[Hide Comment] 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. Sep 26, 2008

[Hide Comment] 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. Sep 29, 2008

[Hide Comment] 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... Nov 3, 2008

[Hide Comment] 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. Aug 16, 2009

[Hide Comment] 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 Oct 17, 2009

[Hide Comment] 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. Oct 18, 2009

[Hide Comment] Rapping off east with a single seventy meter--- 3 raps is perfect. then a slog down the debris..... Oct 18, 2009

[Hide Comment] You can also traverse from the top of Tingey's Terror to reach the first pitch. There is a bolted arete (not sure what route it is) which separates the East Gate from the main Gate above Fudd ledge. Go up and traverse right below some trees to a bolted belay station, then do another easy traversing pitch (5.5) bushwhacking up a ledge to a flat area below some tumbled boulders. The first pitch starts above here after a short scramble in the splitter fist crack on the left side of the slab above.

I'd probably still recommend doing Tingey's Torture and just rapping down to the Flakes, but it's a bit quicker this way even if you have a crap pitch to get there. May 13, 2011

[Hide Comment] A grunt to get there is right. We did the shwack approach from the top of the 3rd pitch of Tingeys. Ended up downclimbing a chimney then up a easy fat crack before jungling to the base of the 1st pitch fist crack. We only brought one set of cams like Boissal recommended which turned out fine but I had to backclean the #3 camalot a few times. Would have been nice to have at least 2 of those. Use one down low in the fist crack section then have another one handy for the upper flake. I placed a #4 camalot which was nice but there was a .75 placement below it so your call on that piece. We rapped to the belay anchor in the tree with a 70m, then one more back to the base of the 1st pitch. Tingey's really isn't that great so next time I'll try Tenesmus' suggestion of the two 5.10 pitches on the east gate to get there. Sep 25, 2011

[Hide Comment] What a great route! The splitter 5.6 approach pitch is definitely worthwhile if coming from below, if only it were steeper! Spooky when you get to the upper lieback flake and can actually feel it flexing out.

+1 for single rack from #.5 - #3 and a #5 (can also squeeze a #4 in before you head up the initial handcrack) Nov 11, 2013

[Hide Comment] If only one wasn't so exhausted from the three approach pitches!

Seriously, if these were the first and second pitches straight off of the ground, there would be a line a mile long every weekend. A very worthy climb with fun moves.

I used singles in every size from #0.5-#5, except #2 which I used 2 of.

A 2nd #3 might have been nice, but not necessary. Nov 29, 2013

[Hide Comment] AWESOME Route! Watch out September 2014, the middle of the second flake was full of wasps. They got real excited as we climbed past but we never got stung.

At the top of the first pitch of Tingey's Torture there is now a double bolt anchor. Rapping from here puts you perfectly at the base of the 5.6 hand crack. We left 2 old biners on these bolts [probably gone in a day] (If I went back I take two fairly large quick links).

From the top of the 5.6 I recommend going up to the base of the route there is a little stance which takes some small cams (finger size) pieces (you will not need them above) and gives a go spot for communication and an attentive belay. You can leave you pack/shoes at this belay and get them on rappel.

I'd recommend three #3 C4 and a #5 C4. The #4 C4 didn't seem very useful (except maybe on the 5.6 pitch) maybe at the very start? up higher it was totally tipped out up high behind the pancake (if anything would hold back there?).

USING a single 70m rope from the anchors on top of the Flakes it was a quick and easy ride down:
Rap 1 - straight down and out to a large ledge.
Rap 2 - down the huge steep face and down climbers left
Rap 3 - Straight down the slab fall line
Rap 4 (bolt and glued piton) equalized with cord - takes you to dirt and a nice trailish spot Sep 19, 2014

[Hide Comment] The plumb vertical second pitch of this route is the Utah analog to Yosemite's "Wheat Thin", only without the bolts, and a lot easier. Fantastic exposure, uber-positive layback with ample cups for feet and a tingler for the run-out...what more could you ask for?

Frankly, I thought the stout little zig-zag getting off the belay (wide hands to awkward rest, to right slanting crack to jug/rail(!), then back left on a .10 undercling to layback to the Horn) up to the flake was the actual crux.

Here's my pro recommendation, in order of use, for the "Money Pitch":
All Camalots...3, 2, 1, .75, 2, sling on horn, 4.5 (Refrain from thinking of walking this)...

...then run out the last 20 feet to the top of the flake. No worries because you'll cop a cool knee bar rest at the horn, so make sure to milk that before launching into space on that killa' flake. Just do the gorilla pulls, keep the feet high & in positive cups, and keep on chugging for the top...it's all there!

The 2-bolt anchor is to the right after you top out.

It's 120 feet down to a tree with slings, so bring that 70m rope for schizzle. Apr 15, 2015

[Hide Comment] I found it useful to have a couple 3's as well. Maybe some would plug an additional 2 or 3 but I didn't. 3 #3s would be excessive unless you choose to place two in the first flake. Found the crux for me was the start of the second flake. Indeed it flexes as you get higher up on it. Would have saved me a 10' run out if I had a #5 camalot, but it was pretty easy terrain to lieback. A #4 could be used to protect the top out but will not do much through the wide funk itself. give er'! May 19, 2017

[Hide Comment] I thought this climb was fantastic, and well worth the hype. If you have small hands (like me) and hate #3s, it might be worth your time to bring three #3s - two for the crack down low and one before the upper flake. Other than that, an extra 1 or .75 is nice to have, along with a #5 and a #4 for the topout. Like others have mentioned, it won't protect the wide bit, but it is nice for the piece of mind when making the hand traverse to the anchors.

On another note, there's no way that this is 10b. You're saying that this is harder than Mexican Crack or Disco Duck? No way. Disco Duck has more difficult movement and is harder to protect, and Mexican Crack is easily a grade harder than this IMO. This is the softest 10b in LCC, and would be soft at the grade even at crags like City of Rocks. Apr 12, 2019

[Hide Comment] Like Crag Turkey said, it goes fine without a 4 or a 5. You'd have a short (10') runout on the lieback flake without the 5, but there is great pro just above and below it, and the lieback is super cruiser anyways. I never placed the 4 in the topout, which was easy and had other options for pro if you want it there. We did the approach up Tingey's Terror and Torture. You can make it to the rap anchors for the flakes in 4 pitches (~2 hrs) with an 80m rope. Aug 26, 2019

[Hide Comment] Possible link-up: ankle biters -> to air is human -> the flakes May 29, 2020

[Hide Comment] Fun Link: Bloodsport --> To Air is Human --> The Flakes
Rappel Note: If you’re rapping back from the belay ledge - it is 3 long raps, all of which require a 70m rope. Jun 29, 2020

[Hide Comment] did the ankle biter -> to air is human -> flakes linkup; and it was MEGA. 3 great pitches with great exposure Oct 15, 2020