Last minute climbing trip?!

I live in NJ and have only started climbing 3-months ago. I had scheduled vacation time and plans fell through. Now I have 9-days off and need a plan. So is it a waste of time for a guy who can pull-off (follow)2-pitch 5.8's or easy 5.9's to go out to Denver or Boulder Colorado?
Maybe get in a few day trips of climbing.
I understand that climbing out west could mean 5 or 6 pitches or more, this is part of the reason I am seeking the local advice.

Obviously, I need to find a guide who will coach/teach a "plebe", that is my next inquiry. Any opinions, guide service suggestions and suggestions about routes that will notbe suicide for me?

Hi Jeff,

A trip to the Front Range would totally be worth it. The Boulder Rock Club is a great place to start as far as seeking a guide. They work in the Boulder area (Eldo, Flatirons, Boulder Canyon) as well as Estes Park and beyond.

I recommend searching the route data base for classics in those areas at your grade.

Have fun!

Thanks David. I will check this out.

Colorado Mountain School. They're good.

Good morning-

thanks for the advice. While surfing MP this AM Flatiron caught my eye. Have either of you guys ever climbed routes such as freeway, north face, fandango, East face/ seal rock?
Are the belay stations bolted or do they require protection?
Reason for inquiry, if fatigue becomes an issue don't want to leave booty on the route.

Thanks again for the advice.

The Flatiron routes are long and fun. They tend to be runout and fixed gear can be challenging to find. This June, I pitched the First w/ a cousin and her friend and had belays were adequate but sometimes not too obvious. So, fun easy climbing with at times challenging gear. Don't let that dissuade you. East Face North of the First allows you to bail at the start of the North Arete, if you so desire. Try that or seek a similar route w/escapes.

ps. Colorado Mountain School = BRC

Jeff J Reynolds wrote:Good morning- thanks for the advice. While surfing MP this AM Flatiron caught my eye. Have either of you guys ever climbed routes such as freeway, north face, fandango, East face/ seal rock? Are the belay stations bolted or do they require protection? Reason for inquiry, if fatigue becomes an issue don't want to leave booty on the route. Thanks again for the advice.

Pretty much none of the belays on the routes you listed are bolted (although some have trees).

Freeway: Don't bother unless you are looking to solo. The old guide called that route 4th class and it is pretty much just a walk. With limited time, I wouldn't waste it on that.

North Face? Of what? There are lots of routes called North Face. (You wrote "flatiron" in the singular... there are lots of flatirons).

Seal Rock is awesome. It is super fun 5.4 climbing. Although the pro is spaced, it is available and it is safe. Although both East Face North Side, and East Face South Side get 5.4 ratings, the north(right) side always seemed more secure to me. You need 2 ropes to rap off all the way to the ground as someone said. That being said, there is a bolt anchor half way down for a sport route, so theoretically, you could get down with one rope (kind of a pain) and the last time I was there, the bolted anchor had a death triangle of webbing on it.

Fandango is an awesome climb. I think it is the best route on the first. It is consistent 5.5. An even better variation is Fandango Direct(listed as Fandango Variation, 5.6 on this site). Fandango protects better than the "standard" East Face Direct. It is a bit less obvious where it starts. If you bring webbing, you can definitely bail from the top of the first or second pitch (if you do the direct variation) (there are trees to rap from).

I wouldn't worry about fatigue. These are not alpine routes. It is a 30-60min approach for all of these climbs with 4-6 pitches of climbing. It is pretty much all slab, so you barely use your hands, so fatigue shouldn't be an issue. I have taken beginners who have never climbed on all of these routes without an issue.

I think the bigger issue is finding your way around if you are new to the area. There is an obvious park trail to the base of the first, but rocks like Seal are a bit harder to find.

Also, Seal Rock is the "training" rock for Colorado Mountain Club, so if you go on a weekend, it might get crowded with beginners.

The other issue is time of day. Most of these rocks are south east facing and are blazing in the sun all morning. Lately it has been 90+ in Boulder every day, so you will be very hot on these routes. There are cooler routes in Eldo that are shaded all morning. (If you aren't coming until September, then that is less of an issue).

I think you best bet is to find a local to partner up with to at least show you one of these routes to help you get oriented. If you go with someone more experienced, you can get a feel for the difficulty and the grade as well.

Julius Beres wrote: North Face? Of what? There are lots of routes calls North Face. (You wrote "flatiron" in the singular... there are lots of flatirons).

Actually, now I am guessing you went through MP's top starred list, so by North Face you mean the North Face of the Maiden. This is one of the coolest climbs in the Flatirons, with one of the most spectacular rappels around.
The protection on this climb is OK, but the leader could take a huge pendulum swing if they were to blow certain moves. After the first two "pitches" (more like scrambles, but described as pitches here), you could bail from the eye bolt (but that is before any of the real climbing begins). Once you commit to the climb, bailing becomes difficult, since you are very high on the north face.
The approach for that route is a bit longer than the others you listed, probably taking over an hour if you are in OK shape (yes, there are people who run up there, but assuming you are not an uber athlete, I would say 1-1.5 hours). The route finding on the traverse pitches isn't exactly obvious either.

So, in short, an awesome climb with amazing position, but a bit more committing and more challenging route finding than the other routes you listed.

Also, if you have a fear of heights/exposure the rap might freak you out. You are rapping 100 ft down from the top off an overhang to a small ledge with another hundred foot drop off on either side...

Thanks to everyone for the advice. It will help alot.