Northeast Face

Locate the Fifth Flatiron, and then on its lower right-hand side, find a 3' wide chimney with a few resident trees, called The North Chimney.

To the right of The North Chimney, the face reaches a low point on the northern-most margin of the East Face. From this low point, climb up the entire Flatiron to the ridge up top. The rock is good and solid but has more lichen than the popular routes on the First-Third Flatirons. This route gets, and deserves, a star in Rossiter's book.

I will describe the route as we did it with a 70m rope, with a few notes from my observations of another party with a 60m. Generally speaking, if you want more gear or an escape due to not finding a belay stance or not wanting to simul-climb a bit, escape south (climber's left) to one of the many places inside The North Chimney where a belay is available.

P1: Start up and go 60m to a belay at some flakes (cams for gear) or 72M (6' of simul climbing with a 70m rope) to a good "butt bucket" and good cams in flakes. There is a 2-inch X 3-inch "pocket" of a crack about 30 or 40 feet up that looks like it offers a good hold or good gear. FORGET IT! It holds a nest of wasps, and upon my rude intrusion, I was reminded of why we leave wasps alone. The climb goes easily well right of this feature and the bugs need not be disturbed/provoked.

P2: From either belay, continue up the right edge past a shelf with a little tree and again to the rope's end if you can. There is a good stance and some flakes to place cams/tricams in. This is another 60-70m pitch from the upper belay previously described. If you start from the lower belay of P1, you will not reach this on a 60m rope without simul-climbing. It is best to just use a 70m.

P3: Continue upward from the belay and reach the ridge, starting to move left. There is reasonable gear up on the ridge, including some slinging of pockets and holes, as well as a few cracks. Use the 70m rope to reach a stopper crack and good stance on the ridge, or do a little simul-climbing (about 20') to reach a great "butt-bucket" and good cracks on a notch on the ridge.

P4: Climb the beautiful ridge to the summit and rap 70' to the ground from the good eye-bolt.

Ha!!! The Flatirons book gives this an S. As you know, in the flats, the default is 'S', which means this route is really VS. There is pro to be had here and there but not much. Take a set of tricams and some cams, 1.5" - 3.5".