West Ridge - part C - Pony Express to Long John | 8582
5.8 YDS 5b French 16 Ewbanks VI- UIAA 15 ZA HVS 4c British PG13
| Type: | Trad, 120 ft (36 m) |
| GPS: | 39.93203, -105.28849 |
| FA: | Harrison, Brooks, Stuberg, '81 |
| Page Views: | 1,989 total · 10/month |
| Shared By: | Mark Roth on Dec 29, 2010 |
| Admins: | Leo Paik, John McNamee, Frances Fierst, Monty, Monomaniac, Tyler KC |
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
This is almost a great route. There is some really fun climbing on surprisingly good rock and really good gear at the cruxes. This section of cliff is more often than not overlooked for pretty obvious reasons (i.e. it looks like crap). With some more traffic, the lichen could clean up nicely. The only other drawback is the loose rock on the top ledge. If you were not careful, you could kill someone on the trail.
Where the trail hits the rock, there is a shallow dihedral that leads to a left-facing flake/crack. A #4 is useful here. Cruise up that crack and head towards a tree right above you. Before this tree, look for a hand ledge that leads right into the obvious, left-facing dihedral (#4 here also, or sling a chockstone). Head up nice jugs to a little ledge under the crux dihedral that is capped by a tiny tree/bush. Nice sharp finger locks and stemming get you through here with a good nut or TCU for pro. 20 more easy feet put you on the rotten ledge where the 2nd pitch of Rhombohedral begins.
Location
Left of Rhombohedral where the trail meets the rock. From the top, it is an easy scramble (down and right) over to the rappel tree. New cord, as of today, and a single 70 gets you down.



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