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

Handcracker Direct

Name: Handcracker Direct
Rating: 3.6

5.10a YDS 6a French 18 Ewbanks VI+ UIAA 18 ZA E1 5a 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
	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, 5 pitches
FA:	Rossiter, Garber, Hare, Woodruff, Erickson, Wunsch, et al.
Page Views:	46,745 total · 162/month
Shared By:	Michael Komarnitsky on Apr 1, 2001
Admins:	Leo Paik, John McNamee, Frances Fierst, Monty, Monomaniac, Tyler KC Page Updates (admin only)

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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

Rossiter calls this route "a near-classic," and for good reason. Consistent pitches, easy routefinding, and solid crack climbing is what this is all about. We had a smile after every pitch!

P1: scramble up to the chimney that is The Mail Ridge, and go slightly right. Start climbing here. Go up the short, left-facing dihedral created by a large, triangular block. Gain the top of said block, and move right into another left-facing dihedral with a slight bulge. Move over, and follow the crack up (crux of pitch) to the nice ledge. Try belaying a little to the left of where you end up on this ledge.

P2: attack the roof, and follow the crack up the right-facing dihedral about 15 feet left of where the previous pitch left you. Follow up through a slot, and belay on an open face before you get to the large flake that continues on your path up the right side of the wall, 5.9.

P3: follow this flake up - and what fun! Super-positive and nice and airy. Use your extra #3 here to protect, as it's a little blank. Rossiter suggests moving left halfway up this flake and continuing on the arete, but I think it's just as fun to follow the flake up and out. Belay anywhere you want on the great break ledge at the end of this flake, 5.7.

P4: the crux pitch starts about 15 feet, 90 degrees to the left of the direction of travel you were maintaining as you finished the flake. It's a steep, slightly meandering hand crack that ends with a small roof, which you surmount by passing to the left and then stepping left once over to a great belay stance. Steep and sustained but with a number of good spots to place pro, this pitch is a blast!, 5.10-.

P5: shoot up and slightly [left (per Iain Macdonald)], following the crack from the belay stance up to the summit and enjoy the view! Maybe this is 5.5.

Pitches 2-3 and 4-5 are easily linked; many people find this better as a 3 pitch climb.

Protection

A standard rack up to #3.5 Camalot, plus an extra #2 and #3 Camalot for crux fourth pitch is nice (or else creative use of tri-cams).

Descent

From the summit, scramble down the notch. Work north & west, and walk all the way down to the trail, with one 4th class downclimb right above the ground. When in doubt, keep north - it's a good, well-worn path all the way. It is also possible to rappel Pony Express, but there's tons of loose rock and probably climbers below. Don't do it.