Ponderosa Bouldering Climbing
Elevation: | 6,386 ft | 1,946 m |
GPS: |
35.68569, -106.65638 Google Map · Climbing Area Map |
|
Page Views: | 177,423 total · 871/month | |
Shared By: | Brian Quiter on Aug 3, 2008 · Updates | |
Admins: | Jason Halladay, Mike Hoskins, Anna Brown |
Description
Climbing ranges from thin face problems to steep overhung burl-fests with both lowball and highball climbing. The rock is volcanic tuff, but quite different from the popular tuff area, the Happys in California. Ponderosa doesn't have the thick and solid patina layer that the Happys does. Where there is thick patina here, it is probably choss. But where the patina is thin, it is awesome and very grainy, making for excellent pocketed face climbs. Conversely, the climbing on the underside of the boulders is quite similar to the Happys.
Ponderosa bouldering features rails, pockets, thin slabs, sharp aretes, hollow huecos, and interesting three-dimensional scoops. The rock is sharp and coarse and hard on the skin.
The setting is pleasant but very exposed to the sun and elements. Typically arid and dusty, the lower slopes at the Pond can however occasionally become extremely muddy following snowmelt. In this case, your best bet is to get higher where it is sandier. The gate to the Satellite area is closed in winter.
There is camping nearby. Just up the road is a national forest campground (closed in winter). Suds are available in Ponderosa, and there are more services on Hwy 4.
Getting There
From the north, it is easier to turn left off of Highway 4 near the mailboxes between mile markers 33 and 34. There's also a sign saying to turn left here for Ponderosa. From here, you follow Forest Road 10 for ~15 miles, hoping you stay on FR 10 and not some other road. I went this way, but I can't tell you the exact mileage because at one point, the signs indicating you're still on 10 become rare and the road gets worse (and I turned around to see if any other roads were better - they weren't). But if you follow the straight-looking way at any intersection, you'll get there. After ~13 miles, you come upon the aforementioned national forest campground, then right before the pond, turn a soft right into the parking area.
From the gate at the end of the parking area, follow the 'road' westward towards the north end of the pond. From here, most boulders are further west, climbing a gentle ridge via a good trail, however the Cube is more northward (and visible) up the wash.
The GPS location is somewhere in the middle of the climbing.
Classic Climbing Routes at Ponderosa Bouldering
Weather Averages
High
|
Low
|
Precip
|
Days w Precip
|
J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
Photos
All Photos Within Ponderosa Bouldering
Most Popular · Newest · RandomMore About Ponderosa Bouldering
Printer-FriendlyWhat's New
Guidebooks (6)
7 Comments