Rocky Mountain National park -Flattop, Hallett and Otis
Climb Info
Climbed: Sep 2, 2024
Car to Car: 13.5 miles, 4,00ft
Highest Elevation= 12,720 ft (Hallett Summit)
I have been wanting to get up to this section of RMNP for a long while and snagged a last minute permit on Labor day weekend and decided to brave the crowds and give it a go.
Overall the park was pure chaos but the shuttle service and reservations made my day not too bad and probably only cost me 45min waiting for the shuttle on either end as I was only able to snag a 8am entry permit meaning the lots were full. Overall once I turned onto the Flattop trail about 0.2 miles from the bear lake trailhead I lost 99% of the people and had all three summits of the day to myself.
The Climb
Lots of climbing right from the start and pretty typical trees until you pop out into the alpine with the expectation being a nice view of dream lake about ⅓ up the climb. Once into the alpine the views of the north end of rocky mountain impress and once on the summit of flattop you have an incredible view of longs and the rest of the park to the north. It is also crazy how close Grand Lake is when looking to the west. I decided to keep heading along the ridge so next summited Hallett and had the summit to myself and enjoyed a quick snack before heading onward to Otis Peak. This section after Hallett had little defined trail but was that perfect alpine tundra with big rocks that made moving along it easy and fun. This section also held large populations of Pikas and Marmots.
The climb from Hallett to Otis requires you to lose and regain some elevation but this section and the views down Chaos Canyon with Lake Haiyaha’s milky teal color beneath you are well worth it. The views from Otis were my personal favorite of the day with Longs feeling up close and personal and the Sharkstooth and other spires of rock rising from the south. I soaked in these views and looked down to Andrews glacier to see if I could safely sneak around the snow/ice without any traction device and in the end decided to head back the way I came. The run downhill from Flattop to Bear Lake was great and using a Mountain Bike term very flowy. The mellower grade and great trail conditions allowed me to fly down this trail and embrace my inner gazelle.
Overall an awesome day in the park exploring some new summits and views. The fact I had each summit to myself on the most crowded day I have ever seen in the park shows that going up high and taking the harder path allows one to find some serenity even from the most popular trailheads.
