This is a pretty good route in the Flatirons, with 2 long pitches or 3, if you don't want to run them together. You can certainly run them together with a 70M, and I think a 60m is what we successfully used.

Arrive at the base of the east face of The Thing and locate a crack with some trees in it that goes through a roof (crux, but has good holds) and over a ledge, continuing up and left to another tree before ending. From there, climb easy face up and slightly left to the left margin of a huge flake, then to the top of the rock.

Belays can be made on the ledge, at the upper crack with a tree, on the ledge on the upper slab, and at the top.  So there are 3 different places you can stop and belay depending on drag, communication, rope length and ANTS.  We saw an ant problem at the last tree, which was fine because we climbed to the first big ledge over the roof in 1 pitch and to the top (or darn near it) on the second pitch.

To descend, rap to the South, then go up behind the back and down the north side back to the base.

The East Face

South West Face (AKA: Day Before)

This route can be climbed up, or down in lieu of rapping the rock.  From the upper South Face of the rock, look down perhaps 10 or 15 meters to see a low angle set of cracks rising up and right.  These are formed by a series of three large chunks of rock on a ledge.  The first looks like a death-flake, but is not needed, as perfect, circular, in-cut hand and footholds lie just to the right of it.  Climb up these and then up to get solid hands (and gear if desired) over the top of the second flake.  Continue on this, hand traversing right with good sloping feet to the third chunk of rock.  Gear is available here and there.  Pop up onto the gully/ramp above and turn left to head for the summit.

Description

Location

Protection

Routes in The Thing