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Diamond, Komito Freeway: D7 P1&2 (5.10b, 2-3p) + Yellow Wall P4 (5.10a, 1p) + Forrest Finish P1&1.5.5 + Black Dagger P5 (5.10b, 2p)

The Diamond

Route:

Komito Freeway: D7 P1&2 + Yellow Wall P4 + Forrest Finish P1&1.5.5 + Black Dagger P5

5.10b, 2p + 5.10a, 1p + 5.10b, 1p + 5.10b, 1p

A nice 5.10b link-up of pitches.

The trip reports on this page represent the 24th and 27th times I have climbed the Diamond.

Region: Colorado
Elev: 14,255 ft (Longs Peak); 13,700 ft (Table Ledge at top of route)
Rock: Granite
Mode: 
Trip Report 1:
Komito Freeway + Diamond Rappel Route
Date(s): July 18, 2024 (Thu)
Partner(s): Nate Arganbright
Trip Report 2:
Komito Freeway + Kiener's to summit
Date(s): July 29, 2024 (Mon)
Partner(s): Alex Weiser

Related trip reports:

Route Overlay

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Pitch-by-Pitch Trip Reports

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Intro

In 1975, Wayne Goss and Jim Logan made the first free ascent of the Diamond by climbing D7 to Crossover Ledge, taking Yellow Wall for a pitch, climbing a pitch of Forrest Finish, and ending with Black Dagger's final pitch. This link-up of pitches is called "Komito Freeway". This is a great way to climb the Diamond at 5.10b. The route is steep and sustained. Even though it is the second most moderate route on the Diamond, it is quite a big step up from the Casual Route (5.10a, 8p). (Ironically, the first free ascent of the easier Casual Route was in 1978, three years after the first free ascent of the Diamond via the Komito Freeway. The easiest line isn't always the most obvious line.)

I have trip report pages for D7 (5.11c, 5-6p), Yellow Wall to Forrest Finish (5.10d-5.11b, 6p), and Black Dagger (5.11a, 5-6p) (all of which I have climbed more than once), but since "Komito Freeway" (5.10b, 5-6p) is a nice route in itself and the second most moderate way to get to Table Ledge, I made a separate trip report for it.

Nate and I climbed this as our first Diamond route together in 2024. July had been a strong monsoon month, with afternoon thundershowers most days, but we nabbed a midweek "30% thundershowers" day to climb this route. We had a great day on the Diamond. Photos below.

Pitch-by-Pitch Photos

Approach

5.4
North Chimney
We approached via the North Chimney to Broadway Ledge. 
We were in the midst of a strong monsoonal weather pattern (sunny mornings and intense afternoon thundershowers). One day this week had a pretty low percentage chance of an afternoon sytem (only 30%, compared to 70% for all other days), so we decided to make it a Diamond Day!
Diamond glowing in the early morning light. Sunrise was at 5:48am.
Snow of Mills Glacier below the North Chimney. It's generally pretty low angle but there is a section towards the rock that is steeper than it looks.
I'd opted for no traction, but the snow was hard, so for once I was happy another party was ahead of us in the North Chimney and had kicked some shallow steps up the snow.
We soloed the lower North Chimney, but opted to rope up for the exit pitch. (I believe I have soloed the entire North Chimney 17 times, but in the last couple of years—especially the first couple of times up the North Chimney for the season—I prefer a rope on the final pitch.)

Pitches 1-2

D7
Pitch 1. 5.9. Climb the left-facing corner to a good ledge, and continue up to a higher ledge. This is a long pitch (~200 feet). There are lots of fixed pins.

Pitch 2. 5.10a. Start in a left-facing corner and then follow thin corners and cracks to Crossover Ledge. You can also belay on a ledge a bit higher. This is another long pitch (~180-190 feet) with lots of fixed pins.

We usually climb these as two pitches, but we ended up doing it as three pitches on this climb. They are deceptively long pitches and there are just so many fixed anchors and places you can stop.
Start of Pitch 1.
There are numerous pitons on D7, mostly on the lower pitches. It would be interesting to do an actual count, but I would put it somewhere around 50. I asked ChatGTP how many pitons there are on D7, but it did not know.
This would be part of Pitch 1 if getting to Crossover Ledge in two long pitches.
Higher on our second pitch.
This pitch ends at Crossover Ledge.

Pitch 3

5.10a/b
Yellow Wall
Climb a left-facing dihedral above the right end of the ledge, and step right into the Black Dagger crack system. Climb a short ways, then move right again into the Forrest Finish crack and a belay beneath an offwidth section. Or climb up the offwidth, which varies from 12-inch chimney to fingers, and belay above that.
Nate starting up the pitch. After going a short ways up, traverse right.
The offwidth section on this pitch. You can belay below or above this. Nate belayed above.
A garden of King's Crown at the belay at the top of the pitch. Kind of amazing to find a tiny meadow of flowers halfway up the Diamond! Imagine the feat of a seed even getting up here...

Pitch 4

5.10b
Forrest Finish
Continue straight up the crack system. Belay just down and left from the Yellow Wall Bivouac Ledge.
Looking up the pitch.
Steep handcrack towards the end of the pitch. Fun.

Pitch 5

5.10b
Forrest Finish
Continue up the same crack, which begins wide then tapers to a beautiful hand crack, and gain the top of a smooth wall. Slightly easier climbing leads to Table Ledge.
Looking up the start of the final pitch.
Midway up the pitch. I had moved left a bit to climb the crack system rather than stay in the corner on the right. I wonder if this is the 'move left to climb the finish of Black Dagger' that the first free ascent party did. When I climbed the Black Dagger route in 2021, we may have traversed over to this for our final pitch.

