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Flatirons Climbing 2019-present: First Flatiron, Second Flatiron, Third Flatiron, Fifth Flatiron, The Regency, Royal Arch, Ameboid, Hammerhead, Front Porch, Ridge One, Ridge Three, The Slab, Seal Rock

Flatirons Climbing 2019-present

Routes:

various routes on First Flatiron, Second Flatiron, Third Flatiron, Fifth Flatiron, The Regency, Royal Arch, Ameboid, Hammerhead, Front Porch, Ridge One, Ridge Three, The Slab, Seal Rock

Region: Colorado
Elev: ~8000 ft
Rock type: Conglomeratic sandstone of the Fountain Formation
Type: 
Date(s): 2019(x1 day), 2021(x1 day), 2022(x9 days)
Partner(s): Brad Mering, Will Starks, Ben Smith, Muzhou Lu, solo

The slabby east faces of the Flatirons, pasted on the northeast flank of 8,144-foot Green Mountain, form Boulder's distinctive skyline. The Flatirons were Colorado's first technical rock climbing area. The rock is hard conglomerate Fountain Formation sandstone, broken with gullies, seamed with cracks, liberally studded with flakes, and tilted back to a 50-degree angle.

There are five large, numbered Flatirons ranging from north to south (First through Fifth, respectively), and the term "The Flatirons" sometimes refers to these five alone. Numerous additional named Flatirons are on the southern part of Green Mountain, Bear Peak, and among the surrounding foothills. Mountainproject breaks the Flatirons area into three main areas:

Flatirons North: This area includes classic rocks such as the First and Third Flatirons, and the Amphitheatre in Gregory Canyon. Climbs here range from short newer-age sport climbs to long trad routes, including some of the longer trad routes in the area like the 1000+ foot faces of the First and Third Flatirons.

Flatirons Central: This area spans Bear Canyon to the Ironing Boards just south of the Third Flatiron. There are many rocks to explore in this area, with climbs of all types — slab to trad to sport. Fun climbing in a scenic setting.

Flatirons South: This area has some of the best climbing in the Flatirons. There is lots of rock to explore and the area tends to be less crowded. Formations such as the Maiden, Matron, Devil's Thumb, East Ridge, Nebel Horn, Seal Rock, and The Goose offer slabs for beginner trad leaders and also more challenging trad lines. Excellent sport routes also can be found, some several pitches in length. The longest climb in the area is here.

Seasonal raptor closures are in effect here at certain crags, usually February 1 to July 31. Numerous formations are closed, but some remain open.

The first time I climbed in The Flatirons was in August 2019, shortly after I had moved to Boulder and was looking to explore the area. My local partner and I did a solo link-up of Second + First + Third Flatiron. I've returned several times since then, mainly for fun solos.

On this page, I give photos from scrambling in the Flatirons, organized by date. I've included my trip report for The Flatiron Linkup at the top of the page. At the bottom of the page, I keep a list of the scrambles I've done in the Flatirons.

Trip Report for Second + First + Third Flatiron Link-Up

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Route Overlay & Map & GPX File

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GPX Track: File

Intro

A great solo-climbing link-up of the most popular route on the First, Second, and Third Flatirons. A fun morning romp. In order:
  1. Second Flatiron: Freeway (4th, 800')
  2. First Flatiron: Direct East Face (5.6, 1000')
  3. Third Flatiron: Standard East Face (5.4, 950')

Time Stats

Overall time: 3:44 Chautauqua trailhead to trailhead, 4:14 New Vista School parking to parking.

Photos

Photos:
Photo descriptions:

Approach

6:40 am: Leave New Vista School

6:55 am: Chautauqua Trailhead
We started at the New Vista School, which is a free place to park on weekends. A 10 minute hike brought us to the Chautauqua trailhead. From here we hiked to the base of the Second Flatiron and started climbing up!
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1. Sunflowers at Chautauqual trailhead.
2. A beautiful morning, heading towards the Flatirons.
3. Right to left: First, Second, Third Flatirons.

