New Routes on the East Face of Longs Peak. Tex Bossier and I made several new routes on the east face of Longs Peak during June of 1963. The difficult Grey Pillar route begins 120 feet right of the Diagonal. The first two leads ascend a steep aid crack. When we were 220 feet up, we traversed left at the base of a 7-inch-wide crack to the bottom of a huge open-book, up which we nailed for 100 feet. We then surmounted some small roofs. From here on the climbing followed steep cracks up beautiful slabs to Broadway, which we reached at the end of two days of continuous climbing. NCCS IV, with three bolts and many pitons. The Crack of Delight begins between the North Chimney and Crags Crack. Tex and I started up a wet chimney. We followed a crack system for 200 feet and then traversed left for 30 feet to another crack, which we climbed, all free, to Broadway, in a climb of 3½ hours. NCCS II, F7. The complicated Zig Zag route begins 300 feet right of the North Chimney. The first lead ascended a steep dihedral for 140 feet to a belay in an overhanging corner. From here we traversed right across a steep slab using knife-blades for protection. The next pitch climbed a grassy corner for 40 feet before traversing right to a grassy, curving ramp, which we followed to Broadway. The ascent took 3½ hours. NCCS II, F7, A2. The Red Wall took us 6½ hours of vertical climbing. We started up the first lead of the Tiptoe route and continued up the ramp above for 90 feet to a broken area. Then we climbed the curving flakes above, with protection and aid, for 450 feet vertically until we joined the Chasm View cut-off route, which we followed to Chasm View. NCCS III, F7, A2. In 1964 Pat Ament and I climbed the Overhang Dihedral, between Crags Crack and the Crack of Delight. The entire route follows an open-book, cut by several roofs, all the way to Broadway. The climb is largely direct aid with sling belays. Running water on the roofs created the main problem of the climb. NCCS II, F7, A8. Tex Bossier and I completed the direct ascent of the Diagonal Route in 14 hours of very difficult climbing. After four hours of enjoyable climbing, we were at the normal traverse area. From there we continued straight up the cracks above. The climbing, mostly aid, was time-consuming. About 400 feet below Broadway, a storm hit us and we finished the climb at dusk after hours of wet, dangerous climbing under winter conditions. NCCS V, F7, A8.

Layton Kor