GUIDEBOOK OF INSTALLED ROUTES

Here is a list of new or updated routes in the Flatirons since the FCC and OSMP began with the MOUs in 2003. Route details are in the posts below.

GREEN MOUNTAIN

Third Flatiron

*Direct West Face aka Western Skyline (5.11b; one or two pitches); FA: Roger Briggs, Dave Turner, Bill Briggs, Matt Samet, many others, 2009: A technical aesthetic, continually challenging climb directly up the lime-green arête on the west face of the Third, left of Saturday’s Folly. Begin on Saturday’s Folly for 20 feet, plug gear, then step left across the scoop to chase 5 bolts up the blunt arête. Move into a 5.10 finger crack (TCUs) through a bulge, then belay off hand-sized cams on a small ledge just above, or continue if linking pitches. From here, gear plus four bolts leads you up and slightly left, then out the big roof to finish on an exciting arête. Belay at the big ledge, then rap the normal descent; bring a standard rack up to hands (gold Camalot) size. Use longs lings if doing this as one pitch.

DINOSAUR MOUNTAIN

Der Zerkle:

•Bar None (5.8); FA: David Turner and Terry Murphy, 2004: This is the leftmost route on the southwest face of Der Zerkle — the long hueco’ed wall facing the Mallory Cave and also home to Hot if You’re Not, What if You’re Not, etc. Begin about 20 feet left of What if You’re Not, following four bolts past fun huecos to a double-bolt anchor. The climbing is slightly easier if you finish left of the last bolt, around the arête.

•Feeling Lucky (5.10a); FA: Chris Archer, Al “Poncho” Torrisi, John Bragg, Monica Fitzgerald, 2012: This is the second bolted route from the left on the southwest face of Der Zerkle — the long hueco’ed wall facing the Mallory Cave and also home to Hot if You’re Not, What if You’re Not, etc. Feeling Lucky starts down and right of the climb Bar None, described above. Climb a thin 5.9 section to a ledge. From here, fun jug hauling over a roof leads past the third bolt to a decision: head left directly up the bolt line on surprisingly good finger rails at 10- or head right on jugs that lower the difficulty. Five bolts total to a double-bolt anchor.

•Wing Ding (5.10c): This is the fourth bolted route from the left on the southwest face of Der Zerkle — the long hueco’ed wall facing the Mallory Cave and also home to Hot if You’re Not, What if You’re Not, etc. Begin on a moderate flake feature down and right of What If You’re Not to get established up to the break. From here, follow four bolts up gently overhanging hueco’ed rock on the right side of the pocket-studded headwall feature. Double-bolt anchors at the lip. This is a 2012 reinstall of an existing climb from 1989 that was subsequently chopped.

•Hot If You’re Not (5.11): This is the fifth bolted route from the left on the southwest face of Der Zerkle — the long hueco’ed wall facing the Mallory Cave. In 2012, the former first bolt, chopped at some point in the late 1980s, was reinstalled. It’s useful to stick-clip this bolt to protect the opening boulder-problem crux.

•Touch Monkey (5.11b): A new first bolt was added in 2012, doing away with a long runout off the ground to reach the former first bolt out in the roof.

Frankenstein’s Castle:

•Street Hassle (5.12c): A new first bolt was added in spring 2011, bringing the total bolt count on this existing climb (FA: Paul Glover, Hank Caylor; 1987) to five and doing away with the need for a stick clip of the high (former) first bolt.

Der Freischutz:

•The Horn (5.13d); FA: Jonathan Siegrist: This six-bolt climb, on the northwest arete/prow of Der Freischutz, was installed in 2009 and freed in spring 2010. It features steepening 5.11 and 5.12 climbing up to a wild, exposed, very difficult boulder-problem on the steepest part of the overhang.

The Hand:

•Cardboard Cowboy (5.11c): A new final bolt was added to this existing climb (FA: Paul Glover, 1987) in autumn 2010, doing away with a 20-foot runout to the anchor and bringing the total bolt count to five.

