East Overhang

Approach:

Come towards the Pullman car from below via any route such as Freeway. From either directly below the car or from the North, climb up and under a overhanging crack system on the lowest section of the east side. There are two cracks here, about 8' apart. The leftmost of these is the climb you seek. It can be identified by an old fixed pin in the bottom of it. There is a comfortable belay from gear at a good stance (need a long cordalette to be comfy sitting) perhaps 15 feet below the crack system. The crack to the right is rounded and looks difficult to protect... (it goes 5.12, R).

Crux pitch:

Climb from this up the crack, clipping the single good pin, then pacing a few cams and nuts. The crack increases in difficulty with each move upwards, culminating in a crux as you pull onto the slab up above after 25' of this crack (perhaps 50 feet in all from the belay). This crux has been traditionally rated 5.10d or 5.10+, but felt harder than most 5.10's I have done in the Flatirons. If not recently climbed, some dirt and lichen might make this feel like 5.11a, but only for a short crux section of hard climbing. Bigger hands might make this easier, and a full brushing can't hurt. If you do it, be sure to leave it clean!

You will have to stop and belay at some point... so either belay just above the overhang on a nest of so-so cams and/or tricams. It will help you help your partner ratchet and hang-dog up the crux... Or you can run up about perhaps 40 additional feet to belay from nuts at the bottom of a well-protected finger crack. This is perhaps 15' left of the north edge of the East-facing slab of the Pullman Car.

Finish:

Finish by climbing a long pitch up the 5.3 slab to the top.

Belay from the bowl up top. To descend, downclimb to the West then South or to the Northwest.

A light rack with a set of stoppers and cams from 1" to 4". There is a single fixed pin at the base of the crux pitch of this route.

A few medium tricams might give positive margin to the belay after the crux pitch, but it is OK without them.