BETA PHOTO: Summit ridge - note the dead 'descent tree' in cen...
Description
The slab is the widest (broadest) chunk of stone in the Flatirons with endless possibilites for 5.3-5.6 slabmongering on its expansive, 500-foot-tall east face. It sits in a pleasant location at the mouth of Fern Canyon and offers great views to the east and south from its summit ridge.
In addition, the north and west faces are host to a handful of great sport routes in the 5.11+ to 5.12 range on steep, bomber stone. Bouldering possibilities can be found in the trees below and to the south and west of the slab.
To descend the east face routes, scramble south along the crest of The Slab until it's possible to either downclimb or execute a short rappel from a prominent notch near the terminus of the crest.
Getting There
The most direct approach to the slab is via the North Shanahan Ridge Trail. Drive west on Table Mesa from Broadway and turn left (south) on Lehigh. Drive most of the way up the hill and turn right on Cragmoor, which dead ends after two blocks.
Park in the dead end and follow a trail west and uphill to the mesa above you. From here, continue west 20-30 minutes along the very wide North Shanahan Ridge Trail, passing a junction with the Mesa Trail en route. The Slab rears up ahead of you the further west you go; if you descend north into a gully you've just passed it!
For the east face routes cut left (south) off the main trail onto a climber's path through the ferns. To access the north and west sides, continue along the Shanahan Ridge Trail another 2 minutes (thru the gully) until you hit the Fern Canyon Trail. Follow this up and steeply west for 3-4 minutes until it makes sense to head south (left) across a talus-filled bench to reach the routes.
The Classics
Mountain Project's determination of some of the classic, most popular, highest rated routes for The Slab:
A Flatirons mega-classic! Long (80 feet), pumpy and just plain fun, this is a must-do at the grade.Undertow is the rightmost sport route on the imposing, overhanging west face of The Slab. It is well-shielded from the Fern Canyon trail by a thick, piney forest and climbs a spectacularly colorful wall on (mostly) positive horns, crimps and jugs.Scramble around to the west side of the Slab from the Fern Canyon Trail and continue uphill (south) pas...[more]Browse More Classics in CO
Is the new route to the right of Boys with Power Toys done yet? Any idea on difficulty and quality? It looks to be one of the best sweeps of stone up there and spanker hard. Thanks for the work!
The new climb (approved by the FHRC in the June cycle) right of Undertow is in now. Five bolts to double-bolt anchors (5.10+) - this is Paul Glover's climb, though he asked us to install it for him while he's in Nepal. Once he's back, I'm sure he'll add it to the database. Enjoy!
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