Third Flatiron

Climbed the Third by moonlight with Chad K. Tom K and Kirk W were also out there, along with a couple of their friends. And one other party of two.

This was Chad's first time up the Third, and probably his first multi-pitch route, and his first rappels. He did great and really enjoyed the outing. My scouting mission the previous morning proved useful, as I easily located each of the eyebolts, which made things easier (ie, I didn't need to turn on my light to place gear except for a few pieces on the first and last pitches and for the one gear belay).

At the summit, we hung out a bit and let Tom's crew rap ahead of us. I wanted to be very cautious on the descent and didn't want to be rushed. We did two raps to get off. On both, I set up Chad's rappel and then tied off both strands below his device and clipped each into the bolts. I then rapped with Chad rapping second after unclipping the knots below him and with me giving him a fireman's belay. Worked nicely, but took a bit of time to ensure that everything was set up safely.

Perfect weather on the evening. Just a bit of a breeze on the summit. Nice, clear sky.

Approximate times:

7:03 pm - started from Chautauqua
7:35 pm - East Bench
7:50 pm - starting up the face
9:20 pm - summit
9:50 pm - started rapping
10:50 pm - on the ground
11:30 pm - back at Chautauqua

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