Mountain Project Logo
To save paper & ink, use the [Hide] controls next to photos and comments so you only print what you need.

Ghetto Cruiser

5.8-, Trad,  Avg: 2.4 from 105 votes
FA: Taylor, Garland, Dieckhoff, '88
Colorado > Boulder > Eldorado Canyon SP > Cadillac Crag
Warning Access Issue: 2023 Seasonal Closures - lifted DetailsDrop down

Description

This is another fun moderate on Cadillac Crag. Approx 100 feet long, on Fin One. As you look up, the huge roof looms to your left; a smaller roof is also left. Climb up to the smaller roof, then bear right to a huge tree and walk off right.

The route follows a fairly straight line, beginning in a big V (which I guess Rossiter calls a left-facing dihedral). You can see it all from the base.

Excellent for moderate leaders.

Protection

Up to #4 Friend. Good pro and good anchors at the top.

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

Clint Locks halfway up Ghetto Cruiser, contemplating the corner or the offwidth. Easy choice.
[Hide Photo] Clint Locks halfway up Ghetto Cruiser, contemplating the corner or the offwidth. Easy choice.
Cruising the fun section of the ghetto.
[Hide Photo] Cruising the fun section of the ghetto.
Deep in the Ghetto.
[Hide Photo] Deep in the Ghetto.
Topping out on Fin one via Ghetto Cruiser.
[Hide Photo] Topping out on Fin one via Ghetto Cruiser.
Entering the Ghetto.
[Hide Photo] Entering the Ghetto.
Ghetto Cruiser route on Fin 1.
[Hide Photo] Ghetto Cruiser route on Fin 1.
Ghetto Cruiser (red) to Easy Street (green)
[Hide Photo] Ghetto Cruiser (red) to Easy Street (green)
Ghetto Cruiser variation (Red dots) to Easy Street (Green Hacks)
[Hide Photo] Ghetto Cruiser variation (Red dots) to Easy Street (Green Hacks)
Rick Blair leading on Hot! day.
[Hide Photo] Rick Blair leading on Hot! day.

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

Michael Walker
Loveland, CO
[Hide Comment] This route is memorable and old school 5.7. If the face to the left of the huge crack is taken, continuing the sunstained nature of the dihedral, an exciting route is had. the moves are [strenuous] and rewarding. Don't bear right to a tree but charge straight up to a slot. Above the slot is the ramp leading to Easy street and the summit. Finish with Easy Street for a two star route. A fine autumn climb with a SW orientation. The route description is kind of ambiguous, so here's the take on my line: start from a ledge above the talus slope on the SW face of Fin 1, above and to the right from the bottom of the colorful face. Traverse to the left toward the huge roof on an easy strata. A [right] facing corner shoots up before reaching the arete after about 15 feet. The start has dual cracks (the one on the right takes good gear) and the fun is stemming b/w these two...yippee...to a nice stance. Contemplate your future, your objective is the large slot between overhanging roof sections. You can work right and be below a wide fist crack that goes up to the right small roof and then work left under the roof to the large slot; or (recommended) continue straight up the corner, placing great gear in the crack before it ends. Place it well from your good stance because you will be forced out onto the face to work around the bulge and you might get pumped trying to place marginal gear when the crack resumes. This section is not for the meek. Your next rest and good gear is a stance and hand jam under the slot. Continue up the large slot, which is easy. Nov 4, 2001
Clint Locks
Boulder
  5.7
[Hide Comment] Just wanted to mention that the rappel anchors on the top are quite the museum pieces. If you're concerned, bring about 10-15 ft of webbing to tie around a horn on the summit to back them up. I've got an application in to replace them and it should be done by, say, December. Definitely string together Ghetto and Easy. Good times! Oct 9, 2003
[Hide Comment] combined with easy street this is a great route, the summit is worth the sections of hollow flakes. the rap bolts are solid, the hangers are old homemade jobs, but they seem safe. pretty adventurey, lichen, chong-a-bong flakes and exposure near the top combine to give this a microneering feel. and yes, some of us like that over waiting in lines to climb classics......oh and the views are grand. Dec 7, 2003
Brenda Leach
Ridgway, CO
[Hide Comment] We really wanted to climb V3 on Fin 4, but that was already taken. Rossiter doesn't give Ghetto Cruiser a star rating so I wasn't expecting much. But, this is a fun climb. I agree that it's an old school 5.7 rating. Getting up the steep slot is a little strenous with a committing move, but it's fun and the pro is there. I used a small pebble on the left wall to make that last move into the slot. We didn't continue up Easy Street, but scrambled back down to the base instead to see if V3 was available. Sep 28, 2004
Jason Shatek
  5.8-
[Hide Comment] Did this route on [Thursday] and really wasn't expecting anything since its rated 5.7. This route felt more 5.8 to me near the top. But, I stayed in the dihedral the whole way. The gear placement is good and the route gets nice and steep. The moves felt quite commiting near the top! I think this route gets by with two stars. Jan 22, 2005
Kevin Currigan
Lakewood
[Hide Comment] The old bolts and hangers are still there. Because of where the bolts have been placed it requires good rope management and serious muscle to pull your rope. We rapped into the gully to the west and at the big tree/2nd rap station there was only a single sling with a leaver biner on it. At this date the sling is in good shape. The cord being used at the top is another matter. It is tied well but was pretty toasty. Being it is directly threaded through the old stamped hangers it is time to replace it. Just a couple of screw links through the hangers would help this anchor/rap station. To make this a well-oiled 2 raps to the ground you might consider: four small, screw links, 25' feet of 1" tube you can cut up and a couple of rap rings. The four links (or two links and two rap rings) and 10'(? maybe a little extra just in case) of the webbing for the top and the rings and the rest of the webbing at the big tree. Great pitch. But the rap, at least the way we did it, was as not good. Aug 12, 2006
Mick Follari
Boulder
[Hide Comment] Led this yesterday (9/30). Had only one rope and rapped off the back, then walked around. I concur with Kevin that I did not love the cord directly through the old-ish bolt/hangars as the profile on the hangars is very thin and 'sharp'. Couple quicklinks would do it (I woulda, but didn't have 'em). Oct 1, 2007
Chris Archer
  5.8
[Hide Comment] Surprisingly fun route. Not sure where you'd place the number 4. It is too small for all but the first few feet of the offwidth. More pleasant climbing is had in the dihedral to the left of the OW. Belaying just before heading up and left on the Easy Street ramp will prevent considerable rope drag and provide some shelter from gale force winter winds.

