Flatirons partner 1pm-4pm tomorrow? (Tues 4/23/2019)

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NutAgain!

Trad climber
South Pasadena, CA
Topic Author's Original Post - Apr 22, 2019 - 01:06pm PT
Hi gang, business brings me to town. Any Boulderites willing and able to take a long lunch break to do something easy or moderate that gets near a summit?

I fly into DIA @ 11am, have a rental car. I can bring a rope & rack if needed, but would gladly mooch off of you instead to avoid checking luggage.

I'm not familiar with climbing in the area- but it looks fun. I was considering an easy 5th class solo, but between the possibility of wet rock after rain today, my lack of local route & descent knowledge, lack of awareness of raptor closure minutiae, and I want to meet an old friend around 4pm in Boulder... soloing doesn't seem propitious.

Crossing my fingers for a partner....
NutAgain!

Trad climber
South Pasadena, CA
Topic Author's Reply - Apr 22, 2019 - 02:16pm PT
After a bit more homework, my plan B is to solo up Freeway on 2nd Flatiron which seems pretty reasonable.

I'll also have time on Thursday morning (sunrise climb) 4/25 before I fly out ~1:30pm if anyone has the time and inclination to join me. If I don't get a partner for this one, I'll probably skip it.
snakefoot

climber
Nor Cal
Apr 22, 2019 - 03:13pm PT
a little wet around here, be careful of loose crap
JLP

Social climber
The internet
Apr 22, 2019 - 07:37pm PT
Freeway is a good choice. The weather looks good. It’s a fine Plan A and good enough to do twice. Bring for-real rock shoes for your first time. Look at all the pix on MP.com, Google earth and maybe even Strava to get the gist. The guys with running shoes are all on their 100th lap. For an out of towner - for most other classic routes - danger, difficulty and route finding take a big step up from there - IMO, you’d need more time to figure things out. Don’t get on the First, for example.

Also look into a hike up Sanitas.
NutAgain!

Trad climber
South Pasadena, CA
Topic Author's Reply - Apr 22, 2019 - 11:19pm PT
Thanks- I debated just bringing my approach shoes but having regular climbing shoes increases the safety factor.
JLP

Social climber
The internet
Apr 23, 2019 - 06:05am PT
Despite all the pix you see, I go up that thing a lot, most have climbing shoes. For me, if it’s a new route, it’s more about how difficult it is off route.
Tarbuster

climber
right here, right now
Apr 23, 2019 - 07:28am PT
+1 for JLP's opinion here.

Coming from California granite, it's really easy to underestimate what goes on out there on those low/mid 5th class Flatirons.

For free solo, climbing shoes are a good call. As is prior knowledge of the routes. Even going up there roped up, you'll find route finding and protection difficulties which far overplay the actual technical difficulties. Especially if you venture beyond the trade routes. And yes, if you get off route, you can be in for quite a lot of fully unprotected 5.7/5.8 slab sorely lacking in discrete holds. Pure slab, very difficult to reverse, and nowhere to go but up!

I've done The Freeway (yes it's much easier than most of the rest + a good call), and scads of other Flatiron stuff free solo, countless times.

Even freeway can be done differently, and depending upon your choice, you might find a section or two that gets your attention.
For the most part, there are opportunities to traverse off that route if something doesn't feel right.

You're going to dig it, Nut!
NutAgain!

Trad climber
South Pasadena, CA
Topic Author's Reply - Apr 23, 2019 - 07:38am PT
I’m not prideful about busting out the climbing shoes- Early on I had a funny and humbling experience where I took some non-climber friends to castle rocks and thougt I’d show off a little and just use my tennis shoes on something I had pretty wired. I was skating all over creation and made an easy route seem like the climb of my life!

I brought a harness and ATC in my carry-on just in case a partner comes out of the woodworks, but if not, I’m looking forward to the view this afternoon from second flatiron.

Sittin’ on the plane in Burbank now.... Thanks all :)
micronut

Trad climber
Fresno/Clovis, ca
Apr 23, 2019 - 07:41am PT
Bring on the selfies! We want photos of your day out. Check in when you get back. Jealous.

Scott
Tarbuster

climber
right here, right now
Apr 23, 2019 - 07:47am PT
Call me if you want to discuss any of your thoughts or options while you are in town.
I'm in Nederland, 30 min. from downtown Boulder, so a visit may be impractical, but you are certainly welcome to come on up, have breakfast/early lunch on day 2, and chew the fat.

