PRINT: Rock Climb Ghetto Blaster, Eldorado Canyon State Park

Ghetto Blaster

5.10b X, Trad, TR,

Avg: 0.8 from 4 votes
FA: M. Brooks, J. Foster, 1982
Colorado > Boulder > Eldorado Canyon SP > W Ridge > W Ridge - part B - Lo…

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!

Description

Follow the directions as for White Rabbit and take the right-most, right facing dihedral, as opposed to the left-facing one. This route is located just L of Verschneidung. If you enjoy the head game, this route is for you. The moves actually are fun, but potentially dangerous.

The crux move is a reachy mantle/flag from poor flakes to and though an overhang to pinch a horizontal arete-like feature above - matching on the sloping pinch and pulling up to a toe-hook is exciting above crappy small gear. It felt like solid 5.10 to me. The *very tall* folks might find it easier than I did.

Perhaps some holds broke between when the route was rated and now, which could have produced some spectacular falls.

Protection

This is a death route. The Rossiter guidebook rated it 5.9 (no S in the Boulder Climbs South) and the route was described as S in the text. The route is VS. About 30' off of the big ledge you will do a balancey mover on poor rock with bad or no protection. Then you will place a red or brown tricam behind a bad flake and do some more 5.8+ moves to gain the dihedral. There is a right-hand traverse that has terrible rock- thus you can not use just any hold. The crux pro was a 2" cam behind a poor flake, 12' below and to the left of the crux on a long sling, then a few brass nuts in poor rock, 5' down, and a #3 BD stopper just below the move.

There is a lot of very poor rock and many runouts on the route, some potentially lethal.

You can traverse from the top of Verschneidung (5.7 sewn-up) to the rap tree above Ghetto Blaster and TR the crux pitch from there if so desired.

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

tooTALLtim
Vanlife

5.9 X

Got on this without reading about it (just looked up, saw it was ".9" in the Rossiter book without reading the description, and went for it)

Shitty rock, not very good moves (because I was afraid of breaking holds), and a huge runout to the lip below the crux. I was able to get two decent cams on either side of the lip (a #1 on the left, and a 0.75 on the right). This is assuming the rock held.

This felt 5.9 probably because I'm 6'6", and was able to reach the better holds at the top of the crux.

I would not lead this climb again, nor recommend it to anyone. Quite the mindf*ck. Apr 2, 2008