Red Devil:

•Hell Freezes Over (pitch one: 10a; pitch two: 12a); FA: Chris Archer, Sarah Spaulding, Alan Higham, Nick Archer, 2004: This is the leftmost of two quality sport climbs on the south face of the Red Devil. Begin at the obvious switchback staging area below the first pitch, along the climber’s-access trail to The Box, Back Porch, etc. The first pitch is 95 feet and has 11 bolts, with the crux on the smooth lower slab (can be done at about 5.9 by stepping slightly right). Belay at or descend from double bolts. The crux second pitch starts off the big ledge and climbs past four bolts on the overhanging scoop to arête, with tough lock-offs to incut crimpers; finish far left at a double-bolt and chain anchor. You can rap the route, or scramble off left (west) from the ledge below the second pitch. Great position and views of Boulder!

•Paradise Lost (5.9); FA: Kyle Lefkoff, Tim Snipes, Strappo Hughes, 2006: This is the rightmost of two quality sport climbs on the south face of the Red Devil. Begin at the switchback staging area along the climber’s-access trail to The Box, Back Porch, etc. Follow nine bolts up a steep, featured face with cruxes coming over various bulges and negotiating left-leaning ramps. Descend from double bolts (60-meter rope mandatory). A good climb on sunny, cooler days or summer afternoons.

Dinosaur Rock:

•Pretty in Pinkler (5.11d); FA: Matt Samet, Paul Glover, 2011: This is the leftmost sport climb on the north face of Dinosaur Rock, down off the switchbacks along the Mallory Cave trail. Eight bolts take you to double-bolt anchors at the top of a little semi-detached spire. Begin by climbing onto a block at the base of the wall; clip high, step left, and move up the arete until a crux pocket traverse takes you back right along the hanging roof. From here move up fluted rock via crimpers as the angle eases off.

•The Shaft (5.12b); FA: Paul Glover, Matt Samet, 2010: This is the second from the left of the five sport climbs on the north face of Dinosaur Rock, down off the switchbacks along the Mallory Cave trail. Ten bolts take you to double-bolt anchors at the lip: sixty-meter rope MANDATORY. Begin below the big down-pointing flake, passing a nice finger pocket; move left into the groove then climb the steep face to a rest in a pod. From the pod, step left and ride the wild, pumpy, sustained “Shaft” tufa to the top of the wall.

•Patience Face (5.12a); FA: Paul Glover, Matt Samet (first lead: Derek Peavey) 2012: This is the third from the left of the five sport climbs on the north face of Dinosaur Rock, down off the switchbacks along the Mallory Cave trail. It shares the first five bolts with The Shaft before stepping right onto the wide black streak/tufa feature, which it follows past another nine bolts all the way to the top of the wall. Various cruxes are interspersed with 5.10 and 5.11 climbing, as well as lots of “pod” rests. 70-METER ROPE IS MANDATORY. 14 bolts total to a double-bolt anchor. It’s helpful to put a long sling on the fifth bolt for rope drag, and to unclip the last bolt when lowering to keep your rope from rubbing.

•Milk Bone (5.13a); FA: Matt Samet, Chris Weidner, 2009: This is the third from the left of the four sport climbs on the north face of Dinosaur Rock, right above the Mallory Cave trail. Follow 11 bolts up a sustained, gently overhanging tufa-like feature and then step left to anchors at the lip of the wall. The first bolt is about 40 feet up as you step left onto the face proper from the fourth-class ramp. Sixty-meter rope MANDATORY and will just get you back to the staging/belay area (tie a knot in the end of your rope!). Good shady testpiece for the summer months.

•Ultrasaurus (aka Über-Pwnage (5.13a); FA: Matt Samet, Ted Lanzano, 2009: This is the rightmost sport climb on the north face of Dinosaur Rock, right above the Mallory Cave trail. Begin as for Milk Bone, clipping its first two bolts to get onto the mid-wall ledge (unclip the first bolt once you’re into the second). Now stay right up the double-overhanging corner, turn the large roof, move up overhanging huecos to a rest, and then up the black-and-green streaked headawall. 16 clips total; 70-meter rope MANDATORY (and tie a knot in the end of it). The climb finishes right at the point of the wall/rock.

•Pink Man’s Burden (5.11+; two pitches); FA: Paul Glover, Matt Samet, spring 2010: This is a two pitch sport line on the southwest side of Dinosaur Rock. Scramble around the eastern toe of Dinosaur Rock then head along its south face, to a good ledge on the far left side of the face. Move up easy-fifth class ramps and step right onto a ledge (0.5 Camalot/Metolius No. 3 helpful for rope management), then head up the steep, left-trending chocolate-colored band into the hanging bombay slot; pull up and in, and then continue left (5.8) along the west face of the rock via pods to a two-bolt belay. It’s helpful to pre-clip the second bolt on this pitch.

