This is a pretty good route in the Flatirons, with 2 long pitches or 3, if you don't want to run them together. You can certainly run them together with a 70M, and I think a 60m is what we successfully used.
Arrive at the base of the east face of The Thing and locate a crack with some trees in it that goes through a roof (crux, but has good holds) and over a ledge, continuing up and left to another tree before ending. From there, climb easy face up and slightly left to the left margin of a huge flake, then to the top of the rock.
Belays can be made on the ledge, at the upper crack with a tree, on the ledge on the upper slab, and at the top. So there are 3 different places you can stop and belay depending on drag, communication, rope length and ANTS. We saw an ant problem at the last tree, which was fine because we climbed to the first big ledge over the roof in 1 pitch and to the top (or darn near it) on the second pitch.
To descend, rap to the South, then go up behind the back and down the north side back to the base.
Location
This route climbs the central features and cracks on the east face of The Thing.
Protection
As I recall it (from 2002) it was a standard rack, offering standard gear, but with runouts expected on Flatirons.
A fun route with a nice summit. There is really only 10 feet of 5.7 over a roof (good holds and pro)and the rest is all pretty easy slab climbing. As Tony says in the description, expect some run out. The only place I can think that would be bad for newer leaders would be 40-50 feet between a tree and the block on the second pitch. Fortunately the climbing is easy.
By Jeff F. From: Black Hawk, CO Aug 23, 2008 rating: 5.6 R
Fun climb. Go ahead and pitch it out. We climbed in a group of three and did it in three pitches. The crux on P1 was not that bad, but I didn't lead it so....
P2 has a nice fist crack angling up and left past a tree.
P3 follows a huge flake, but you'd need valley giants or big-bros to protect it. I finally did get a #4 Camalot in, but protected it mostly with nuts on the face.
A really fun free-solo. The only 5.7 move (getting onto the roof) is right above a tree, so if you fell, you'd fall right into that.
By MarkG From: Goretex-Vortex, CO Mar 9, 2009 rating: 5.6 R
As of 3/8/09 the rap anchor consists of one sling of unknown age (looked okay though) and one new (added today) piece of 7mm cord with two rings. A really fun route with great views of The Third and Boulder.
Try to throw your rope out from the wall to avoid the prickly crap at the bottom that gets all over the rope and then all over your hands as you coil damnit.
By Guy Humphrey From: Fort Collins CO May 17, 2009
You can add some quality and leave the #4 at home by climbing the great slab about 15ft left of the huge flake (~5.6). There are small cam placements every 20-30ft.
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