Third Flatiron via East Face Left (aka Third World Zone 5.4)
January 26, 2011
Going for a break in the weather and hoping the sun would dry out the previous night's snow, Shaun and I planned to get the Third before this year's raptor closure. Having both been up the standard route, we decided to enjoy more climbing and the lingering warmth of the afternoon sun on the south edge. This is an excellent alternative to the standard route and leaves much more to the climber. The 5.2 rating given by Gerry Roach seemed a little off and we both felt it to be closer to 5.4. The upper pitches to Dog's Head are smooth with very little pro, so don't pass up belay stances. We enjoyed the summit all to ourselves and stayed for quite awhile.
Going for a break in the weather and hoping the sun would dry out the previous night's snow, Shaun and I planned to get the Third before this year's raptor closure. Having both been up the standard route, we decided to enjoy more climbing and the lingering warmth of the afternoon sun on the south edge. This is an excellent alternative to the standard route and leaves much more to the climber. The 5.2 rating given by Gerry Roach seemed a little off and we both felt it to be closer to 5.4. The upper pitches to Dog's Head are smooth with very little pro, so don't pass up belay stances. We enjoyed the summit all to ourselves and stayed for quite awhile.
Awkward video of me trying to rappel and shoot a video.
