare me, but now they do especially close to the Edge! It looks like i might have fallen as a other ( Soul) f**ks me up everytime! Elise, Adam , you guys are a Visual Treat! Dean( Soul)
if you can believe it, someone i know i am pretty sure did this in some insane time like 8 hours.. she ran i think almost the entire way.. i wound up hiking the lake below the summit and there were for sure some lightning storms coming through. the reason longs is dangerous -- i'm not sure you caught in the beginning -- is bc it has a microclimate that more frequently (or daily) has lightning another crazy longs story i remember was that i was serving coffee at a farmers market and the guy said, "yeah i'm gonna climb longs tomorrow on the diamond route," to which i said, "you mean the keyhole route?" to which he informed me it's something crazy like a 6-pitch trad climb :)
Ya Mike when we got home from this we started reading about the climbs up the face -- they are all pretty gnarly multi-pitch class 5s, but hopefully as we improve our trad climbing skills we might be able to do one of those routes at some point. Meanwhile, your friend is a total badass. 8 hours is awesome. We were at almost 9 hours of moving time, and that's not including many stops for eating, resting, and filming! ❤️
With Starlink you can do Medicine lake in La Sal. Great spot to camp. Moab. 6 14k peaks by Great Dunes. I like Dunes in the freezing cold that valley is 7k. COLD! IN OTHER WORDS Compact Area for massive outdoor recreation. Above Buena Vista is a great campground overlooking valley. You can backdoor it from Rocky to Dunes to Durango to Moab. Pow. Good winter fall route. AZ NM is 40. Nope. Never go below 40 except in TN
We're thinking maybe Utah after we leave CO in November -- then we have a real treat for you: Costa Rica and some epic waterfalls in the warm weather!! ❤️
This does look like a lot of the peaks you guys have done in the Sierras. Beings that they are all pretty much the same altitude...did you guys feel the altitude more on Longs than say Whitney? Just curious cause I really wanna give this one a try next summer and I am good up to 12,500...then huffing and puffing one step at a time. And I love when Adam gets all excited at a summit...its kind of funny
That's a good question, and I'd say they were very similar in terms of cardio effort. In fact Longs is kind of like the Whitney of Colorado, because it's not super technical but you have to exert yourself up at high altitude for a long time, which is hard. If you're good up to 12,500 you should be fine on this next summer -- just do as much acclimatizing as possible first to make sure. We've been up at altitude in CO for a whole month now, and it's really helping to make the 14ers a little less painful. ❤️
hi what was the altitude at the trailhead, it is hard to fathom that peak you got to is close to double the heigth of the tallest mountain here in australia. great views and great waether.
The trailhead was already above 9000 feet, Geoffrey! And you're right about the weather. One reason we wanted to come to Colorado in fall is to avoid the thunderstorms, and so far that has worked out perfectly. It's a bit colder, but we've been blessed with perfect weather on every single adventure here! ❤️
It really depends on the person, but if we spend three or four days at 5000 feet or above, occasionally taking walks and 9000 or so, it helps a lot when climbing a 14er. But this trip we're really well acclimated -- 3 weeks now at above 5000, and Longs still felt hard! ❤️
That's a great question Kari, and one we constantly battle with. We don't want to dehydrate, but we also don't want to carry more weight than necessary up to over 14,000 feet! So we usually carry two liters each and then refill with a water purifier if there is water on the hike. If there's no water available, sometimes we'll carry as much as three or even four liters but that gets pretty darn heavy! ❤️
Nice. My neck of the woods. I've done Longs a number of times, a number of ways. Keyhole is the most doable. Was there really no one else up there? That's extremely unusual.
Oh my gosh we'd love to hear about some of the other routes up at some point! Have you ever climbed up the face? That's something we'd love to try at some point if our rock-climbing skills continue to progress -- it looks spectacular. There were other people on the route, but we intentionally started a bit late for filming purposes so we had most of the really cool spots to ourselves and rarely got photo-bombed! ❤️
The air felt magical, Andrea. It is very thin, so of course you're quite out of breath once you get above 13,000 feet, but there is definitely a reason that the phrase "Rocky Mountain High" exists. You literally feel euphoric breathing in that cold, crisp, clean air and looking at the world spread out below. ❤️
Yes it was a long day, but honestly we saw people who had camped up by the boulder field and it didn't look like they'd slept very well at that altitude so it might actually be healthier just to get a good sleep and bust it all out in a day! ❤️
You are so right about that. Honestly, the way down back to the Keyhole was the worst part. It was so steep, and we were exhausted from the altitude and it took almost as long as climbing up. But totally worth it -- what an amazing place!! ❤️
That's a great question, and yes. I always carry a couple of Dexamethasone pills just in case. We usually do a good job of acclimating to altitude before climbing anything this big, but if severe altitude sickness ever did kick in -- especially somewhere with dicey ledges or something -- we wouldn't hesitate to take the Dexa --A
That's the main hiking trail, not a climbing route. Title alludes that you're climbing (diamond face, Lambs gultch etc) Video shows the classic hiking trail to boulder field/keyhole thru the trough then "Home Stretch" slab to Summit. It's a great hike/day trip for sure. Take care
That's an interesting perspective. Some might argue that enough of this route from the boulder field on is scrambling and choose your own adventure enough that they'd call it mountain climbing, but we do understand your point.
Haha don't worry this one is zesty but never too scary -- our biggest threat was probably from cardiac arrest due to climbing such steep slabs at 14,000 feet. But it was totally worth it, and the views from up there were spectacular! ❤️
Thanks so much, Brian -- that makes us really happy to hear! Now if we can just stop poor Adam from having a heart attack due to steep cardio challenges at 14,000 feet! ❤️
Haha love it! Just remember to start slow but keep progressing -- sometimes people go too hard with the first one and get injured or discouraged. The trick is just being out there in beautiful nature and getting addicted to it, and then the in shape part almost takes care of itself! ❤️
"red sky at night, sailor's delight.......red sky in morning, sailor take warning" As quoted from my now deceased father who served on the USS Saugatuck during WWII.
Love it, Steve! Big cheers to your dad's memory -- you know how proud we are of our wonderful military and those who serve in it, and love that you honor him and still remember great sayings like that! ❤️
Haha I totally understand that! I almost threw up getting back to the Keyhole. It's just such a long time being at high altitude, it can be really hard on the stomach. But congrats on getting this beast done -- it's a beauty! --A
Yes Maria it wasn't too crowded in early October. It also helped that we started fairly late for filming purposes, because we wanted to capture the sunrise right there above the tree line and also be well behind the other day-climbers. So we met people who were on their way down while we were going up, but coming up later meant we had a nice little window where we got to be all alone in most of the really cool spots, including on that beautiful summit snack spot! ❤️
Yes there were definitely a few places on the back side where it was a bit slippery -- sometimes from lichen, sometimes from ice, and sometimes just because the rock was so polished. But keeping multiple points of contact and finding good handholds makes if very doable and fun! ❤️
We were out there for about 12 hours total, but honestly a lot of that was just sitting and eating breakfast after sunrise so we could be the last ones going up for filming purposes, and not have anyone photobombing our shots. There were also several other pretty long filming-related delays. Without filming, I'd say it would be somewhere around 9 hours. ❤️
We already did it, Kyle! We took the Black Cloud route a couple years ago and absolutely loved it -- the video turned out well and you can see it in our videos you just need to scroll back a couple years! ❤️