SECOND FLATIRON

7:19 am: Base of Second Flatiron

7:40 am: Top of Second Flatiron (21 min)

7:42 am: On trail headed to First Flatiron

Route Up: Freeway (4th, 800')
Route Down: Scramble to trail (4th, 20')
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4. Base of Second Flatiron.
5. Brad taking the jump option halfway through the route (my knees were sore from a climb of the Diamond the day before, so I downclimbed around the jump).
6. Nearing the top of the route.
7. On the trail headed for our next objective: The First Flatiron.

FIRST FLATIRON

7:56 am: Base of First Flatiron

8:41 am: Top of First Flatiron
(45 min)

8:50 am: On path headed to Third Flatiron
Route Up: Direct East Face (5.6, 1000')
Route Down: Southwest Face (5.2, 120')
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8. Sign at the base of the First Flatiron.
9. Starting up the route. There was a roped party ahead of us, so we waited a few minutes to let them get through the "crux" section of the first pitch. After we passed them we had the route to ourselves.
10. The Third Flatiron as seen from the First Flatiron.
11. Brad on the "crystal pitch" near the top of the First Flatiron.

THIRD FLATIRON

9:13 am: Base of Third Flatiron

9:33 am: Top of Third Flatiron
(20 min)

9:57 am: On trail descent from Third Flatiron
Route Up: Standard East Face (5.4, 950')
Route Down: Southwest Chimney (5.4, 300')
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12. The Third Flatiron as seen from the start of the traverse from the First Flatiron (we traversed behind the Second Flatiron rather than going back down to the main trail).
13. Climbing on the Third Flatiron.
14. Bolt en route.
15. Juggy climbing. I had climbed the Diamond the day before, so my knees were a bit achy, so hence the kneebraces. It's been hard for me to take rest days since I moved to Colorado, and I think the main place I notice it is my knees. But they seem to be getting used to it!
16. A roped team. By this point in the morning (past 9am) it was getting a bit crowded. And hot.
17. Brad on the summit of the Third Flatiron.
18. View of Boulder.
19. Longs Peak to the northwest. That is where I had been the previous day.
20. The Fourth and Fifth Flatirons. Someday will have to link all five Flatirons.
21. Beginning the Southwest Chimney descent, which starts by reversing the summit scramble. (if you have a rope, you can rappel from the summit, but we did the whole thing without a rope or harnesses).
22. The SW Chimney descent. 
23. The SW Chimney descent.
24. The SW Chimney descent.
Hike out

10:39 am: Chautauqua Trailhead

10:54 am: New Vista School parking
After descending the Third Flatiron, we got on the trail system back to Chautauqua trailhead and 10 minutes later the New Vista School parking (we could have taken a free shuttle from Chautauqua trailhead to New Vista school, but we had just missed the last shuttle so it was quicker to walk.
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25. Brad hiking along the road between Chautauqua Trailhead and New Vista School. White Sprinter van on left (so common in Boulder you stop noticing them).

More Photos

SOME RANDOM PHOTOS FROM OTHER DAYS SCRAMBLING AROUND THE FLATIRONS


More climbing fun!
Date: October 15, 2021 (Fri)
Partner: Will Starks
Climbed at: First Flatiron, Second Flatiron
Soloed the Second Flatiron (via Freeway, 4th) and the First Flatiron (via Baker's Way to Direct East Face, 5.6) with Will. Fun few hours out!
One of the 5.6 ish cruxes high on the East Face route.
Bluebird day, but kind of windy!

