Thinking of scrambling the second flatiron

Hey y'all,

I'll be out in Boulder for a friends wedding near the end of May and was thinking of scrambling in the Flatirons, perhaps starting with Freeway and going from there. Is the routefinding straight forward enough to go at it alone, without someone who knows the way? I've done a fair amount of trad climbing and some low 5th soloing in the Eastern Sierra, so I like to think my routefinding skills are generally intact. My main concern is just getting sucked off route into something harder. 

Max

Max Melin wrote:

Hey y'all,

I'll be out in Boulder for a friends wedding near the end of May and was thinking of scrambling in the Flatirons, perhaps starting with Freeway and going from there. Is the routefinding straight forward enough to go at it alone, without someone who knows the way? I've done a fair amount of trad climbing and some low 5th soloing in the Eastern Sierra, so I like to think my routefinding skills are generally intact. My main concern is just getting sucked off route into something harder. 

Max

I am thinking you’ll be okay. Just don’t onsight with roller skates on or a blindfold. The descents off most of the big domes in tuolumne are harder than Freeway

Max Melin wrote:

Hey y'all,

I'll be out in Boulder for a friends wedding near the end of May and was thinking of scrambling in the Flatirons, perhaps starting with Freeway and going from there. Is the routefinding straight forward enough to go at it alone, without someone who knows the way? I've done a fair amount of trad climbing and some low 5th soloing in the Eastern Sierra, so I like to think my routefinding skills are generally intact. My main concern is just getting sucked off route into something harder. 

Max

Route finding is pretty easy and straightforward. If you hang out at the base for a few minutes, you'll likely see other people going up and can sus out some helpful beta. 

Freeway will be fine. Bring climbing shoes for your first time and a chalk bag. There are holds everywhere with some thinner spots if you want to spice it up a notch. The jump is fine. You’ll need to go around a corner closer to the top to make it back onto the very last half of a pitch or so before 1-2 moves of down climbing by some trees and the walk off. I’m sure there are videos out there.

Don’t head up the upper head wall of the second flatiron; that extends climber’s left. I think that goes at 5.8 or harder. Some runner got himself hurt up there a few years back. You can Google it.

Anyway, freeway is chill. Do it on a Friday evening and there will be others there with you. 

Based on the tone of your post and a quick glance at your tick-list, you should be fine. 

Like others here have said, so long as you aren't in a manic craze or trying to break the speed record, the route should seem fairly obvious based on the big overlay topo line alone, and on a nice weather day (even a weekday), you shouldn't have to wait more than 30 minutes or so for someone to start up it, and you can just follow their line if they are social enough and seem like they know what's up.

That being said, it's definitely more comfortable to go with someone who knows the terrain and is stoked to knowledge share and not leave you behind. There are some places where you can get confused and/or hurt. An experienced regular slipped on one of the crucial exposed moves back in December and died as a result. 

(edit to correct myself - Keith was on Freezeway 5.7x when he fell and died, a route on the pullman car up above the standard exit of Freeway 5.0/5.4 Slightly different scenario. For some reason, I had believed the story was that he slipped on ice during the trailside ridgeline reacharound stepover exposed move in the last 10% of Freeway.)

So while you'll most likely be able to find your way with just your rock-reading&way-finding skills, and on any given day there should be plenty of folks also doing the route to follow, you might also ping this thread closer to the date of your trip and see if anyone seeming trustworthy and respectable might be willing to show you the route first-hand.

(Time and scheduling conflicts permitting - I'd be happy to lap it with you. Have been up it countless times and explored much of the "off-route" terrain too. I'm not sure I'm respectable - working on it. too many years chasing the dirtbag fantasy - but I take being trustworthy extremely seriously. Feel free to connect with me via email or LinkedIn.)

I visited the area to hike and threw some shoes in my bag. Some folks were about to go up it so I just asked if I could follow them. They seemed off put at first but I told them I'd hang in the rear so I wouldn't be in their way. I had the same mentality as you, just didn't want to wind up in harder terrain by accident. I think you'd be fine, it was pretty straight forward. I remember thinking the first 20-40 feet was the sparsest hold wise, but that could have just been turning the solo brain on. Have fun!

Brent Kelly wrote:

(edit to correct myself - Keith was on Freezeway 5.7x when he fell and died, a route on the pullman car up above the standard exit of Freeway 5.0/5.4 Slightly different scenario. For some reason, I had believed the story was that he slipped on ice during the trailside ridgeline reacharound stepover exposed move in the last 10% of Freeway.)

This did happen a number of years ago, though it was not Keith (you are correct he was on Freezeway). Maybe one of the other accidents listed in https://boulderreportinglab.org/2025/04/10/boulders-flatiron-scrambling-fatalities-how-dangerous-is-it-really/.

My standard advice is to go with someone who knows the way. Freeway is not an obvious line and there are sections where you can get into exposed no-hands friction for a few moves. 

Thanks everyone for the beta! Brent, maybe I'll hit you up closer to the trip and see if you're up to get out there. If not, sounds like there will be other options anyways. 

Max

Got out there today and it was siiiiick! Ended up going up a hundred feet or so behind a nice local. Routefinding was quite chill, though I am glad I knew to look for the step around.  Loved the diving board too.

Thanks everyone for the beta!

Max

Max Melin wrote:

Got out there today and it was siiiiick! Ended up going up a hundred feet or so behind a nice local. Routefinding was quite chill, though I am glad I knew to look for the step around.  Loved the diving board too.

Thanks everyone for the beta!

Max

Hell yea!