Class 3 Routes Suggestions

[justiner]

No hand climbing just means you're good at climbing, with no hands



Not the Third, but the First - which is much harder, sees ridiculous climbs on it all the time. Who wants pizza!

pizza.jpg

https://www.instagram.com/p/BV2P2jGF1R4/

I can essentially do the Second 99% hand-less. It's a silly fun thing to try.

[jerseybrian]

1) Buzz Burrell told me he climbed the 3rd to the top w/o hands and I believe him. Buzz has terrific balance.

2) The Homestretch is rated class 3 in Roach's books. He's way more of an authority than me or just about anyone. But I also agree with him. To me Class 3 means "you might use your hands", which pretty much describes the Homestretch. MOST people will definitely use their hands.

Ok. After watching that bouldering video Justin put on i'd say the possibility is there. Just seems a bit long to do with no hands at all. That guy with the pizza is hilarious too! He is holding on with his hand just to point out though. I work at Whole Foods too that's funny. I've hiked up and down the homestretch the last 2 times too so I guess it's all about breaking your own standards. Last time I drank 2 double IPA's at the top and was just singing and laughing going down. My friend was so scared! The flatirons I will use my hands for now.

[buirechain]

Thanks all for the suggestions and the discussion, even the off topic parts.

Wait! There's been a thread on this before?????

Yeah, maybe I should have been clearer from the get go (probably put it in the title). I found a few of those threads, but none that focus on my criteria. Found some good options eventually though.

If you're specifically looking to climb Long's, I wouldn't worry so much about a few moves but I'd focus more on the endurance required to go 15mi RT and 5000ft. The walk out is legendary - practice walking 7 miles after you're already totally spent. Then you'll do fine.

Haven't done that yet this year, but I did Hague's peak followed by a circuit around Mummy last year. 20 miles and a mile. I have a few hikes between now and then which will approach the distance and elevation gain, and generally feel in better shape than last year (mostly because I've gotten my iron up). I'll be fine on the hike down. (I was on the side of Longs on Sunday feeling that I would have had plenty of energy in my legs and might have just gone for it if it was class 1 or 2, I had the water and had prepped for the altitude and maybe a couple other things [in short I was having an easy time passing people who were planning to summit]).It's not even necessarily the moves that I want to practice, just the muscle strength, because right now just doing a couple of class 3 moves will have me feeling my upper body muscles the next day. When I'm not hiking, I'm biking, so I'm not worried about my legs. I just don't want to waste energy in the scramble parts because those muscles aren't working as efficiently as necessary. Plus, I figure I'm better off having the balance control and hand strength (if necessary), so I am in full control next to the giant drop off.

It's also good to know that Long's isn't as bad as the rangers make it sound. Okay, I know they're trying to scare the tourists, but anything with its death count has my attention (though Sawtooth between Bierstadt and Evans which I did last year probably has a higher per capita mortality, just few over all).

Does that pizza guy deliver to the top of Long's? Because I imagine I'll be able to eat a whole pie before heading done. (Okay, probably not, given the effect of altitude on my stomach). I doubt he could get it there in 30 minutes or less, so it'd be free!

[Sglm14]

Hello all,

I'm currently planning on ascending Long's Peak in mid August. I'm normally a class 1/2 hikers so I'm not worried about the walk up. I'm not really worried about the class 3 either since I occasionally do short sections of scrambling (I also went across Sawtooth Ridge between Bierstadt and Evans last year) and I've done at least one class 4 move. But I would like a chance to practice class 3, build up those muscles a bit, and get more comfortable before doing that at elevation and with exposure.

So, my question is where to find good routes. Because whenever I google for class 3, I end up getting results about day care classes, or Karate classes. So, I live in Fort Collins, and I'm wondering where in the Fort Collins area and in the lower reaches of RMNP on the east side and that general area, are good, long stretches of level 3 (preferably with minimum exposure). Are there lists? Do any of you have suggestions.

I'm really looking for places where I can get a work out that a real climber would balk at as boring. I tend to go out more for the views and the like, and not as much the moment to moment interplay between me and the mountain.

I also saw suggestions for beginners to find places to go class 3 when it's not essential. Any suggestions on that? I'm wondering, since I like lake hikes, if alpine likes that are surrounded on a couple of sides by steep rock would be good places to play around with class three.

Thanks in advance!

Try Mt Lady Washington which is a 13er next to Longs. It's
Class3 with scrambling and big boulder hopping.

[WishIWasInTheMts]

Try Mt Lady Washington which is a 13er next to Longs. It's Class3 with scrambling and big boulder hopping.

Mt. Lady Washington has an absolutely stunning view of the Diamond, and definitely worth doing for that reason alone. But there is absolutely no way it is class 3. Solid class 2.

[Sglm14]

Try Mt Lady Washington which is a 13er next to Longs. It's Class3 with scrambling and big boulder hopping.

Mt. Lady Washington has an absolutely stunning view of the Diamond, and definitely worth doing for that reason alone. But there is absolutely no way it is class 3. Solid class 2.

I would agree with you except that's what this site classifies it. Lol. I did in the month of January and didn't find it that bad. I had more trouble getting up and down Windom and Windom is difficult class 2 apparently. I just climb to enjoy the summit. Don't know much abt the classifications

[WishIWasInTheMts]

Try Mt Lady Washington which is a 13er next to Longs. It's Class3 with scrambling and big boulder hopping.

Mt. Lady Washington has an absolutely stunning view of the Diamond, and definitely worth doing for that reason alone. But there is absolutely no way it is class 3. Solid class 2.

I would agree with you except that's what this site classifies it. Lol. I did in the month of January and didn't find it that bad. I had more trouble getting up and down Windom and Windom is difficult class 2 apparently. I just climb to enjoy the summit. Don't know much abt the classifications

I just wanted to make sure the OP wasn't going into it expecting something totally different than they would find and end up disappointed. I definitely agree with you on Windom, that one was trickier than I thought . And I like your outlook, too! Hiking is all about enjoying the experience and the summit. And MLW is a very worthy one.

[rijaca]

MLW is Class 2. The route classification on this site is wrong. And no less an authority than Gerry Roach calls it Class 2.

And the views are great....

Longs Peak.JPG

[peter303]

A class 3 move is when you *must* use your arm strength to get from point A to point B. A class 3 hike contains many of these moves. You could even argue the Mt Evans Summit Lake approach contains a class 3 move getting from the ridge to the top of the plateau. But since its 95% defined walking trail, it is mostly class 1. I find gym weight work on your arms and shoulders helps a lot in class 3 areas.

[dpage]

MLW is Class 2. The route classification on this site is wrong. And no less an authority than Gerry Roach calls it Class 2.

I think the MLW page is confusing. The route that has the class 3 designation is a combination of MLW which the route author calls class 2 and Storm Peak which he did a class 3 route on.

[rijaca]

MLW is Class 2. The route classification on this site is wrong. And no less an authority than Gerry Roach calls it Class 2.

I think the MLW page is confusing. The route that has the class 3 designation is a combination of MLW which the route author calls class 2 and Storm Peak which he did a class 3 route on.

Then the route classification is doubly wrong. Storm Peak is also Class 2.

[mtnjim]

MLW can have a significant amount of class 3 on the upper section heading directly from Chasm Junction. Generally, left of the center will require more class 3, while going a bit to the right one can arc around the steeper stuff. Some Class 3 if you seek it out, Class 2 if that's your preference. It's really fairly obvious from Chasm Junction.

JimS