BETA PHOTO: Summit ridge - note the dead 'descent tree' in cen...
Description
The slab is the widest (broadest) chunk of stone in the Flatirons with endless possibilites for 5.3-5.6 slabmongering on its expansive, 500-foot-tall east face. It sits in a pleasant location at the mouth of Fern Canyon and offers great views to the east and south from its summit ridge.
In addition, the north and west faces are host to a handful of great sport routes in the 5.11+ to 5.12 range on steep, bomber stone. Bouldering possibilities can be found in the trees below and to the south and west of the slab.
To descend the east face routes, scramble south along the crest of The Slab until it's possible to either downclimb or execute a short rappel from a prominent notch near the terminus of the crest.
Getting There
The most direct approach to the slab is via the North Shanahan Ridge Trail. Drive west on Table Mesa from Broadway and turn left (south) on Lehigh. Drive most of the way up the hill and turn right on Cragmoor, which dead ends after two blocks.
Park in the dead end and follow a trail west and uphill to the mesa above you. From here, continue west 20-30 minutes along the very wide North Shanahan Ridge Trail, passing a junction with the Mesa Trail en route. The Slab rears up ahead of you the further west you go; if you descend north into a gully you've just passed it!
For the east face routes cut left (south) off the main trail onto a climber's path through the ferns. To access the north and west sides, continue along the Shanahan Ridge Trail another 2 minutes (thru the gully) until you hit the Fern Canyon Trail. Follow this up and steeply west for 3-4 minutes until it makes sense to head south (left) across a talus-filled bench to reach the routes.
The Classics
Mountain Project's determination of some of the classic, most popular, highest rated routes for The Slab:
This varied line is on the north face of The Slab, right where the wall begins to bend west and climb uphill toward Undertow. It can be recognized by the double-overhanging dihedral which caps it.Intricate face climbing down low leads to ever-steepening rock and a thuggish roof. Crank the roof and move up into the corner, which may or may not be the route's crux depending on how you feel about corners. A final crank gains the anchors over the slab. This route is protected by 9 bolts....[more]Browse More Classics in CO
Is the new route to the right of Boys with Power Toys done yet? Any idea on difficulty and quality? It looks to be one of the best sweeps of stone up there and spanker hard. Thanks for the work!
The new climb (approved by the FHRC in the June cycle) right of Undertow is in now. Five bolts to double-bolt anchors (5.10+) - this is Paul Glover's climb, though he asked us to install it for him while he's in Nepal. Once he's back, I'm sure he'll add it to the database. Enjoy!
Please click on the above link to submit comments on the proposed climb; and to have a vote in the process, come to the FHRC public meeting on April 28, 2010, at 6:30 p.m. at Movement Climbing + Fitness, Boulder, CO.
Please click on the above link to submit comments on the proposed climb. The deadline closes June 15; this is the only route submitted this cycle. There will be a public meeting held June 23, Wednesday, at 7:30 p.m. at The Spot gym, Boulder.
The FHRC will hold its public meeting Wednesday, July 6, at 7 p.m. at The Spot gym, Boulder, Colorado, to discuss and vote on these applications and one other for the June 2011 cycle. Anyone interested is invited to come participate, comment, and cast a public vote in person.
Five applications have been submitted to the Fixed Hardware Review Committee (FHRC) of the Flatirons Climbing Council (FCC) for the September 2011 voting cycle:
•Two applications for new climbs, a 5.11 on the Slab and a 5.10 on Dinosaur Rock •Two applications to add new, lower first bolts to the existing climbs Touch Monkey, a 5.11b on Der Zerkle, Dinosaur Mountain and to Short Attention Span, a 5.11d on Overhang Rock, Bear Canyon. •One application to add an anchor to the existing climb Big Bob Cranks on Dinosaur Rock.
The vote and public meeting for this cycle will be held Tuesday, December 6 at 6:30 p.m. at The Spot gym, Boulder, Colorado. Anyone interested in voting on and discussing these applications is encouraged to attend!
One of the four applications submitted for the January 2012 cycle of the Flatirons Climbing Council's Fixed Hardware Review Committee is on this formation, the Slab. (The new deadline applications are January 1, April 1, and August 1). It is for a 30-meter 5.12+ called "Pogo Lord."
It's probably best to leave comments on each individual route by sending them to us via email for now: fhrc@flatironsclimbing.org.
The public meeting and vote on these applications will be held Thursday, February 2 at 6:30 p.m. at The Spot gym, Boulder, Colorado. Anyone interested is welcome and encouraged to attend!
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