Home - Destinations - iPhone/Android - Gyms - Partners - Forum - Photos - Deals - What's New
 ADVANCED
Eldorado Mountain
Metolius Mega Pack Climbing Holds

$138.99 25% off

$104.24

at AlsSports

1    more...
Black Diamond Stubby Haul Bag

$99.95 20% off

$79.96

at Backcountry

4    more...
Giro Monaco Cycling Glove

$39.99 25% off

$29.99

at AlsSports

244    more...
Scarpa Vapor V Climbing Shoe - Women's

$138.95 39% off

$83.37

at Backcountry

48    more...
Elefantito Full-Body Children's Harness

$79.95 29% off

$55.97

at CampSaver

2    more...
SCARPA Instinct S Climbing Shoes

$135.00 20% off

$108.00

at EMS

6    more...
Double Ended Pully 2 38 In

$89.95 25% off

$67.46

at CampSaver

5    more...
Millet Prolighter 30 Backpack - 1830cu in

$134.85 29% off

$94.40

at DeptOfGoods

36    more...
Bell Sports Slant Bike Helmet

$54.99 25% off

$41.24

at AlsSports

1    more...
 more Dirtbag Deals

Select Area...
Behemoth 
East Ridge 
Industrial Wall, The 
Mickey Mouse Wall 
Ridge 1 
Ridge 2 
Ridge 4 
Secret Crag (aka Ridge 6) 
Suburbia Boulder 

Eldorado Mountain 


Photos: Recent | Best | Popular
Lat, Long: 39.9204, -105.288 Map
Page Views: 173,123. Good page?   
Administrators: Ben Mottinger, Leo Paik, John McNamee, Frances Fierst, Monomaniac, Tom Erickson
Submitted By: Ben Mottinger on Jan 1, 2001

Make this area a Favorite
What's New
Guidebooks (4)
 Printer View

Add Area  Add Photo  Add Comment  Add Event 

Private Property issues MORE INFO >>>


BETA PHOTO: Southeast Flank of Eldorado Mountain, showing Ridg...

Description 

This area includes everything on Eldorado Mountain, which is South of Eldorado Canyon. The most recognizable rock is the Mickey Mouse Ears on Mickey Mouse Wall. Rossiter's new Eldo book lists many more recently developed crags on this hill.

The ridges are numbers left to right (south to north) here. Some guidebooks have listed the ridges from right to left (north to south), so there is potential for confusion.

There is a lot of poison ivy in the area. If you are sensitive, watch out for it.

Some of the bolting here involves use of atypical or homemade hangers. Some of the bolts have been shot at by irritated landowners. Use caution.


Getting There 

There are many approaches. To reach Mickey Mouse Wall, take the road to Eldo, but go right before you get into the town, turn left on a paved road up to a small parking lot. The access road continues from here, but you must hike along this road to an indistinctive trail that crosses a meadow, and follows the stream up to the RR tracks. Hike the talus field to the towers. A better description is in order here, but this is a place that is best found with someone who has already been there.

Crossing onto railroad property is trespassing. They will confront you if you do so.


The Classics

Mountain Project's determination of some of the classic, most popular, highest rated routes for Eldorado Mountain:
Green Dihedral   5.7     Trad, 1 pitch   Mickey Mouse Wall
Perversion   5.9     Trad, 3 pitches, 350 feet   Mickey Mouse Wall
Parallel Journey   5.9+     Trad, 2 pitches, 300 feet   Mickey Mouse Wall
Vulcans Don't Lie   5.10a     Trad, 1 pitch, 35 feet   Mickey Mouse Wall
Asahi   5.10c PG13     Trad, Sport, 2 pitches, 170 feet   Mickey Mouse Wall
Captain Beyond   5.10c     Trad, 5 pitches   Mickey Mouse Wall
Beagle's Ear   5.11a     Trad, 2 pitches, 250 feet   Mickey Mouse Wall
Lifestream   5.11a     Trad, Sport, 2 pitches, 230 feet   Mickey Mouse Wall
Perilous Journey   5.11b X     TR, 1 pitch   Mickey Mouse Wall
Vergin' on Perversion   5.11c R     Trad, Sport, 4 pitches, 400 feet   Mickey Mouse Wall
The Fornicator   5.11c     Sport, 1 pitch, 80 feet   Ridge 1
The Wild, Wild West   5.12a     Sport, 1 pitch, 70 feet   Ridge 4
Ms. Coolie's Saloon aka Killer Elite   5.12a     Sport, 1 pitch   Ridge 4
Soul Train   5.12b     Sport, 1 pitch   The Industrial Wall
The Adultress   5.12b     Sport, 1 pitch, 100 feet   Ridge 1
Red Dihedral   5.12d R     Trad, Sport, 3 pitches, 350 feet, Grade II   Mickey Mouse Wall
Stigmata   5.13a     Trad, Sport, 1 pitch, 130 feet   Mickey Mouse Wall
Occupied Territory   5.13a     Sport, 1 pitch, 80 feet   Ridge 4
T.G.V.   5.13c     Sport, 1 pitch, 45 feet   The Industrial Wall
Rogue   5.14-     Sport, 1 pitch, 80 feet   The Industrial Wall
Browse More Classics in Eldorado Mountain