More climbing fun!
Date: April 25, 2022 (Mon)
Partner: Ben Smith
Climbed at: Royal Arch area (Regency, Royal Arch, Ameboid, Hammerhead)
A fun spring afternoon solo (no rope but yes partner) link-up of four formations:
  1. Regency: El Camino Royale (5.2, 800')
  2. Royal Arch: East Face (4th, 200')
  3. Ameboid: Buckets (4th, 300')
  4. Hammerhead: East Ridge (4th, 400') + Yodeling Moves (5.0, 40')
We started and finished at the Table Mesa Trailhead near the intersection of NCAR and Vassar. I really should do more of these sorts of afternoon adventures in this natural theme park so close to my home. They are a great way to get a little bit of exercise and break up the daytime from the nighttime schoolwork sessions. Thanks Ben for showing me this fun off-the-beaten-path link-up!
Approaching.
The first objective: The Regency via El Camino Royale (5.2, 800').
Steph on top of The Regency. Photo by Ben.
Turkey vulture on top of The Regency.
The second objective: Royal Arch via East Face (4th, 200'). Photo taken from the top of The Regency.
Royal Arch.
The third objective: Ameboid via Buckets (4th, 300'). Ameboid is the upper of the two flatirons in the photo. Photo taken from the top of The Regency.
Starting up the third objective: Ameboid via Buckets (4th, 300').
The fourth objective: Hammerhead via East Ridge (4th, 400') + Yodeling Moves (5.0, 40'). Hammerhead is the formation in the foreground. Photo taken from the top of The Regency.
The start of the fourth objective: Hammerhead via East Ridge (4th, 400') + Yodeling Moves (5.0, 40').
Steph climbing the steep and juggy 5.0 section of Yodeling Moves (5.0, 40') from the top of Hammerhead. Photo by Ben.
Ben on top of Hammerhead.
Downclimbing Yodeling Moves (5.0, 40') Hammerhead.
Late afternoon views.
Late afternoon views.
A sign.
An old stone cabin not far from the Table Mesa Trailhead.
Grass glowing in the late afternoon light.

More climbing fun!
Date: June 2, 2022 (Thu)
Partners: Ben Smith & Muzhou Lu
Climbed at: NCAR / Skunk Canyon area (Ridge One)
As a team of three, we soloed Stairway to Heaven (5.3, 1200') on Ridge One. This is one of the more popular summit scrambles in the Flatirons. It is mostly 3rd class with a short step of 5.3. We added some bonus entertainment by downclimbing and then climbing back up Love (5.5, 150'), a fun steep juggy corner near the top of Ridge One. We started and finished at the NCAR trailhead. A fun way to get in some morning exercise!
Sunrise from the NCAR parking lot.
The start of the hike.
Stairway to Heaven (5.3, 1200') climbs Ridge One, which is the middle ridge in the photo.
The start of Stairway to Heaven.
Watch out for poison ivy!
Muzhou on a fun steep section shortly after the start.
Another photo of the fun steep section shortly after the start.
Go left here.
Enjoying a nice morning climb on Stairway to Heaven. Photo by Ben.
We went through this fun cave/runnel.
Ben entering the cave/runnel.
Muzhou at the entrance to the cave/slot. Photo by Ben.
Muzhou and Ben in the cave/runnel.
At the exit of the cave/runnel.
For bonus entertainment, we downclimbed and then climbed up Love (5.5, 150'), a fun steep and juggy corner.
Muzhou climbing Love.
Steph climbing Love. Photo by Ben.
Ben tagging an additional summit.
Steph on Stairway to Heaven, nearing the top of Ridge One. Photo by Ben.
The top of Stairway to Heaven.
Nearing the top. Photo by Ben.
A pretty flower alongside the trail.

More climbing fun!
Date: July 1, 2022 (Fri)
Partner: Ben Smith
Climbed at: NCAR / Skunk Canyon area (Ridge Three)
Scrambled up the classic Angel's Way (5.2, 1200'). Much more fun than a morning run! Thanks Ben for doing this route again, it was a blast and would have been a bit tricky to find on my own.
Starting off just before 6am.
A giant water tank near the trailhead.
Stickums.
The approach.
This area has spring bird closures most years until midsummer. This year the closure had been lifted in mid-June since no peregrines were in Skunk Canyon.
Start of the route.
Low on the ridge. Photo by Ben.
A cool feature low on the route.
5.0 layback.
Steph on the 5.0 layback. Photo by Ben.
Looking up the ridge.
Ben scrambling the ridge.
A fun layback crack midway up the ridge.
It's actually about 5.0 but it looks steep in this photo! Photo by Ben.
Crystal embedded in the rock.
About 2/3 of the way up the ridge.
Looking at the final stretch of the ridge.
Nearing the top. Photo by Ben.
Ben near the summit.
Steph on the summit. Photo by Ben.
The descent is a short 5.3ish scramble.
Steph on the airy downclimb (there is a way to avoid this on a lower ramp, but its about 5.3ish). Photo by Ben.
Back on the main trail hiking out.

