Another fun Flatiron route with a reasonably short approach. This climb is approximately 300' long. The bottom of the east face of the Spy is connected to the north edge of the First Flatironette. Climb this face near it's north (right) edge to a five foot vertical step, where the Spy becomes a separate rock. Climb over the step either on the left (5.3) or right (slightly harder).
Now follow the narrowing arete to the summit. Very exposed and not much pro. Since you are on a narrow fin, a fall by either leader or follower could result in a pendulum down either side, and it might be hard to return to the route.
From the summit, continue west and pass an overhang by means of a jump. Hike back down the north side of the rock.
[Hide Photo] The Spy climbs the North edge and has great exposure and views in all directions.
[Hide Photo] Killer summit and view. This is about as north as you can get on Green Mountain, so the view of Flagstaff is breathtaking.
[Hide Photo] For anyone who might be confused about the start: this is the standard start. You can see the short, vertical step at the top of the photo. The climb can also be started higher up along the sides…
[Hide Photo] Solo climber on The Spy, taken from the top of The First Flatironette.
[Hide Comment] a note about getting off of the spy: near the top, after crossing the flat blocky section, stay on the fin and belay off a big flake on the top. to get back to the ground, scramble down off the fin (very easy and safe - this is not "the jump"), then climb up the slab directly behind you. "the jump" is off of the top left corner of the slab. not as bad as it looks at first sight. if one of you is more confident than the other, you can sling the top of the slab you jump to with a tied off cordelette and tie your partner off to give them a bit more confidence.
[Hide Comment] The Spy is actually a good climb with really solid holds. Seeing the level of exposure on all sides, if nothing else, a rope would have been a pychological booster! I'm not sure where the 'jump' was, it's been a while, but I remember getting off the summit as being pretty straight-forward.
Jun 17, 2007
[Hide Comment] There's a real nice photo up above of "the jump." Definitely unnerving the first time you try it, but it looks much worse (from the jumper's vantage point) than it is! :)
Jul 23, 2008
[Hide Comment] This is a cool scramble with the exposure on both sides! Complete psychological mind trip! Be careful to descend to the north, as to the south it cliffs out. Maybe it was the snow, but I got mildly trapped about 20 feet over some pointy rocks while trying to get to the standard face of the first.
Apr 7, 2009
[Hide Comment] Great exposure on the thin rib! I found this to be a little more mentally challenging than most easy Flatirons climbs, but it really made for a unique experience.
Aug 16, 2009
[Hide Comment] Despite the crappy first pitch and the too short length, I keep coming back. Really fun solo to link with North Arete on the 1st. Wish it was longer!
Mar 20, 2011
[Hide Comment] For those of you who prefer the safety of a rope... I led the first pitch. About 30 feet above the 5-foot vertical step I was found a reasonable belay crack. I was able to get 4 of my smallest pieces to build a solid anchor, and, in retrospect, I would not have been able to build a multi-piece anchor any higher. My partner Dale led the 2nd = crux pitch. Above the belay, Dale placed 2 or 3 pieces before the crux where there was absolutely no gear which made the runout deserving of the R rating. At the top of the crux, protection was again available. Dale set up a belay at the summit immediately before 'the jump', though this used every bit of our 60 meter rope.
'The jump' was reasonable. I would agree that this climb requires more care than the average east face scramble because of the continuous exposure.
Jul 25, 2013
[Hide Comment] The jump is easy, but it can also be easily downclimbed. Turn around and lower off the edge slightly descender's right of the jump to hidden but big feet.
The crux step had three options - left (5.0ish), right (5.3), or a crack center left (5.6ish move).
Aug 13, 2014
[Hide Comment] Easy to link the First Flatiron by taking a short stroll across the hillside to the right side of the First. Not hard to get on to the Right Side of the East Face at the big dead tree propped against the rock.
May 27, 2020
[Hide Comment] The short "step" part seemed the most challenging, everything else was barely 5th Class. There was pro available when I wanted it including just before the upper bulge, not sure if it warrants an "R" rating, just a typical Flatiron romp with nice views. A70 meter rope made it to the nice, flat, upper belay point, but there was an intermediate belay point 30 feet past the "step" that took small pro. I didn't find the "jump" so bad, but my wife let it play with her mind and thought that was the crux of the climb, if there was such a thing. The top of the climb lends itself to jumping on the 1st Flatiron ridgeline to the summit.
Aug 17, 2020
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Boulder, CO
a fun route. Apr 7, 2004
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'The jump' was reasonable. I would agree that this climb requires more care than the average east face scramble because of the continuous exposure. Jul 25, 2013
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The crux step had three options - left (5.0ish), right (5.3), or a crack center left (5.6ish move). Aug 13, 2014
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