Table Ledge to Summit

3rd-4th
Kiener's Route
This involves traversing to the left side of Table Ledge and then scrambling up the blocky shoulder to the summit.
On Table Ledge.
A party on the last pitch of the Casual Route. This was a party of three, where the two followers were 12 and 14 years old. They were having a blast.
Marmot on the summit.

Descent

3rd, rappels, 3rd
Cables Route + Camel Gully
We descended via the Cables Route (3rd class scramble and 1-2 single rope rappels) to Chasm View. Then we descended Camel Gully (3rd) back into Chasm Lake area, and hiked out.
Looking back up the Cables Route after descending.
We checked out the bivy locations at Chasm View. Nate and I have a goal to stay at every bivy zone in RMNP, and we still have to stay at Chasm View someday.
Headed down The Camel Gully back towards Chasm Lake. This isn't the quickest way to get back to the car.
Hiking out around Chasm Lake.
A garden of Alpine Columbine.
As we hiked out, a storm brewed to the east. There was lightning and thunder...
....and then hail. We didn't get struck by lightning, so I enjoyed the experience.
The trail became a bit of a stream.

Intro

For awhile, I'd been trying to get out with Alex, who had reached out to me the previous summer about climbing together. Finally, our schedules aligned for a day and we made plans to do a Diamond ascent. This would be my fifth ascent of the 2024 season, and Alex's first. We decided to climb Komito Freeway. I was psyched to climb it again and lead more of the pitches I had not led (earlier in July I had led the first and last pitches).

It was a warm, stable summer day, perfect for a Diamond ascent. There were about four other parties also enjoying the day (three on Casual Route and one on Pervertical Sanctuary). Alex and I had a fun day climbing together, and we both made it home for our evening obligations (Alex had to work at 5 and I had bootcamp lectures). Our approach and descent times were some of the quickest I have had.

Below are some photos from the day!

Pitch-by-Pitch Photos

Approach

5.4
North Chimney
We approached via the North Chimney to Broadway Ledge. 
Ascending the snow below the North Chimney. My ultralight Black Diamond Blitz spikes are great for this sort of thing.
Looking down the lower North Chimney.
Upper North Chimney, Alex soloing the corner.
We exited left. We did not rope up but we protected the steepest move with a cam.
Alex soloing the left exit. We protected this move with a cam.

Pitch 1

5.9
D7
 Climb the left-facing corner to a good ledge, and continue up to a higher ledge. This is a long pitch (~200 feet). There are lots of fixed pins.

(on other trip reports on this page we have sometimes climbed Pitches 1-2 in 3 shorter pitches)
Looking up from the base of the route. The first pitch of D7 takes the obvious crack right of center.
Looking down Pitch 1. I led to the upper anchor, making for a 200 foot lead of sustained 5.9. What a fun pitch.
Alex following Pitch 1.

Pitch 2

5.10a
D7
Start in a left-facing corner and then follow thin corners and cracks to Crossover Ledge. You can also belay on a ledge a bit higher. This is another long pitch (~180-190 feet) with lots of fixed pins.

(on other trip reports on this page we have sometimes climbed Pitches 1-2 in 3 shorter pitches)
Start of Pitch 2.

Pitch 3

5.10a/b
Yellow Wall
Climb a left-facing dihedral above the right end of the ledge, and step right into the Black Dagger crack system. Climb a short ways, then move right again into the Forrest Finish crack and a belay beneath an offwidth section. Or climb up the offwidth, which varies from 12-inch chimney to fingers, and belay above that.
The offwidth section on this pitch. You can belay below or above this.
Alex following the pitch.

Pitch 4

5.10b
Forrest Finish
Continue straight up the crack system. Belay just down and left from the Yellow Wall Bivouac Ledge.
Start of the pitch (just above the offwidth section).
Splitter!
Alex following the splitter.

Pitch 5

5.10b
Forrest Finish
Continue up the same crack, which begins wide then tapers to a beautiful hand crack, and gain the top of a smooth wall. Slightly easier climbing leads to Table Ledge.
Start of the pitch.
Alex topping out on Table Ledge.

Table Ledge to Summit

3rd-4th
Kiener's Route
This involves traversing to the left side of Table Ledge and then scrambling up the blocky shoulder to the summit.
Table Ledge. My goal is always to get here while it is still sunny.
Looking down on Alex on Table Ledge, as I started up Kiener's Route.
Almost at summit.

Descent

3rd, rappels
Cables Route
We descended via the Cables Route (3rd class scramble and 1-2 single rope rappels) to Chasm View. We regained the trail in the Boulderfield and hiked out.
Looking down Cables Route. We downclimbed this to avoid getting a rope out.
On this hike out, I always pass by this giant piece of quartz and scheme ways to get it to my patio.
Alexander Mountain fire between Loveland and Estes Park. Good thing the wind is blowing west....

Time Stats

The following table has time stats for all climbs I have done on the Diamond, including the climbs of Komito Freeway on this page.

Previous and Next Adventures

Trip Report 1

Audubon - Paiute - Toll - Pawnee Traverse, Indian Peaks, CO
The Book (J-Crack + Cheap Date + Outlander), Lumpy Ridge, CO

Trip Report 2

Hallett Peak (Direct Second Buttress), RMNP CO
The Book (Living Dead, Dead Boy Direct), Lumpy Ridge, CO

Comments Pertaining to this Page / Trip Report

Useful beta. Updated route information. Corrections. Historical notes. Interesting facts. No fluff please.
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