Smoother  5.7 X

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Type:  Trad Consensus:  5.7 [details] FA:  Jim Erickson and Jim Walsh, 1970 Submitted By:  George Bell on Nov 13, 2001 You & This Route  |  Other Opinions (6) Your todo list: Your stars: Your rating: -none- [change] Your ticklist: [add new tick]

Ye old historic worthless bolt on Smoother (West I...

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Some crags in this area are closed 1 February to 31 July: MORE INFO >>> The following crags are closed 1 February to 31 July: First Pinnacle (Gregory Canyon) Second Pinnacle (Gregory Canyon) Third Pinnacle (Gregory Canyon) Third Flatiron Queen Anne's Head WC Fields Pinnacle The Ghetto East Ironing Board West Ironing Board The Fin Green Thumb Jaws Details www.bouldercolorado.gov/index.php?option=com_content&>;&g>>> This information is a public crowdsourcing effort between the Access Fund, and Mountain Project. You should confirm closures, restrictions, and/or related dates. Keeping climbing areas open and conserving the climbing environment Flatirons Climbing Council Preserving climbing access in the Flatirons

Description 

This is a very serious route and it is dangerous of Rossiter to give it a mere "S" rating. There is a 300' section of rock with no decent pro at all (there is one ancient, worthless-looking bolt, see photo). This climb begins a few feet left of the Crescent Crack, and heads straight up the face between the SE ridge crest and Crescent Crack. The rock is smoother than average Flatiron rock, but it is solid and the position near the ridge crest is magnificent. This would be a popular route if it had any pro (too bad it is not a little bit steeper or Erickson might have put some more bolts on it!).

The first 30' of the face are the crux. After that, you can place a good cam in a downward crack. Cross your fingers now, this [used to be] the last decent pro for the next 300', at least it is only 5.6 from here on up. At 120', you will run into the [formerly] ancient bolt, this bolt is 10-20' above the summit of the tower to your left (Rossiter calls it The Dolomen) [this bolt was replaced by a bomber 2 bolt anchor in 2007]. From here, head up the face 200' to a belay on the left end of a crack/ledge (the 320' anchor). After this, the climbing becomes easier and you can actually find pro, too (move right and finish as with Crescent, or head left behind a big flake to the easy upper ridge).

There are at least 4 ways to climb this route:

(1) free solo (elegant and simplistic, but potentially fatal),

(2) simulclimb the first 2 pitches, then belay everyone up conga-line style (more dangerous than free soloing for a party of 2, but this technique has been used by larger parties and is safe once the first climber reaches the 320' anchor).

(3) Climb Crescent (large cams recommended) and toprope each pitch individually from that route.

(4) Climb Crescent to the 320' anchor and set up a "toprope". To find this anchor, climb 2 pitches up Crescent and find the first ledge/crack which extends left to the ridge crest. Where this crack hits the ridge is the 320' anchor. Set gear (medium-size cams) and do a single rope rap down 200' to the worthless bolt, then rap down another 120' on another rope (back bolt up to first rope!). You now essentially have set up a toprope on the crux section.

Protection 

Standard Flatiron rack.

Photos of Smoother Slideshow

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Mark Oveson rapping off ye old historic bolt (back...	Mark Oveson about 100' up Smoother.	Looking down at Mark at the 320' anchor while on t...
The view down the blunt arete that is Smoother.