BOULDER, Colo. — Michael Reese thought it would be fun to run up the precipitous First Flatiron above Boulder to see how fast he could do it. And we do mean run.
He did have to mix in some hand holds in sections, but the Boulder rock climber ran and scrambled pretty much straight up the 60-degree face that rises 1,000 feet over Chautauqua Park without technical climbing ropes on July 3. Reese completed the ascent in 9 minutes, 23 seconds, which was 2 seconds faster than the previous fastest known time set by Stefan Griebel in 2011.
To put the height of the climb into perspective, the First Flatiron is almost 40% taller than Denver’s tallest building, the Republic Plaza.
“It’s pretty much pure joy,” Reese said. “I think the best part about it is kind of killing multiple birds with one stone. You’re in nature, you’re pushing your limits, you’re bettering your physical state, you’re getting in a workout, you’re going for a record.”
