Jenny & I climbed a variation of Fandango (5.6) on the First Flatiron, near Boulder, CO. It was a beautiful, sunny, and clear day. We started climbing at 8:50am and finished at 2:40pm, 6.5 hours of excellent climbing for roughly 6 pitches. My average pitch time was ~40 minutes including anchor set-up, and Jenny was running around 25 minutes a pitch. Excellent, work!
The following is my beta for our variation on the Fandango climb:
Approach (Modified from advice off of Mountainproject.com): Follow the hiking trail to the First Flatiron. Continue on the trail past the bridge at the base. Stay on the trail which heads south (away from the flatiron) and continues to ascend, with much wandering and switchbacks between the First & Second Flatiron. The *first time* you get within 10 feet of the First Flatiron, bear right off the trail and rope up. There is a flat spot adjacent to the rock, which is a great place to rope up.
We started at this flat spot, and did not opt to climb the 50-75 feet down for the proper start of the climb. I have read accounts online of others starting here (about 3/4 the way up the first pitch-thus avoiding the slabby start), and one fellow referred to this as the “Bakerdango” route.
Pitch 1: Begin ~10ft off the trail at a flat spot. Overhead and diagonally to the right (~40 ft) is a large roof. To the left of this roof there is a crack system & left-facing dihedral in a corner. I made my way over the slab to this system, with fairly sparse but good gear placements. The gear got better as I ascended, and I climbed until I was out of rope.
Belay 1: The belay was on the face (to the left of the left facing corner by about 30 feet) on a nice ledge big enough for 6 people. There was a tree with ~8″ diameter trunk sticking out of a crack above this ledge, and a smaller tree ~4″ diameter on the ledge. I set up the anchor by the larger tree (I used a #1 BD Cam, a #4 BD Cam, and a sling) and extended it down low, so Jenny could enjoy the ledge while she belayed.
Pitch 2: There was much debate about the best path up from here. Jenny reminded me of the picture we had showing a dude climbing towards a very large tree (~2′ in diameter) with some blocky roofs. It looked like fun to me, so I eagerly trounced upward.
(I later learned that this is part of a “Variation” to the Fandango route…we completely bypassed the curving nature of P3 of Fandango).
I’m glad we took the bee-line approach because the blocky roofs were way fun. Just below the roof, there is a rusty & loose piton, and an opportunity for a small TCU or Alien. The blocky roof protected lovely using one of my largest nuts (how satisfying!). Climbing to the right of the very large tree, I climbed around and past a large boulder (8′ x4′) and ran out of rope on a gently sloping plank of rock with a convenient crack for an anchor. After this rope stretching pitch, we were perfectly poised for P3 & P4.
Belay 2: (The anchor is on a face about 30 feet above and to the right of the Fandango Variation Route starting point. So, we decided to finish on the Fandango Standard route.) I placed a #3 and #1 BD Camalot in this crack for the anchor. There is a small 5-7″ diameter tree about 20 feet to the right and up from this anchor…
Pitch 3: Head up towards the small roofs above. Aim for the groove in the center, which is ~15′ to the left of the large Dihedral system. Follow this groove, and faults in the rock, as there are plenty of gear placements. I stayed to the left of the large dihedral for most of the pitch, pulling little mini-bulges along the way. Aiming left of the dihedral as I climbed, being mindful of reducing rope drag by carefully placing my pro. I ran out of rope about 50 feet from the top of the summit ridge right in between two nice crack systems.
As I was in between two belay potentials, I opted to have Jenny climb up to my first piece. The ledge about 10 feet above me looked very inviting! So, I had her dismantle the belay, and climb up to my first piece. With this extra rope, I was able to climb up to the next spot and secure the next belay.
Belay 3: I used a 0.75 BD Cam, a #12 Nut, and a Red Metolius TCU for the anchor. This belay was ~30 feet from the summit ridge.
Pitch 4: ~30 feet of climbing. Simul-climbing would be a great way to get around Belay 3, if the party is experienced.
Belay 4: I used a #3 and #2(or #1 ?) cam for the Summit ridge Belay. Excellent pro for the anchor!
Pitch 5: Angle up and over multiple pinnacles, placing pro as you go. Remember to place pro on the way down to protect your second! I climbed until I ran out of rope, and belayed Jenny to me.
Belay 5: I don’t remember what I used. I believe I used a couple cams.
Pitch 6: The summit pitch, how awesome! I went over one pinnacle, down to a very large sandy shelf, and then up a cruxy 2 move boulder problem to the final summit! I used a #4 for the crux crack, and a few other pieces directly below. The rope drag was heinous, so next time I might opt to bring my partner to the bench before finishing the climb…
Belay 6: The summit pinnacle! There were 2 parties hanging out at the rappel rings, so I built a mini-anchor for Jenny. A sling around a large boulder and a 0.75 BD Cam. Soon, Jenny was on the summit with me! Success!!!
Rappel: 100 feet down off of two large eye bolts. A 60 meter rope will make it with a little room to spare. It is a free hanging belay, so be prepared!
Tags: Boulder, CO, Fandango Variation (5.6), First Flatiron, Rock Climbing