The anchors are not well thought out. The two options are extending the anchors with long slings to lower to the bolts on the top of Untitled/Ichiban Arete and rapping from there or rap off the back and hike around. Nov 24, 2008
Sean Wolf
Denver, CO
  5.8
[Hide Comment] Probably best to double rope rappel from the anchors, but I think you would be ok rapping from the back if you make sure to throw the cord over the top towards the backside. An adventurous route with a great view on top gets three stars from me. I guess I would say just to be careful with the large flakes at the crux, could become more flexible with time. Aug 17, 2009
Count Chockula
Littleton, CO
 
[Hide Comment] Fun, fun, fun! One of my new favorites at the grade in Eldo. Good gear and a few tricky moves kept me thinking all the way. The short runout at the bulge where the crack ends briefly gave me some pause, but it's all there once you get moving. The steep roof was a hoot and is protected well by a #3 BD.

As others have stated, rapping off seems more of a cluster than it's worth IMO. Just use the obvious walkoff. Jun 28, 2010
Luke Clarke
Golden
[Hide Comment] This route is a nice warm up to start your day. It faces southeast and is one of the first lines on Cadillac to get sun. Sling gear long at the top of the corner, so you can traverse on to Easy Street and the bolt anchors. They were rigged with a long cordelette in good condition yesterday which made it possible to rap to the tree at the start of Ichiban (and another rap to the ground). Nov 29, 2010
Ryan Fischer
Littleton
 
[Hide Comment] This route was way cool! I thought given the two star rating that it would be junky. I think if you bail left toward the tree, you are basically bailing before the slightly overhanging and fun crux. Sep 17, 2011
David H
Denver, CO
  5.8
[Hide Comment] Be careful! There is a huge loose block at the top of the layback section. It is about 4 ft by 4 ft and is completely detached. If knocked off, it would land right on your belayer. Very fun route though. Jan 5, 2019
Joshua Burns
Denver, CO
 
[Hide Comment] Didn’t see the loose block in the comment above (from 2019) - must have trundled. This route could eat an entire double rack if you want to hang around and place it. A touch on the pumpy side of 5.8, but it has fun movement top to bottom. Happy to have brought the 4 for the upper section, but as always with a 4, you can easily get by without it. Nov 27, 2021
plantmandan
Brighton, CO
  5.8
[Hide Comment] This is a great route - fun moves and good pro the whole way. It gets steep towards the top, but the hands and feet are good. For my part, I also like having a #4 at the crux. It places well in the crack that is right below the ledge. Apr 9, 2023