Pony Up

This route appears often and is prominent across the gorge from US Highway 550 near the Engineer Pass turnoff. Late winter is probably the ideal season as the first pitch can be thin and, in lean years, may involve dry tooling.

Overhead hazard is not insignificant and should be approached with caution.

P1, WI3-4 50m. Climb mostly rolling ice with some steep bits, runout when thin. A two bolt anchor is found to climber's right at the base of the upper column. Per Ellen S: 60m ropes can help you reach a bolted anchor to the right of the next pitch.

P2, WI4 50m. Fire up the fat blue flow. Steeper options to the right. Above the column, continue up low-angle snow and ice for 50 feet to a tree with rappel anchors.

To descend, make one 50m rappel from the tree, then another 50m rappel from the bolted anchor.

From the south end of Ouray, drive 3 2/3 miles south on US Hwy 550. The route is visible from the Bear Creek bridge onwards. Park at the Engineer Pass turnoff (as for Kennedy's Gully, Gravity's Rainbow, etc.), and hike 1000 feet back down the highway towards Ouray. Descend a S/SW-facing ridge to the creek below. From here, either 1) go left (east) at the bottom, cross using handlines where the creeks converge, and locate a trail on the south side, or 2) descend directly to the creek, cross it, then hike downstream until it is possible to climb up through a weakness in the south wall. Make an ascending traverse west to the obvious gully below the route (avalanche hazard), then climb up or along the margin of the gully to the ice. Snowshoes may be useful.

Per Ellen S: GPS coordinates for the climb are: 37.989353,-107.656897 and the river crossing: 37.98843, -107.65399. As of 1/1/2025, there were fixed handlines here to help cross the creek, but it would probably be possible to cross the creek without the handlines as well. Then, either follow a bootpack, or otherwise make an ascending traverse up and NW through the woods to the route.

Two 60m ropes and ice screws. Per Ellen S: there are fixed anchors (bolts, then tree).