The Diamond (Longs Peak East Face) climbing conditions

About The Diamond (Longs Peak East Face)

The Diamond is North America's most famous alpine rock wall — a million-square-foot vertical face of Silver Plume Granite on the east face of 14,255-foot Longs Peak in Rocky Mountain National Park, above 13,000 feet with a base at roughly 4,000m. First ascended by David Rearick and Bob Kamps on August 1–3, 1960 by a route now known simply as (5.12a free), the wall opened American big-wall alpine climbing east of the Sierra. The modern list: **Casual Route (5.10a, eight pitches)** is the classic entry to the wall — the standard first-Diamond outing for competent alpine parties; **Pervertical Sanctuary (5.11a, six pitches)** — Tobin Sorenson and Bruce Adams freed 1975 — is often called Colorado's best free alpine route; D7 (5.11c, five pitches) and Ariana (5.12a) are the harder classics. Free-climbing season is a narrow window: **mid-July to mid-September** — earlier and afternoon storms and lingering snow shut you down; later and winter conditions arrive. Approach from Longs Peak Trailhead (2,865m) — five miles, about four hours to the base of the North Chimney, which is arguably the most dangerous part of the day due to loose rock. **RMNP timed-entry reservation required** to reach the trailhead in summer; special-use climbing permits are no longer required for groups of 8 or fewer under the EXPLORE Act (Jan 2025). Helmets essential. For per-route beta, climbers reference Bernard Gillett's *Rocky Mountain National Park: The Climbers Guide*; Alpinist has profiled the wall's history.

Region

Longs Peak

Rock type

Granite

Aspect

east-facing

Altitude

13123 ft

Exposure

high

Seepage

low