The second pitch (pre-clip the first bolt off the belay) climbs up the wildly overhanging but nicely featured, pocketed headwall. End at anchors at the lip. With a 70-meter rope, you can rappel from the top anchors back to the staging area below the route.

•Tracks Are for Kids (5.10): FA: as a toprope, unknown; as a lead, Steve Annecone: Tracks Are for Kids is the left of the three bolted lines on the overhanging, west-facing hueco’ed fin of rock on the west-southwest side of the Dinosaur Rock formation. To get here, hike up into the notch below the west side of Dinosaur Rock, then pick your way down the  gully that leads south into Bear Canyon; take care to stay on rock slabs to mitigate erosion. Climb five bolts past consistently overhanging huecos to a new set of anchors at the lip, installed March 2012 to replace the existing, rusty-chain anchors. Very fun climbing!

•Big Bob Cranks (5.9+): This is the middle of the three bolted lines on the overhanging, west-facing hueco’ed fin of rock on the west-southwest side of the Dinosaur Rock formation. To get here, hike up into the notch below the west side of Dinosaur Rock, then pick your way down the  gully that leads south into Bear Canyon; take care to stay on rock slabs to mitigate erosion. Climb four bolts up the steep, hueco’ed face to a new, lower set of anchors at the lip of the wall (or continue past the original fifth bolt, up and over the slab, to the anchors on Tracks Are for Kids). Hardware updated and new anchor installed in spring 2012.

•Triceratops Tracks (5.10+); This is the rightmost of the three bolted lines on the overhanging, west-facing hueco’ed fin of rock on the west-southwest side of the Dinosaur Rock formation. To get here, hike up into the notch below the west side of Dinosaur Rock, then pick your way down the  gully that leads south into Bear Canyon; take care to stay on rock slabs to mitigate erosion. Climb three bolts past overhanging fins to anchors over the lip. Hardware and anchors updated in spring 2012.

BEAR CANYON

Overhang Rock

•Honey Badger (5.13a); FA: Ben Sachs, Chandler Van Schaack (2013): This is a 40-meter pitch two routes to the right of Snakewatching, on the west face of Overhang Rock. 14 lead bolts + two sets of double-bolt anchors; 70-meter rope is MANDATORY, and KNOT THE END! The route can be done in one or two pitches.  P1: 4 bolts, 5.12a — From the ramp, crank though a low bulge and then move up the arete/scoop to double-bolt anchors. P2: 10 bolts, 5.13a — Multiple cruxes on thin face holds and turning the various roofs lead to anchors at the top of the wall. To descend, lower from the top to the midway anchor, pull the rope, and  rap/lower again back to the belay ramp.

•Ouroboros (5.13a); FA: Chandler Van Schaack (2014): This is a 40-meter pitch one route to the right of Snakewatching, on the west face of Overhang Rock. The climb has 18 lead bolts plus two two-bolt anchors; 70-meter rope is MANDATORY and KNOT THE END! P1 is 60 feet long and goes at 5.12a, while linking P1 and P2 is 5.13a and goes to the top of the wall. Face-climb up to the long curving arch feature and into the long green streak above, with multiple cruxes encountered along the way.

Seal Rock

•Choose Life (5.13+); FA: Matt Samet, Ted Lanzano, Paul Glover, 2012 (toprope: 2002): This is a 30-meter pitch midway along the south face of Seal Rock, and climbs an obvious wide black streak up a consistently overhanging wall past 13 bolts to a double-bolt anchor over the final bulge, on the slab. Long/extendo draws are useful down low and on a few other clips for rope drag and stancing. Also useful: A Metolius 6 (green, or No. 1 Camalot) between the second and third bolts, and a Metolius 2 (yellow, or a yellow C3) between bolts three and four—at least your first time through the route before long draws are hanging.

•Thunder Muscle (5.14-); FA: Matt Samet, Ted Lanzano (2013): Climb the first three bolts of Choose Life then, instead of going left, continue straight up the bulging rock above along tufa-like features, aiming for a “heart” hueco at midheight where you can rest. Multiple bouldery cruxes define the line, which steps right when the tufa ends to a scooped ramp then comes back left to finish on diagonal pods up the headwall.