I know most all of those Flatiron routes intimately, and have guidebooks at the ready.
phylp

Trad climber
Upland, CA
Apr 23, 2019 - 08:23am PT
This seems like a good place to admit that after all these years, I still haven’t learned to distinguish Micronut, Macronut, and Nutagain. I’m clearly not paying close enough attention. Are the three of you siblings?
JLP

Social climber
The internet
Apr 23, 2019 - 09:21am PT
Be careful with those selfies...!

https://kdvr.com/2017/08/09/climber-who-took-selfie-before-falling-to-death-on-first-flatiron-identified/
blahblah

Gym climber
Boulder
Apr 23, 2019 - 10:13am PT
And also be careful on the Second Flatiron in general:
https://patch.com/colorado/boulder/man-critically-injured-fall-second-flatiron-sheriff

You may get a little lulled into a false sense of security by the 4th class rating--it seems similar to the standard route of Third (closed for birds now) in difficulty to me, and the Third is rated easy fifth class. (It is true it's possible to escape the Second at many points--it's a reasonable one to do if it looks like possible rain because of that.)

There is a jump on the Second (possible to avoid) that my surgically repaired back doesn't love:
[Click to View YouTube Video]
Tarbuster

climber
right here, right now
Apr 23, 2019 - 10:18am PT
Yeah, I stopped doing that jump years ago for similar reasons.

So I started heading out to the left after the first few hundred feet, up for a few hundred feet, and then back right. It was a more fifth class version of The Freeway which I enjoyed for many years. I wouldn't try to explain it, but it was a nice variation, which is listed in Gerry Roach's guide with an independent start altogether, up and left of the base of The Freeway.
JLP

Social climber
The internet
Apr 23, 2019 - 10:45am PT
I wonder if he was yet another hiker who decided to go up. The First and Second both start right off the trail. Both have lulled many to rescue and injury. People unprepared go up and back off daily, if not hourly on summer wknds. Very few experienced climbers with climbing shoes get injured - if ever?

The jump - the harder you leap, the less distance you drop! You can also downclimb maybe 20 ft lower on climber's left (or right?), but I don't think it's obvious unless someone shows you or you see it from below.

Also - the Third is a WAY bigger, harder and more committing experience to solo than Freeway, IMO. You have to down-climb the thin crux and the SW Chimney as well. Maybe if you took the hardest 20 feet of Freeway and compared to the hardest part of the 3rd - they're close - but overall, very different.
blahblah

Gym climber
Boulder
Apr 23, 2019 - 10:58am PT
Also - the Third is a WAY bigger, harder and more committing experience to solo than Freeway, IMO. You have to down-climb the thin crux and the SW Chimney as well. Maybe if you took the hardest 20 feet of Freeway and compared to the hardest part of the 3rd - they're close - but overall, very different.

I agree with that: I was basically thinking what you wrote about the hardest sections of each being similar in difficulty; overall they are substantially different with the Third being significantly more serious. I didn't go into details on the Third as the OP won't be doing it anytime soon.

Very few experienced climbers with climbing shoes get injured - if ever?
Yeah I wonder about that. From memory, someone who seemed to be a "real" climber (at least to some extent) fell to his death on the Second maybe 10 or 15 years ago, but he was by himself so no one knows what happened.
Tarbuster

climber
right here, right now
Apr 23, 2019 - 01:30pm PT
Okay kids, nobody goes it alone these days, not with cell phone, Internet, and SuperTopo!

Our man just called me from the approach to the 2nd Flatiron.
I don't get out much. Way too fun to hear from a fellow Taco Bender while stomping my home turf. Expect photos shortly ...
Tarbuster

climber
right here, right now
Apr 23, 2019 - 03:15pm PT
Oh well, Nut was too distracted by the softserve ice cream and cappuccino service on top of the 2nd to take any selfies, but I did get a call registering success!
NutAgain!

Trad climber
South Pasadena, CA
Topic Author's Reply - Apr 23, 2019 - 03:29pm PT

I’m following a college buddy for a little reunion, waiting at a stoplight, so no time now for more. But here’s something:


I was off the top at 3:20pm, ran down to the car and drove to meet my buddy south of Boulder by 4pm with a minute to spare.
donini

Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
Apr 23, 2019 - 03:33pm PT
Well done!
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