Featured Route For Eldorado Mountain
Gary Hann on the massive open book 3rd pitch of Perversion. Photo by Jeff Rieks.

Perversion 5.9  CO : Boulder : ... : Mickey Mouse Wall
Possibly one of the all time classic routes of its grade, Perversion fires up the central tower in three pitches of glorious climbing on some of the best rock in the Front Range. Below the central tower is a large block - climb up left on talus around the block and then over to the right side for a cozy belay that looks up a system of left facing dihedrals all the way to the top.P1. Starts off on the right side of the block in a rough finger and hand crack. This is largely 5.7/5.8 until just bef...[more]   Browse More Classics in CO


Photos of Eldorado Mountain Slideshow Add Photo
Eldo Mtn. as seen from the air. You can clearly see the north face of The Bastille, although the sun was obscured by the sun on this cold and windy day. Not the best light, but you take what you can get when getting a free plane ride over Boulder. - Thanks, Rick, for the ride!

Eldo Mtn. as seen from the air. You can clearly se...

Zephyr ad from National Geographic, October 1957.

Zephyr ad from National Geographic, October 1957.

Train on Eldorado Mountain.

Train on Eldorado Mountain.

Rocky Flats Nuclear Weapons Plant. View from Eldorado Mountain.

Rocky Flats Nuclear Weapons Plant. View from Eldor...

BH on FA of the Golden Nugget's west side.

BH on FA of the Golden Nugget's west side.

Ridge numbering on this website.

Ridge numbering on this website.


Comments on Eldorado Mountain Add Comment
Show which comments
By Dave Brower
From: cs co
Oct 19, 2002

The local wingnut with the gun (Bill Schuller) sold the place to Pinnaclecommunications Inc. I work up there often and have been climbing on the convenient bouldering areas near the road ("Cloud Nine" area, etc.) since the early '90s. I rarely see old Bill around anymore, but I've seen him once in a while putting around the place, so be careful, he still acts like he owns the place... he has about 2 years left before he should be gone completley. He told me once that he "likes to shoot the bolts out of the rock with his gun".

By Tod Anderson
Jan 27, 2004

It is important to be discrete when accessing the Wild West/West Bank or Mickey Mouse from the Plainview area. First, don't park at the Plainview railroad crossing. This is because it is a lot more obvious to sensitive residents that you are in the area and painfully obvious that you are walking on the tracks. It is much better to park a couple of hundred yards below the crossing on the last left hand switchback and walk due west through the Open Space to access the tracks beyond the maintenance yard and out of sight. It's also less obvious that you're climbing as a lot of people come to this area to walk their dogs along the roadway, etc.

Second, don't walk through the tunnel to get to the West Bank, Ridge One, etc. A well marked trail leads around the tunnel and it only takes about five minutes more than walking through the tunnel. This track has a lot more traffic than in years past with sometimes several trains per hour. There have been a lot of problems here before, so keep a low profile.

By Anonymous Coward
Aug 18, 2004

I love hikin' through those tunnels. It makes the day. Especially when you space out and step on a decapitated skunk or railroad grease. So good!!!!!