•North Face Rappel Route (Sea of Joy): The often-used north-face rappel route, down the three-pitch climb Sea of Joy, has been updated (11/12) with stainless-steel hardware. Work completed by Terry Murphy. Info below:

• P1 anchor – bolts and hangers (2 each)
• P2 anchor – bolts (2); one hanger with double rappel rings, one hanger with quick-links and chain.
• P3 – bolts and hangers (2 each); two existing chains and quick-links reattached to new bolts and hangers.

The P3 anchor is the standard summit rappel (162’ to ground). The P2 anchor (112’ to ground or 100’ with downclimbing) is used by parties rapping with one 60m rope—knotted rope-ends highly advised! The P1 anchors are off to the side of the rappel line, and hence were not updated with rappel hardware.

FERN CANYON

The Goose

•Big Bruce (5.12a); FA: Chris Beh, Bob Ratliff (2014): This is a long face and overhang climb uphill and left of Raging Bull, on the southwest face of The Goose. 10 protection bolts lead to double-bolt anchors. Sustained climb with a building pump leads to a high crux.

•Golden Goat (5.11); FA: Bret Ruckman, Steve Annecone (2014): Golden Goat climbs up the steep, yellow and orange wall just right of Sweet and Innocent. It’s sustained 5.10 and 5.11- climbing on buckets for the most part, with a crux finish up top. Although there are some vertical bits, it overhangs about 5 degrees on average. 9 bolts to double-bolt anchors.

The Slab

•Film Noir (5.12c/d); FA: Chris Beh, 2009-2011: This is 30-meter (60-meter rope MANDATORY), 13-bolt face climb up a beautiful black streak on the north face of the Slab, 25 feet right of Just Another Boy’s Climb. Six bolts of slab climbing (5.10+) take you to a small stance below the obvious overhanging headwall and the streak, which climbs past seven more bolts to the top.

The crux, a heigh-dependent reach/pop/leap, comes at the base of the steep rock as you enter the streak, and then leads into sustained 5.12- climbing up the headwall.

•Shalosh (5.12a); FA: Chris Beh, Erik Fedor, Anders Fridberg, 2009: This is the nine-bolt route up the northeast-facing buttress/pillar immediately left of Family Man, on the north face of The Slab. Climb up a steepening slab to a roof encounter (5.11) to a small stance at a finger seam (small TCUs here). Move up to the base of the pillar, and then crank up ever-more difficult terrain past four bolts to a crux getting to the anchor on slopey sidepulls. A demanding, technical route.

•Family Man (5.12a+); FA: Chris Beh, Matt Samet, Phil Gruber, 2008: This is the long, pumpy route through multiple tiers of roofs left of the 1980s 5.12 Boys with Power Toys. It can be identified by red-brown hangers, and starts behind a small pine tree. Climb a slab up to and through the first roof (5.11), hang on tightly for the crux second roof, negotiate more overhanging terrain, and finish up a black headwall on quality stone to double-bolt anchors. 60-meter rope mandatory. A classic for the grade.

•s00krEEm (5.13b); FA: Matt Samet, Ted Lanzano, Paul Glover, 2008; top anchors and two directionals installed by Chris Beh and Kurt Smith, 1988: s00krEEm is basically the first climb you come to when approaching The Slab on the climbers’ trail. It climbs past nine bolts on a rainbow-streaked, bulging wall on the right side of The Slab’s north face. 5.11 face climbing leads to a sustained boulder problem out the bulge, to more crimpy face moves on a headwall; finish out the big roof to an easier slab, to double-bolt anchors.

•k00kEEz n’ krEEm (5.12+/13-); FA: Ted Lanzano, Matt Samet, 2009: Find this climb as the north face blends into the west, wrapping uphill and right; it’s about 50 feet left of the 5.11d Whipping Post. Climb 12 bolts up the clean, monolithic face to a looming summit roof (60-meter rope mandatory!). The bouldery, crimpy, temperature-dependent crux comes down low, followed by more quality face climbing and a 5.12 finish.

