The Ladder
V2,
Boulder, Alpine, 10 ft (3 m),
Avg: 3.6 from 211
votes
FA: unknown
Colorado
> Alpine Rock
> Mt Blue Sky (fo…
> Mt Blue Sky (fo…
> Area A
> Bierstadt Area
Access Issue: Most of these boulders are within the Mt. Blue Sky (formerly Mount Evans) Wilderness Area, regulated & patrolled by the US.
Details
Most boulders are located within the Mt. Blue Sky (formerly Mount Evans) Wilderness Area, regulated & patrolled by the USFS. Climbers should be on their best behavior, practice Leave No Trace. Please abide by these requirements: it can take vegetation decades to recover from damage. Place crash pads judiciously, & keep brushing to a minimum. Before adding new lines, considered the damage that may be caused by additional foot traffic, pads, etc.
Chalk is unsightly to non-climbers. Please avoid chalking up boulder problems that are visible from the Chicago Lakes Trail, & in general, keep chalk use to a minimum. Brush all tick marks off after every session. Use containers that prevent chalk spills & if you do spill, clean it up.
Stashing crash pads is forbidden by the USFS. Pads will be confiscated.
Noise: this is a Wilderness area that is enjoyed by many, mostly non-climbers. The last thing passing hikers want to hear are f-bombs, iPod speakers, grunting, etc. In fact, most other CLIMBERS don't want to hear any of these things either. The easiest way for us to lose access is to elicit complaints from other user groups.
Dogs must be leashed at all times, they scare wildlife. Obviously, clean up after your dog.
Remember we are guests in this area. Be respectful of other users & the USFS Rangers that manage this area.
Description
The Ladder, aka Indian Ladder, is an excellent warmup in the Bierstadt Area. This southeast-facing problem is extremely popular, featuring big moves on huge holds. The problem is a bit harder than it looks, but once you figure out which part of each hold to grab, this line will feel much easier. Begin with a sit start in the bottom of the pit, with hands matched on the big sloper. Pop up to the first rail, and so on towards the top. The holds get much more positive after the long reach at mid-height, and the topout is relatively moderate.
There are numerous eliminates involving the small crimps on this wall. A stand start to this problem drops the grade to V0.
Location
From Bierstadt, continue south through a narrow cleft between the Bierstadt Boulder & its neighbor. About 20 south of this cleft, the trail passes the Ladder, which begins from the pit on the right (N of the trail).
Protection
~2 pads. The landing is mostly flat, but there is a sloping boulder on the left that is more of a psychological distraction than anything.
[Hide Photo] Mitch Mandel, The Ladder.
[Hide Photo] The Ladder Boulder is the large, flat-topped boulder on the left. The Ladder climbs the shaded face in front of the climber. The two hanging aretes in the forground are Ben's Arete (the nearest…
Glenwood ,Co
Something is wrong,
Ohithians used to be V3 and so was timeline. I don't see how they were downgraded but this wasn't. Aug 5, 2009
Morrison, CO
These grades are simply my opinion. If you disagree, you can vote for a different grade (if you don't know how to do that, PM me). Aug 6, 2009
Glenwood ,Co
Morrison, CO
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