Type: | Trad, 300 ft (91 m), 3 pitches |
FA: | Pat Ament and Russ Oberg, 1965 |
Page Views: | 1,878 total · 11/month |
Shared By: | Dave Holliday on Sep 22, 2010 |
Admins: | Leo Paik, John McNamee, Frances Fierst, Monty, Monomaniac, Tyler KC |
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Access Issue: 2023 Seasonal Closures - lifted
Details
Update: as of 6/7/23 per Mike McHugh, ECSP: all closures have been lifted within Eldorado Canyon State Park, including Continental Crag.
Crags on Eldorado Mountain, such as Mickey Mouse wall and Cryptic Crags, are outside of park boundaries and may still be subject to Boulder County closures.
Previously in 2023: per M. McHugh, ECSP: the upper loop of the Rattlesnake Gulch Trail, above the Crags Hotel Ruin, & the
Continental Divide Overlook, is closed effective immediately. This included Continental Crag.
These areas are closed to all activities, including rock climbing & hiking, through 7/15 or until further notice, to protect nesting golden eagles on the S side of the canyon.
Golden Eagles are protected by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service under authority of the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. A conviction of nest disturbance can carry a fine to $5,000 & one year imprisonment.
See the map in the photo section for terrain closure.
Previous years: per Dustin Bergman, CO State Parks Officer #770, ECSP:
Seasonal Raptor Closures
Check Park site for current closures:
cpw.state.co.us/placestogo/…
For more info visit:
cpw.state.co.us/placestogo/…
Double check prior to venturing there. Thanks!
Crags on Eldorado Mountain, such as Mickey Mouse wall and Cryptic Crags, are outside of park boundaries and may still be subject to Boulder County closures.
Previously in 2023: per M. McHugh, ECSP: the upper loop of the Rattlesnake Gulch Trail, above the Crags Hotel Ruin, & the
Continental Divide Overlook, is closed effective immediately. This included Continental Crag.
These areas are closed to all activities, including rock climbing & hiking, through 7/15 or until further notice, to protect nesting golden eagles on the S side of the canyon.
Golden Eagles are protected by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service under authority of the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. A conviction of nest disturbance can carry a fine to $5,000 & one year imprisonment.
See the map in the photo section for terrain closure.
Previous years: per Dustin Bergman, CO State Parks Officer #770, ECSP:
Seasonal Raptor Closures
Check Park site for current closures:
cpw.state.co.us/placestogo/…
For more info visit:
cpw.state.co.us/placestogo/…
Double check prior to venturing there. Thanks!
Description
If you like chimneys and choss, then this is the route for you. There is plentiful loose rock on the first pitch after the wide section, but with careful selection, one can find some relatively solid rock and even some good gear. The second and third pitches have only a little loose rock but not enough to bother the seasoned Eldo climber. Anyway, the pitches:
P1. Scramble up to a ledge and enter the chimney with a flake in it. I thought the crux was getting established in this chimney. Continue up to a large tree straight above. Our path of least choss took us a bit left at times. Make a belay on the large ledge, 5.8+, 120 feet. (Note that this puts you at the base of Muscle and Hate.=)
P2. Move the belay about forty feet to the left. Be careful not to dislodge the small, hanging scree field as you walk over to the new belay spot. You'll see a low-angle slab; I made a belay on its left side, but build an anchor wherever you can find gear. Now climb the slab towards a corner with a large tree at the top with rappel slings. Continue past the tree and go up and right to the base of a wide chimney, 5.4, 100 feet.
P3. The money pitch. Climb the chimney to the top and exit under a natural arch composed of teetering blocks, 5.8, 70 feet.
For those not well-versed in the art and science of wide-crack and chimney climbing (like me), you may want to take some big gear to feel more comfortable. I used a #5 and #6 Camalot on the first and third pitches.
P1. Scramble up to a ledge and enter the chimney with a flake in it. I thought the crux was getting established in this chimney. Continue up to a large tree straight above. Our path of least choss took us a bit left at times. Make a belay on the large ledge, 5.8+, 120 feet. (Note that this puts you at the base of Muscle and Hate.=)
P2. Move the belay about forty feet to the left. Be careful not to dislodge the small, hanging scree field as you walk over to the new belay spot. You'll see a low-angle slab; I made a belay on its left side, but build an anchor wherever you can find gear. Now climb the slab towards a corner with a large tree at the top with rappel slings. Continue past the tree and go up and right to the base of a wide chimney, 5.4, 100 feet.
P3. The money pitch. Climb the chimney to the top and exit under a natural arch composed of teetering blocks, 5.8, 70 feet.
For those not well-versed in the art and science of wide-crack and chimney climbing (like me), you may want to take some big gear to feel more comfortable. I used a #5 and #6 Camalot on the first and third pitches.
Location
This route starts just to the left of Practice Climb 101. It can be identified by a steep chimney that widens after thirty feet to a chossy looking gully. Although there are a variety of trees in the area with slings to facilitate the descent, we opted to scramble to the climber's left up to the Handcracker Direct walk-off and used that to get back to the trail. It's a very quick way to get to the ground from that area.
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