Looking north on the crest past the troublesome tree.

All Locations > Colorado > Boulder > Flatirons > South > Slab > Diagonal (5.2 3 8 II 8 D 2c R)

Looking north on the crest past the troublesome tree.

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Views beyond the crest of the route.

On the ridge a bit before the downclimb.

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Todd Straka

Oct 3, 2019

“Looking north on the crest past the troublesome tree.”

Boulder Running

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Nearby Photos

The descent ramp I used instead of the flake or rappelling. The flake can be seen in the foreground for distance perspective.

Looking across Fern Canyon to the northwest from the summit ridge of the Slab.

Terrain on the ridge.

Beyond this, follow a narrow arete past a troublesome tree, and make a scary step down while hanging off great holds on the crest.
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- From the original description.

Downclimb options.

I believe this "3rd Class downclimb" is what Long Ranger refers to as the one near where you are "cliffed out". You can see the "cliff" here - it looks like a bacon strip. Ha. On the west side is a fairly easy downclimb.

Sarah chillin' just after reaching the summit ridge. The next couple hundred feet are easy to negotiate.

Sea monkeys! The summit ridge pools contained tiny silvery shrimp.

Views beyond the crest of the route.

Looking north on the crest past the troublesome tree.

On the ridge a bit before the downclimb.

Low on the route.

George Bell on the north end of the summit ridge on The Slab, Flatirons South. Above my head are Pellaea and Onoclea. To the right is the Fiddlehead and East Ridge. Photo by Mark Oveson.

This is the other escape option about 200 feet south of the step down escape.

Looking up from where I started the route. I went up about 15 feet to a rail that I followed to my right. From there, I continued up and right until I was under the large buldge in the top right of the photo. You can do a really fun layback traverse clockwise around it and then continue up on easier climbing to the ridgeline.

The rap tree to the alternate down climb (see comment). Down-climb past this easily.

The downclimb is just after this bump.

Lots of greenery.

Looking back up at the flake downclimb section. Lower yourself onto the pointed flake from above and negotiate the awkward Class 4 moves to terra firma.

Summit ridge pools.

Looking north.

Downclimb. Looks harder than it is; there are good edges.

Another view north.

Looking at the East Face of The Slab's summit from where the ridge ends and you can walk right off (past the standard downclimb a ways). Unfortunately it was a little too snowy to solo the summit that day.

At this notch, scramble up the ramp behind the dead tree to continue along the summit ridge of the Slab.

Mark Oveson a hundred feet up Diagonal, The Slab (Flatirons).

Looking north on the ridge crest of The Slab taken May 2024.

Go further south along the ridge line than one might think to reach this "questionable tree" (the image is looking back after having gone past it); an easier downclimb is even further on past this.

Looking up at the start of The Diagonal.

Mark Oveson about halfway up the summit ridge on The Slab. The rock in the background is The Goose.

Summit ridge - note the dead 'descent tree' in center of photo.

Much lichen.

Long ways up.

Summit ridge.

Bolted rap anchor behind this tree.

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