East Face North Side

This route is the Northernmost route on the East Face of the First. It starts about 100+ feet to the right and up from the start of the Standard East Face route. The route wanders up just right of a large gully (East Face Gully). The rock is good although a bit hard to protect (as all East face routes tend to be).

To get onto the East face, find a large flake (see picture) that allows an easy traverse [South], and proceed straight up the face finding the path of least resistance. There is an old piton and two bolts on the first pitch. From there, the route wanders left and right a couple of times until it reached the North Arete just [South] of the start of that route.

Downclimb to the West and [descend to the North] or climb up again some 50 feet [South] and do the North Arete route, 5.4.

Per Stefano Prezioso: for more details:

Pitch 1: traverse about 8 feet left to the horizontal horn, and get on top to access the face above. Follow the face more or less straight up past two old bolts (the first is an SMC hanger, and the second is a homemade hanger) to a ledge system that angles up and to the right. Belay near the start of this ledge system, ~180 feet.

Pitch 2: follow the ledge system up and to the right until you are under a large protrusion, about 50 feet above the belay. There is also a large crack/groove that angles up and to the left directly below this protrusion. Stay right of the protrusion, and avoid the temptation of the left angling crack/groove, following a "depression" in the face straight up towards some broken crack systems and small trees, ~200 feet.

Pitch 3: trend generally straight up with some mild wandering left and right, following broken crack systems and grooves on the path of least resistance past a few small trees. Find a suitable belay, either off of one of the larger trees or in one of the broken crack systems on gear, 150-200 feet depending on where you stop.

Pitch 4: trend up and right of the final larger trees on the face until just below the summit ridge. When you are about 10-20 feet below the summit ridge, start trending left until you eventually reach the summit ridge. Keep following the summit ridge until you pass a notch with a large, oblong, horizontal chockstone in it. The next notch to the climber's left is the start of the scramble off. Build a belay somewhere in the summit blocks,~75-125 feet.

Descent: after finding the correct notch (directly left/south of the notch with the large, oblong, horizontal chockstone), scramble down and to climber's left on large, broken blocks about 15 feet, 3rd/4th Class. There are some sections that could be down climbed with more difficulty and more exposure, so if it looks a bit sketch, try checking notches further south (climber's left). Once on the ground, head north and then northeast following the occasionally flagged tree and broken climber's trail down sometimes loose and steep switchbacks. This wraps around the north side of the First Flatiron and The Spy (keep the rocks on your right and in sight). Eventually, you'll come to a large, flat, sandy opening below The Spy in which you'll cross through the rock band that has been on your right. There is no scrambling or downclimbing at this point, so if you don't see the large flat sandy spot, you may need to keep going. After passing through the rock band, you'll find a more well defined trail that switchbacks down east and then briefly south before connecting back up to the main hiker's trail.

A standard Flatiron rack.

Per Stefano Prezioso: approach: follow the main hikers trail to the base of the First Flatiron. Take the marked climber's trail for access to the First Flatiron, head over the wooden bridge, and then follow the steep/loose gully up about 100-150 feet up climber's right of the start for Direct East Face. You'll see a "horizontal horn" that marks the start of the route.