Warren Teissier on the Fourth Flatironette. Why i...
Description
This is a strange climb. Not only is it more lichen climbing than rock climbing, but most of the first pitch you are only 20 feet above the Royal Arch Trail - literally, as it zig-zags up the south side of this formation. The climb is about 300' long (2 pitches).
Step onto the lichen near the left (south) side of the East Face (a few feet right of the trail), and head up. Protection can be found but you have to work at it. The climbing is quite easy but the lichen makes it scary. Near the crux you will see two large Ponderosa Pines above you. One of them grows by the trail and up the South Face, the other is on the East Face itself. The crux is heading straight up the left edge of the East Face between these two trees.
There is pro behind a hollow ear-like flake off to the left below the crux. Unfortunately it's quite exposed moving left to this flake, take care not to drop anything (particularly yourself) onto a passing hiker. After the crux lichen, exit into a tree and onto a large ledge. After this section the climbing eases to 4th class and the lichen is less. You can belay as the face turns more to a ridge and heads right (south).
The last pitch is 3rd or 4th class and ends at some pitons just before the summit. To descend, downclimb the route for 75' or so, and walk off west on an easy ledge.
Nope, not recommended. Only for those cursed with having to complete all the climbs on the Roach book... Or those who climb it thinking it is the Fourth Flatiron... I think Bill did this by accident last week...
George, I just realized you gave this one (1) star? I thought it was horrible. I think 1911 Gully was way better and we gave that one a Bomb... What's up with that?
I'd go back to 1911. I'll never go back to this...
Yes, I did recently climb this damn thing for the second time because I mistook it for the Fourth Flatiron. How embarrassing. You'll know when you're at the Fourth Flatiron when it ACTUALLY touches the Royal Arch Trail, not just gets close to it. Also, ten feet up on a ledge is currently a cairn on the Fourth Flatiron. If you don't see these signs turn around. This route sucks!
I've soloed it twice and there is a very dicey section fifty or more feet off the deck. Both times I've regretted not having a rope... But, like Warren said, the only reason to do this route is a quest to do every route. Oh, one other reason to do it: by mistake! :-)
I also agree that this is zero star route and I'd definitely give the 1911 Gully one star. It didn't have any poison ivy in it when I did it - just ferns - and the upper part of the 1911 Gully is fun climbing.
Well, I guess maybe I have less aversion to lichen. I keep thinking "Man this would be an OK climb if all this lichen was cleaned off!". At least there is no bushwhacking to the base of this route as it's right off the trail (unlike 1911 gully).
I think I've only given 2/32 routes the bomb, it seems a bomb will guarantee nobody will ever try it.
Fourth Flatironette
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