Flat Irons - 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Link up

Heading out to Estes Park at the end of August for vacation. Wanted to spend a day at the Flat Irons in Boulder and do a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd link up. Is there a good online resource for mapping out a path between the 3 features? Just trying to figure out how much hiking there is between climbing and make sure there is an obvious path to link them up. Going to be a big day and want to make sure we are efficient time wise.

Assuming you are going in numerical order this is what I do...

The blue sections are "secret" paths that lead between the formations and are pretty important in shaving off some hiking distance. I probably have a GPX file if you'd like specific GPS coordinates, shoot me a PM if you'd like more info.

Did them 1, 2, and last 3 with my son - Matt. On the 3rd, we started from the very toe of the formation.

Nice thing for us on the 3rd was, when we joined the popular route mid-way up, there were only free soloists plus us as a simul-climbing party. Very quiet - like a half dozen deer passing quietly through a dark part of the woods.

The day before, we scoped the starts of the routes.

I've climbed them 3,2,1 several times. It works well because the descent will take you by the start of your next climb.

Done this a few times now, it's a sweet linkup that you can knock out in a couple of hours! Here's how it goes...

Start with the 2nd, climbing Freeway until it's terminus with the trail. Descend the trail a few switchbacks until reaching the base of Baker's Way. Climb Baker's Way to N Arete on the 1st. Downclimb the First. Head S on the trail and then find the climbers trail that heads down the talus slope behind the 2nd. Continue S and down across the creekbed/gully until you hit the 3rd Flatiron climbers trail. Climb/downclimb the 3rd!

Still feeling good? Continue on (slightly bushwacky) to the 4th and 5th!

Gonna be toasty!

If you downclimb Freeway on the Second, you'll be hiking between formations for < 15 minutes :)

I typically do 3rd>2nd>1st

strava.com/activities/71312621

Hey guys, thanks a ton for the beta, this helps a lot. I'm going to take the majority advice and do the 3, 2, 1 order. Once again, thanks!

Do you plan on doing the regular route on the 3rd and the Direct East Face of the 1st? If yes, by far the most efficient order for getting between them (especially without getting lost if this is your first time doing the linkup) is 2-1-3. IMO, this is THE best link-up in the Flatirons, even beating out the Fatiron-Maiden combo due to the large ratio of scrambling to running.

Take the trail to the base of the 2nd, then up free-for-all to the summit. If you don't care so much about the 2nd Flatiron summit, just doing freeway is a great alternative. Also, Dodge Block or some variant to the newly discovered finish (Freezeway) is fantastic, but I can't recommend onsight soloing that and there isn't really any gear for leading it either...

After the short downclimb (or rap) from the summit of the 2nd, you're on a trail that takes you right back to the base of the 1st. Up the Direct East Face, and rap or do the 5.2 downclimb. From the bottom of the downclimb, you go straight across the hiker trail and descend into the drainage between 1 and 3 to witness the awesome result of the floods of 2013. Eventually, you cross the talus to the East bench of the 3rd and do the Standard East Face there. The downclimb off the 3rd is complicated, but not too difficult. Poison Ivy will be bad in August, so maybe best to rap, then come back over the West End by Friday's Folly and hike down the descent trail.

If you are a Strava user, here's a .gpx track: strava.com/activities/19584…

Good luck and have fun!!

Bill Lawry wrote:Did them 1, 2, and last 3 with my son - Matt. On the 3rd, we started from the very toe of the formation. Nice thing for us on the 3rd was, when we joined the popular route mid-way up, there were only free soloists plus us as a simul-climbing party. Very quiet.

Bill, I hope that you did not do the 3rd on the 3rd of July! The third flatiron is closed to rapture nesting until July 31st. If you did you should be handed a heavy fine along with everyone else on the third that day. You make climbers look bad by not checking first to see if the rock is closed or not.

If you are not talking about the third of july then ignore what I am saying and call me a dick.

^^^^ Ya after reading your reply I realized I am an idiot. My bad everyone, especially my bad Bill.

It was right around Oct 19 of last year, not July 3rd. No worries!

J Marsella wrote:FWIW I've never not started at the toe of the formation, and I'd say its the way to go.

I agree. ... and I've done it once each way.

Stefan Griebel wrote:Also, Dodge Block or some variant to the newly discovered finish (Freezeway) is fantastic, but I can't recommend onsight soloing that and there isn't really any gear for leading it either...

Sounds scary, but may I ask for more detail?

Car to car for this, what is your estimate on how long it'd take for someone never having done these before? Headed there in September.

without ropes car to car in probably less than 3 hours. With ropes i would at least triple that time

brenta wrote: Sounds scary, but may I ask for more detail?

Free For All is the "standard" East Face Route of the Second, although it still bypasses you from taking on the Dodgeblock head on:

mountainproject.com/v/free-…

Freezeway is an X-Rated, newly discovered alternative, going @ 5.7:

mountainproject.com/v/freez…

trice wrote:without ropes car to car in probably less than 3 hours. With ropes i would at least triple that time

Perhaps I'm splitting hairs here, but I would count on 4-5 hours roundtrip if you're getting one these routes for the first time.

Back when I lived in Boulder and climbed in the Flatirons multiple times a week, and was in much better shape, it usually took me a little less than 4 hours to go 3-2-1 at a reasonably fast pace. While the standard east side routes are pretty cruiser, it's fairly easy to get off route onto more difficult terrain, potentially eating up a lot of time.

LongRanger wrote: Freezeway is an X-Rated, newly discovered alternative, going @ 5.7: mountainproject.com/v/freez…

Thanks! I'll be sure to take a look next time I'm there, but, having read the description, I reckon I'd want a top rope.

On the subject of this thread, I'll speak for the old, slow, and weak.

First, if you climb on a week-end and plan to rappel down the Third, you may spend a pleasant half hour on the top waiting in line for your turn. Then spend another half hour to actually complete the rappels. Or more. Starting early usually helps.

Second, taking less than three hours requires a certain mix of fitness, technique, and familiarity.

Stefan Griebel wrote:...The downclimb off the 3rd is complicated, but not too difficult. Poison Ivy will be bad in August, so maybe best to rap, then come back over the West End by Friday's Folly and hike down the descent trail. If you are a Strava user, here's a .gpx track: strava.com/activities/19584… Good luck and have fun!!

Stefan - Do you descend the gully down to the south side of the Third? I've one up it once and had remembered it being a mess. I'd love to not have to hike back up and around if there is a good way down into Bluebell Canyon to the south.

Yes, I usually descend the south gully. I haven't yet since it reopened for 2015, but I'm sure it will be choked with poison ivy for a few months. There's really only 1 bad spot, but it is still the fastest way down.

If you're not in a hurry, you can descend to the bottom of the SW chimney, then scramble up and over the backside, then down the normal descent trail. Either that, or downclimb the entire East Face.