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East Gate Buttress
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The Flakes 

5.10b

   

FA: D. Turville & L. Wheeler, early '70s FFA: M. Ward & R. Wright
Type: Trad
Consensus: 5.10b [details]
Length: 2 pitches, 200 feet
Views: 713 page views

Submitted By: mountainsense on Sep 26, 2008


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The Flakes.
The route goes right at the first V a...



Description 

My all-time favorite at the grade in Little Cottonwood, this route can be "Quite a grunt to get to and tricky to find," according to the Ruckman guide, but it's well worth it. Approach via Tingey's Terror to Tingey's Torture--traverse east 25ft from the bolted anchor atop the third pitch of Tingey's Torture--for a fun, long link-up or bushwhack your way up ledges to the base of To Air Is Human (.10d) or Under Fire (.10), granting access to the low-angle, splitter first pitch (5.6). The second pitch, however, is THE pitch... Scramble up the easy ramp to the base. Jam the perfect handcrack. Commit to a wild undercling/lieback out the first flake left to a stance in a squeeze, then again back right along the top of the airy second flake--CLASSIC! Two sets of bolted anchors appear above; use the newer, upper anchor to belay/descend.


Location 

If approaching from Tingey's Torture, traverse east from the top of third pitch toward the arete, then downclimb--easy, but exposed--to the belay ledge atop The Flakes. Rappel from two bolts--a single 60m rope just reaches the ledge below. To descend, a series of fixed rap anchors due east of The Flakes puts one back on the ground.


Protection 

Bring a standard rack. Doubles in off-fingers to hand sizes are useful, but not necessary; a large 4.5" cam protects the wideness.



Photos of The Flakes Slideshow Add Photo
Checking-out the upper section, yes you're going to be pulling on that corn flake!

Checking-out the upper section, yes you're going t...

Todd Green enjoying the flakes

Todd Green enjoying the flakes

Gear placements on the flakes.  Fun route!

BETA PHOTO: Gear placements on the flakes. Fun route!

If you're using these bolts at the top of the Flakes, you're doing it wrong.

If you're using these bolts at the top of the Flak...


Comments on The Flakes Add Comment
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By mountainsense
Sep 26, 2008

Please Note: there is no fixed intermediate anchor between the two pitches of The Flakes. I've always rapped using a single 60m rope, but if descending the line of anchors due east of the route, be careful! With rope stretch, one just barely reaches the third and fourth set of anchors (if counting the anchors atop the route). Be sure to take a good look at some of the other stellar lines on the east gate; scramble along the base to reach the main trail to the gate boulders.

By tenesmus
Sep 29, 2008

A 70 works a lot better here. This really is one of the coolest around. Maybe its because you have to find it and once you do you're a ways up? I like doing "plasma" for a warm-up then "to air is human" for really fun approach pitches. It makes a nice .10 circuit.

By Boissal
From: UT
Nov 3, 2008

Best single pitch I've done in all of Wasatchland. The approach, exposure, steepness and nature of the feature you're climbing (1/2" sheet of detached granite, picture a dead vertical Zion Curtain) make for quite an intimidating route.
No individual hard move but overall quite pumpy and WILD!
We belayed from a gear anchor a bit above the bushes growing on the low angle ramp. Uses the whole 70m rope and some. There's a sling anchor in the bushes to rap to the next station (top of El Guapo). We left a biner on it as the tape that converted the existing biner into a locker wasn't looking too hot.

As a side note, any info on the crack that branches left and meets up with the route at the offwidth? Looks amazing, undercling to tips-lieback...

By Todd Green
From: SLC, UT
Aug 16, 2009

Sweet, sweet set of flakes. Much taller than Boissal's pics make it out to be. (He must have used a French lense. :P ) There is a set of glued anchors due east of the bush-belay. With two 70's tied together you can do a single rap clear down to the gully.

By steve santora
Oct 17, 2009

Wow, finally got up there. We did 6 or 7 pitches of Tingeys Terror and finish just left of the rap bolts for the flakes....We top roped the flakes which pumped Mike and I pretty good. Crux seemed to be the start of the second part. then liebacked the flake. Awesome Smiles all around/ It looks to eat 1's 2's 3's and 4's; for pro...bring a few of each can't wait to get back there. steve

By Boissal
From: UT
Oct 18, 2009

Steve, a single set from BD .5 to 3 and a 5 or old 4.5 is all you need. Don't haul doubles up there, there are no good stances to place in the undercling/lieback sections. It's a place and punch it for a while type of line.

By steve santora
Oct 18, 2009

Rapping off east with a single seventy meter--- 3 raps is perfect. then a slog down the debris.....