Rocky Horror

Perhaps more important than the grade of the route a closer inspection of the first ascensionists and perhaps the name of the climb should be considered.  Rocky Horror is a serious undertaking and nothing like the new-age routes.  This is a bygone adventure created by those with brass balls and love for rotten and loose rock.

Pitch one climbs up the chimney with sparse gear for the first several feet before tackling a bulge and wrestling through a thorny shrub.  A short squeeze chimney awaits and a semi-hanging belay around large loose blocks ends the pitch.

Pitch two skirts out climbers right and uses a series of cracks and bulges to reach the infamous yellow band of rotten rock.  This pitch was harder than it looks and has several toaster size chunks of rock precariously perched.  Belay off a single bolt off right to avoid dragging rope through cacti and loose rock or belay out left off one old, original and one new bolt directly below the third pitch.

Pitch three is dirty and dangerous but manageable with soft and gentle movement.  Sort of a chimney, sort of a wide, loose crack with a piton on climbers left.  Once reaching the piton the rock on the left is solid but remains in the 5.9 effort zone.  Ends at a single bolt on sort of a blocky ledge.

Pitch four is on fairly solid rock and climbs a series of cracks slightly up and left, 5.10.  We ended this pitch below the mini-roof at a hanging, but solid belay with one piton.  Thin and difficult moves a few feet above the belay make this pitch a winner.

Pitch five continues over the roof and eventually to the summit, 5.10.  

From the prow of the Flatiron, hike east about 100 feet and locate a chimney system.  The route is on the southwest face so it gets a fair amount of sun.

Nuts and cams. We also used a #5 and #6 and found them critical at two different cruxes.