•Prime the Pump (5.12c); FA: Matt Samet ,Greg Belinski, 2012: This is the leftmost route on the “Undertow” headwall, the big overhang on the west face of the Slab. Can be done in two pitches, or one pitch with a 60m rope—long slings and some unclipping as you go are helpful. The first pitch is 5.11+ with six bolts, and the second pitch is 5.12c with seven bolts. Each pitch has its own anchor. The first pitch begins on a low arete right on the approach trail along the west face of the Slab; the second pitch rails right along a big flake feature to a black streak to finish.

•Pen 15 (5.12a/13a); FA: Matt Samet, Chris Weidner: This is a two-pitch climb up the left-central part of the Slab’s very overhanging west face, about 50 feet right of the corner where Whipping Post starts. The entire climb is only 30 meters long, but it’s still best to break it into two pitches, for rope management and drag. Pitch one (5.12a; seven bolts): Start at the big undercling crack and move out the dark-purple bulge, passing three bolts. Head right on the ledge, then engage an overhanging bucket haul past four more bolts to an anchor over the lip. Pitch two (5.13b; seven bolts): A hard boulder problem starts the big swell, followed by more crimping and right-slanting moves on diagonal rails. Anchors up and left of the big pothole at the lip.

•s00pr kr33m (5.13a); FA: Matt Samet, Ted Lanzano: This is a 10-bolt, single-pitch climb about 50 feet left of Undertow, up a very overhanging panel on the broad west face of the Slab. A 70-meter rope is MANDATORY and you might possibly want some small TCUs (to finger size) and a wired nut or two for the opening slab (5.7), though this can be avoided by walking out the ledge from Undertow and dropping your rope down to your belayer, on the ground. From the ledge, climb a short corner past three bolts to a perplexing lip encounter, then a nice stance. From here, seven more bolts of climbing take you up the ever-steepening, ever-cruxier headwall to anchors at the lip.

•Sweet Niblitz (5.12d); FA: Matt Samet, Rui Ferreira, Paul Glover, 2008: This is the overhanging wall just right of Undertow, on the west face of The Slab, beginning about 10 feet right. Pre-clip the first bolt and engage a tough, shouldery boulder problem followed by 8 more bolts of pumpy 5.12a climbing. The route flows better if you stay left of the bolts through the middle third, though it can be done on the right. Finish at double-bolt anchors up and right.

•Hippopotamus (5.10d); FA: Paul Glover, Matt Samet, Kevin Riley, 2009: This is the short (50 feet; 5 bolts) climb on the ledge right of Sweet Niblitz. Stand high on the ledge, clip the first bolt, layback the big flake, then move into pumpy, juggy territory and up into the black scoop to finish. Anchors are over the final ledge. A great moderate and a good warm-up for the harder stuff at the Slab.

BEAR PEAK

The Maiden

•Hasta la Hueco (5.12d—so far); FA: Bret Ruckman, Steve Annecone (2013): This route works up to and follows the striking, wildly hueco’d wall up the middle of the south face of the Maiden. Pitch 1 (trad) starts just right of a large juniper tree, directly below the “Stone Oven Belay” (top of 1st pitch of the South Face route). Look for the juggy holds over a small roof and start there. Pull the roof low, step up right onto a slab, and work up to a ramp, following it up left and then straight up to a red/chocolate roof, moving right over airy ground to the belay ledge (5.9 or 10-). The second pitch is the business and fires up the continuously overhung, bullet-proof, patina’d wall. The first 5 bolts travel through juggy 5.10+ or 11- terrain to a stance just past the 5th bolt. From there, power up sustained 5.12 moves to a break above the 8th bolt, then finish it up to the top via one more cruxy section. Only a very light rack is needed for the first pitch, from small nuts/RPs to a #2 Camalot. Bring 4 or 5 long slings to minimize drag. For the second pitch, 9 bolts lead to a 2-bolt anchor. There’s also an optional old pin to clip a few feet above the belay if desired.

SOUTH BOULDER PEAK

The Matron

•Serpentine Dreams (5.12b); FA: Steve Annecone, Bret Ruckman (2014): This is a sustained thin-face climb on the west end of the north face of the Matron. It has 13 lead bolts (plus a 1.25″ Cam—0.75 Camalot) to the existing rappel anchors atop the first pitch of the West Face climb. Climb a chimney to a high first bolt, move along a rightward traverse (5.11), then continue up the blank, continuously difficult face. 70-METER ROPE MANDATORY!