More climbing fun!
Date: July 12, 2022 (Tue)
Partner: solo
Climbed at: Cragmoor area (The Slab)
A fun after work solo scramble up Diagonals (5.2, 1200') on The Slab.
Early evening light on the Shanahan Ridge trail.
Early evening light on the Shanahan Ridge trail.
Looking up the start of the route. Notice the obvious flake feature on the ridge.
Fun scrambling.
Summit ridge.
The tree just before the descent.
How am I supposed to step onto that flake?!
Decent options. After contemplating the flake, I chose the dirty 4th class ramp.

More climbing fun!
Date: July 15, 2022 (Fri)
Partner: Ben Smith
Climbed at: Bear Canyon area (Seal Rock)
As a before-work adventure, Ben and I scrambled up the classic East Face Right (5.4, 800') on Seal Rock. A great way to start the day.
Sunrise. We started at around 5:45am.
A rainbow.
Morning light on Seal Rock (right) and The Goose (left).
Sign just before the trail cuts off to the toe of Seal Rock.
The toe of Seal Rock. We started just up and left of the toe.
Getting started.
The lower stretch of the route.
Ben usually waits until after the scramble to have his coffee but today he had it before the adventure.
The upper stretch of the route.
Fun 5.4 fingercrack section.
un 5.4 fingercrack section.
Old bong en route.
Downclimbing the upper route.
The 5.2 downclimb off the side, midway up the route.

More climbing fun!
Date: July 18, 2022 (Mon)
Partner: solo
Climbed at: NCAR / Skunk Canyon area (Front Porch)
A fun after work solo scramble up Tiptoe Slab (5.3, 500') on Front Porch.  
Front Porch is on the left side of Skunk Canyon in the photo.
Tip-toeing upward.

More climbing fun!
Date: July 25, 2022 (Mon)
Partner: solo
Climbed at: Royal Arch area (Royal Arch)
An after work solo scramble up East Face (4th, 300') of Royal Arch.
The Royal Arch.
Looking up the East Face route.
Trail work.

More climbing fun!
Date: August 2, 2022 (Tue)
Partner: solo
Climbed at: Royal Arch area (Fifth Flatiron)
An after work solo scramble to the summit of the Fifth Flatiron. I got about 2/3 up the East Face Left (5.5, 550') before downclimbing because I was unsure of the route line and not comfortable soloing; I decided to scramble up the descent route and final portion of NE ridge to the summit instead.
I approached via the Mesa Trail due to trail work closures on the Royal Arch trail.
Sign on a tree.
Somewhere on East Face Left (5.5, 550').
The final section of the NE Ridge to the top. This part is really fun exposed 4th class.
Rappel anchor on top. I chose to downclimb.
View from the top.
Squeeze through this hole to get off.

More climbing fun!
Date: November 2, 2022 (Wed)
Partner: Will Starks
Climbed at: First Flatiron
Soloed the First Flatiron (via Direct East Face, 5.6, 1000') with Will as a midday between-work-sessions scramble. Nice way to break up the work day.
Looking up the start of Direct East Face (5.6, 1000') on the First Flatiron.
A beautiful fall day in Boulder.
Fall colors.

List of Scrambles I've done in the Flatirons

LIST MAINLY FOR PERSONAL RECORD-KEEPING | DATES I'VE CLIMBED THERE ON SECOND TAB

Previous and Next Adventures

(August 2019: First+Second+Third Flatiron link-up, first time scrambing in the Flatirons)

The Diamond (D1 Pitches 1-4), CO
The Diamond (D7), CO

Comments Pertaining to this Page / Trip Report

Useful beta. Updated route information. Corrections. Historical notes. Interesting facts. No fluff please.
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