All Locations > Colorado > Boulder > Eldorado Canyon SP > W Ridge > W Ridge - part C - Po…

Iron Horse

Name: Iron Horse
Rating: 3.0

5.11 YDS 6c+ French 23 Ewbanks VIII- UIAA 23 ZA E4 5c British

Routes in West Ridge - part C - Pony Express to Long John

L › R R › L A › Z

	Barrel of Monkeys S 5.11c/d 7a 24 VIII 25 E4 6a
	Bloke On The Side T 5.9+ 5c 17 VI 17 E1 5a R
	Bridget the Midget T 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c PG13
	Byway T 5.9+ 5c 17 VI 17 E1 5a R
	Chick on the Side T 5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b
	Conversions T,TR 5.12 7b+ 27 VIII+ 26 E6 6b X
	Court Jester T 5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c PG13
	Crazy Stairs T 5.10+ 6b+ 21 VII+ 20 E3 5b
	Curving Dihedral T 5.10c/d 6b+ 21 VII+ 21 E3 5b
	Dandi-Line T,TR 5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b
	Dead Letter Department T 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c
	Drug Abuse T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a
	Erickson's Finish T 5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a
	False Prophet T 5.11d 7a 24 VIII 25 E5 6a R
	Fever, The T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a R
	Going Postal T 5.10c/d 6b+ 21 VII+ 21 E3 5b
	Good Ship Venus T 5.9- 5c 17 VI 16 HVS 4c PG13
	Handcracker Direct T 5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a
	Hanging Chad T 5.11b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c PG13
	Heatwave T 5.10 6b 20 VII- 19 E2 5b
	Horse d'Oeuvre (aka Pony Express P1 to Zip Code aka Pony Code) T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a
	Human Factor, The T 5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a R
	Hyperspace Roundup T 5.12c 7b+ 27 IX- 27 E6 6b PG13
	Ignominity T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a
	Ignore Me T 5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b R
	Iron Horse T 5.11 6c+ 23 VIII- 23 E4 5c
	Iron Pony T 5.11d 7a 24 VIII 25 E5 6a
	Junk Mail T 5.8+ 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c
	Lightning Bolt Crack T 5.8+ 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c
	Lost in the Netherlands T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a
	Mail Ridge Tower Link-Up T 5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b
	Mail Ridge Variation Finish T 5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a
	Mail Ridge, The T 5.9+ 5c 17 VI 17 E1 5a
	Mesca-Line T 5.7+ 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b
	Muscle and Hate T 5.10d 6b+ 21 VII+ 21 E3 5b PG13
	Passing Lane T 5.9+ 5c 17 VI 17 E1 5a R
	Pony Express T 5.11c 6c+ 24 VIII- 24 E4 6a
	Pony Express, Briggs' Variation T 5.11d 7a 24 VIII 25 E5 6a
	Practice Climb 101 T 5.12c 7b+ 27 IX- 27 E6 6b R
	Practice Wall T 5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c
	Prison Sex T 5.10 6b 20 VII- 19 E2 5b PG13
	Pygmy Pony T 5.9+ 5c 17 VI 17 E1 5a PG13
	Quicksand T 5.10 6b 20 VII- 19 E2 5b R
	Quiet Desperation T 5.11c 6c+ 24 VIII- 24 E4 6a R
	Reckoning T,S 5.12d 7c 28 IX 28 E6 6b
	Rhombohedral T 5.8+ 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c PG13
	Rope to Ruin T 5.8+ 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c
	Scoff TR 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c R
	Seemingly Innocent T 5.8+ 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c PG13
	Side Wall, The T 5.11b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c R
	Sister Morphine T,TR 5.9- 5c 17 VI 16 HVS 4c
	Sooberb T 5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b
	Sooberb Lite T 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c
	Sundial T 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c
	Sword Of Damocles T 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c
	Unbroken Chain T 5.11c 6c+ 24 VIII- 24 E4 6a R
	Unbroken Prophet T 5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a R
	variation to Mail Ridge T,TR 5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b
	Warp Drive Overload S 5.12a/b 7b 26 VIII+ 26 E5 6a
	Who's Holding T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a PG13
	Wind Tunnel T 5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b R
	Zeros and Ones T 5.11+ 7a 24 VIII 24 E4 6a PG13
	Zip Code T 5.11- 6c 22 VIII- 22 E3 5c

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Type:	Trad, 2 pitches Fixed Hardware (3)
FA:	Dan Hare, Jim and Dan Michael
Page Views:	8,345 total · 30/month
Shared By:	James Balasalle on Oct 18, 2001 · Updates
Admins:	Leo Paik, John McNamee, Frances Fierst, Monty, Monomaniac, Tyler KC Page Updates (admin only)

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Explore this route in 3D

Use onX Backcountry to explore the terrain in 3D, view recent satellite imagery, and more. Now available in onX Backcountry Mobile apps! For more information see this post.

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

Iron Horse starts in the double seams just right of the first pitch of Pony Express in the middle of the wall. It climbs the thin cracks to the sloping ledge with anchor chains. From there it continues up the dihedral of Pony Express till that route goes out to the arete and up to the hand ledge. From the hand ledge turn the arete to the left (Pony Express goes right from this ledge) and join the super cool finishing overhanging arete of Iron Pony going past three bolts. This finish is stellar.

If you stop at the first anchors it is about 5.11c and is fun and short. If you link both pitches to the top it is pretty solid 5.11d and with lots of excellent climbing. A hundred meter rope gets you back down with five meters to spare. DON'T try to lower with any other length of rope, belay from the top and do the two rappels.

The Iron Horse link-up is harder than linking both pitches of Pony Express but easier than Iron Pony so...

Pony Express 5.11c, Iron Horse 5.11d, Iron Pony 5.12a