Type: | Trad, 550 ft, 4 pitches |
FA: | Rob Cassady, Jim Sincock, 1994 |
Page Views: | 815 total · 5/month |
Shared By: | Jason Carter on Oct 8, 2004 |
Admins: | Leo Paik, John McNamee, Frances Fierst, Monty, Monomaniac |
Click here for the trail closures. Some are M-F, some are 24/7. These impact the Bear Canyon/Fern Canyon regions primarily:
flatironsclimbing.org/tempo…
Click herebouldercolorado.gov/osmp/cl… for the latest in raptor closures.
flatironsclimbing.org/tempo…
Click herebouldercolorado.gov/osmp/cl… for the latest in raptor closures.
Description
This is a great relatively new, 1994, Flatirons route that ascends almost the entire southern side of the Goose's east face. It begins beneath the giant roofs at the apex of a buttress about 200' above the amphitheater. At this apex is a small, dirt platform with a tree.
To reach this point hike west between the two middle goose eggs. Continue up a gully on the north (scramble up some slabs) and continue to a point just above some deadfall and brush. From here continue south beneath the big roof system(left) and continue to scramble up to a point where you can drop down off the back side of what you just scrambled up. You are below a ledge system that is under the roofs and need to continue south across some slabs about 15' to a small platform that is flat with a tree on it.
P1 - Climb up to a moderate bulging flake. Lieback the flake (5.7) and continue up another 5' and begin a leftward traverse along a rock band to a ledge beneath the roofs with some brush and loose rocks.
P2 - Climb up from the belay and begin a rightward traverse beneath the giant roofs. Climb through the offset in the roof and onto the east face slab (5.6). Continue up the slab veering slightly leftward towards some small cracks for pro (50 feet, 5.6s). Keep heading upward to a point 50' below a small tree at a decent ledge with some loose rocks on it.
P3 - Continue up the face veering to the left. Climb past and above the tree and head up and leftward for the southern edge of the east face to a convenient belay (5.5, 200').
P4 - Continue up the edge to the summit (2, 60').
Descent -120' rappel down the west face or 165' down the southwest face.Or continue along the arete to the low point between the south and north summits. Climb up through a tunnel beneath the north summit, and scramble west and downward (Class 4).
To reach this point hike west between the two middle goose eggs. Continue up a gully on the north (scramble up some slabs) and continue to a point just above some deadfall and brush. From here continue south beneath the big roof system(left) and continue to scramble up to a point where you can drop down off the back side of what you just scrambled up. You are below a ledge system that is under the roofs and need to continue south across some slabs about 15' to a small platform that is flat with a tree on it.
P1 - Climb up to a moderate bulging flake. Lieback the flake (5.7) and continue up another 5' and begin a leftward traverse along a rock band to a ledge beneath the roofs with some brush and loose rocks.
P2 - Climb up from the belay and begin a rightward traverse beneath the giant roofs. Climb through the offset in the roof and onto the east face slab (5.6). Continue up the slab veering slightly leftward towards some small cracks for pro (50 feet, 5.6s). Keep heading upward to a point 50' below a small tree at a decent ledge with some loose rocks on it.
P3 - Continue up the face veering to the left. Climb past and above the tree and head up and leftward for the southern edge of the east face to a convenient belay (5.5, 200').
P4 - Continue up the edge to the summit (2, 60').
Descent -120' rappel down the west face or 165' down the southwest face.Or continue along the arete to the low point between the south and north summits. Climb up through a tunnel beneath the north summit, and scramble west and downward (Class 4).
Protection
Sm/md/lg stoppers, small to med cams, a 3.5 or 4 Camalot protects the lieback on P2, 120ft rappel down the west face, 165ft rappel down the south west face
[The lieback is on P1 and can be protected with a larger cam otherwise the rest of the route is protected with sm - med gear.
George indicates they went left at the flake on P1. It looks in the first picture their gear is right at the layback flake (green runner) - it is wide, I don't know what they placed there, but choose your own destiny here as the traverse left is balancy and technical and the lieback takes a little faith to commit to but rewards you afterwards.]
[The lieback is on P1 and can be protected with a larger cam otherwise the rest of the route is protected with sm - med gear.
George indicates they went left at the flake on P1. It looks in the first picture their gear is right at the layback flake (green runner) - it is wide, I don't know what they placed there, but choose your own destiny here as the traverse left is balancy and technical and the lieback takes a little faith to commit to but rewards you afterwards.]
Boulder, CO
The first pitch looks easy, but is actually the crux of the route, for the rock is quite friable. The first 30 feet are particularly tricky and the easiest passage is not obvious. About 50 feet up, you have the choice of two ramps which head left, both look trivial. We took the upper ramp and it's trickier than it looks because of the looseness, there is no pro and a fall will crater onto the lower ledge, even for the follower. I believe Jason took the lower ramp, which IS really 3rd class (and ends at a much better belay ledge).
P1 is only about 100' long. Rossiter suggests linking P1 & P2. It would not be fun above the roof with a lot of rope drag, there is no gear for at least 50 feet past the roof.
After you breach the roofs (which remarkably involve no overhanging or even steep moves at all) the rock quality becomes flawless. Here is Flatiron slabmongering at its best, and the upper part of this route is three stars. After observing this giant slab from the Mesa Trail for years, it was fun to finally be climbing it.
We took a #4 Camalot but I don't really think you need it. You can get a #2 in a few feet farther along the traverse on P2. Nov 7, 2004
Boulder, CO
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