3rd Flatiron climbable this week?

Any Boulder locals mind peeking out the window for me? How much snow is up there?

I'll be passing through Boulder this week and with the perfect weather forecast, I'm thinking it might be nice to run up before the falcon closures start soon.

Thanks!

Should be climbable right now. Might be a little residual snow/ice deep in gullies, and the descent trail will be snowy/icy.

We climbed most of First on Sat (bailed before joining the N Arete due to winds). There were avoidable sections of snow and ice, but there has also been more melting since. Watch the wind forecast; it has been gusty up there even if the winds are calm at the base.

crappy photo from today, but you get the idea:

Watched someone free solo the 3rd on Sun w/rope for the rappel. Looked pretty devoid of snow, from the base.

I honestly had no ideas what "salwar kameez" were so I googled it. That might be a good look for you when you climb, you should probably stick with it.

There are some old photos of a climbing club in Boulder back in the late 1800s or so, the women used to free solo the 3rd in dresses, bad ass if you ask me.

Rick Blair wrote:...That might be a good look for you when you climb, you should probably stick with it. There are some old photos of a climbing club in Boulder back in the late 1800s or so, the women used to free solo the 3rd in dresses, bad ass if you ask me...

That's pretty harrowing soloing the 1st with ice possibly blocking the route and starting off the Deck with wet shoes. I don't think I could do that, even in a dress.

Fossana, that looks like a tasty little runnel of ice in that third photo. And I'm pretty sure it's not on the so-called Silk Road route.

Get it prior to 2/1 when the cliff-chicken closures shut it down!

Brad White wrote:Fossana, that looks like a tasty little runnel of ice in that third photo. And I'm pretty sure it's not on the so-called Silk Road route.

Fossana, the "Silk Road", which is a brilliant route is quite a bit climbers' right of the Standard Route. I don't have my reading glasses at work with me today, so your pictures look like soloing mixed climbing in skirts. Now that would be bad ass. :-)

It is the bottom of the silk road… It rarely forms that low.
Usually you cut in from the right, and up the gully above the stairs a bit.

I have done it once when it was that low! Makes the start much mellower.

Cor wrote:It is the bottom of the silk road…

Wow.. I didn't realize that the ice in the picture went somewhere other then the gully(on 1st)...

The flow in the pic was just left of E Face Direct.

Wow, thanks.. I didn't realize that one!
The picture lookinh down, i thought you were more to the side...

Conditions report:

The Third still has some ice in the gully before the second eyebolt. I crossed a little higher.

Freeway has some ice and snow at the start that can be avoided on the right.

The start to Baker's Way is icy and a little dicier than usual. The rest of the route and the North Arête have a little snow that is easily avoided.

The first 20 feet of Fandango are covered by ice. From the start, the Direct East Face looked cleaner than in the pictures above.

All trails have icy stretches.

Wonderful, thanks for all the conditions reports folks. Much appreciated!

Some sort of traction devices for use on the approaches/descents will probably make you very happy. YakTrax, StabilIcers, even golf shoes will help. The trails are so shaded that they develop scary icy spots that stay until everything melts off...in March or April.

Despite the balmy temps there is still ice and snow in spots, as Brenta mentioned. Expect a snowy start at the bottom of First Flatiron routes The trough near the top of E Face Direct is holding snow. The downclimb off the First is free of ice and snow. A few more photos from today: