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Hand Crack (aka White Lightning)
5.10a YDS 6a French 18 Ewbanks VI+ UIAA 18 ZA E1 5a British
Avg: 3.4 from 565
votes
Routes in West Ridge - part D - Xanadu to Pony Express
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Air Mail T 5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b PG13 |
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And Cream T 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c PG13 |
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Backslash T 5.10d 6b+ 21 VII+ 21 E3 5b |
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Barbie Doll Arete, The T 5.12- 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a R |
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Bit by Bit T,S 5.11c/d 7a 24 VIII 25 E4 6a |
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Bottlenecks T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a |
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Clean Dan T 5.10d 6b+ 21 VII+ 21 E3 5b PG13 |
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Coffee Break with Joe T 5.8- 5b 16 VI- 14 VS 4c |
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Cold Turkey T 5.9+ 5c 17 VI 17 E1 5a |
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Coniferous Types T 5.9+ 5c 17 VI 17 E1 5a |
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Cookies T 5.6 4c 14 V 12 S 4b |
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Crazy Fingers T 5.12a/b 7b 26 VIII+ 26 E5 6a PG13 |
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Cruising Lane T 5.6 4c 14 V 12 S 4b R |
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Detour, The T 5.9+ 5c 17 VI 17 E1 5a R |
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Doc's Little Brother T,TR 5.6 4c 14 V 12 S 4b |
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Dr. Michael Solar T,TR 5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b |
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Duh Dihedral T 5.6 4c 14 V 12 S 4b |
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Early Bird Special T 5.6 4c 14 V 12 S 4b |
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Fine Line T,TR 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a |
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Five Fang Overhang T 5.8+ 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c R |
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Fork in the Road T 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c R |
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Formula, The T 5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a |
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Foxtrot T 5.11d 7a 24 VIII 25 E5 6a PG13 |
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Funeral March T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a |
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Hand Crack (aka White Lightning) T 5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a |
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Hang Ten T,TR 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c |
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Henry Chinaski T 5.10d 6b+ 21 VII+ 21 E3 5b |
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Highway 61 T 5.9+ 5c 17 VI 17 E1 5a PG13 |
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Inverted Vee T 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c R |
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Kashmir T,TR 5.11b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c |
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Kubla Khan T 5.11c 6c+ 24 VIII- 24 E4 6a |
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Lady Fingers T 5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b |
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Lunar Avenue T 5.8- 5b 16 VI- 14 VS 4c R |
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Lunar Lander T 5.8- 5b 16 VI- 14 VS 4c |
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Masterbator's Edge, The T 5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a R |
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Milk and Honey T 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c |
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Milk Dreams T 5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a |
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Mirage T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a R |
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MRJR (aka MB III) T,TR 5.12d 7c 28 IX 28 E6 6b R |
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Parallels T 5.11b/c 6c+ 23 VIII- 24 E4 6a |
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Pool of Blood T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a |
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Positively Fourth Street T,TR 5.9+ 5c 17 VI 17 E1 5a |
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Rhadamanthus T 5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a PG13 |
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River Of Darkness T 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c |
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Road Narrows T 5.10 6b 20 VII- 19 E2 5b |
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Sign of the Cross T 5.10d 6b+ 21 VII+ 21 E3 5b |
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Snail Mail T 5.10 6b 20 VII- 19 E2 5b R |
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Srinagar T 5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b |
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Tampon T,TR 5.8- 5b 16 VI- 14 VS 4c R |
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Tango T 5.11 6c+ 23 VIII- 23 E4 5c |
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Tanqueray T 5.11c 6c+ 24 VIII- 24 E4 6a R |
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Terminal Velocity T 5.11b/c 6c+ 23 VIII- 24 E4 6a |
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Texas Two-Step T 5.10+ 6b+ 21 VII+ 20 E3 5b R |
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Three Lane Highway T 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c X |
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Tickle, The T 5.10d 6b+ 21 VII+ 21 E3 5b PG13 |
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Toprope Right of Formula TR 5.12 7b+ 27 VIII+ 26 E6 6b |
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Trip Itch T 5.10 6b 20 VII- 19 E2 5b PG13 |
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Tryptich T 5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b |
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Whatever T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a R |
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Willow World T 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c R |
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Working Class Hero T 5.8- 5b 16 VI- 14 VS 4c |
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X T 5.9+ 5c 17 VI 17 E1 5a PG13 |
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Xanadu T 5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a |
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Zap Snack T 5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b |
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| Type: | Trad, 80 ft (24 m) |
| FA: | Jim Michael and Dan Hare? |
| Page Views: | 21,484 total · 75/month |
| Shared By: | Matt Robertson on Sep 29, 2001 |
| Admins: | Leo Paik, John McNamee, Frances Fierst, Monty, Monomaniac, Tyler KC |
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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!
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
Imaginative name, but a fine pitch with clean, varied jamming and plentiful protection. The crux, in fact, is fingers - but the steep hand jamming above is quite good.
The Hand Crack is located in an enclave of the upper West Ridge called the Cirque of the Cracks (a fittingly vague name since the West Ridge comprises 2000 feet of cirques and cracks). Fifty meters uphill from the Quartzite Ridge, locate an alcove with several obvious, chalked crack lines. Look for a steep hand crack (the Hand Crack, yes) about thirty feet right of a prominent, serrated, corner crack (the Duh Dihedral) and immediately right of a clean, left-facing dihedral (Terminal Velocity). Heavy chalkage marks the way, especially around an overhanging section of 2" crack forty feet up.
The route appears unremarkable and discontinuous from below, but does provide some quality action and varied climbing - slabby fingerlocks, steep hand jams, an arete slap here and there. Jam the Crack through a tour of sizes and belay in a comfortable chimney below a loose ledge or traverse left to a slung tree atop Terminal Velocity (a few feet left/north). Either way, mind the abundant loose rock on these ledges. Rappel Terminal Velocity.
Rossiter calls the FA Unknown; can any historians (or seniors) out there set the record straight? Important minutia.
The Hand Crack is located in an enclave of the upper West Ridge called the Cirque of the Cracks (a fittingly vague name since the West Ridge comprises 2000 feet of cirques and cracks). Fifty meters uphill from the Quartzite Ridge, locate an alcove with several obvious, chalked crack lines. Look for a steep hand crack (the Hand Crack, yes) about thirty feet right of a prominent, serrated, corner crack (the Duh Dihedral) and immediately right of a clean, left-facing dihedral (Terminal Velocity). Heavy chalkage marks the way, especially around an overhanging section of 2" crack forty feet up.
The route appears unremarkable and discontinuous from below, but does provide some quality action and varied climbing - slabby fingerlocks, steep hand jams, an arete slap here and there. Jam the Crack through a tour of sizes and belay in a comfortable chimney below a loose ledge or traverse left to a slung tree atop Terminal Velocity (a few feet left/north). Either way, mind the abundant loose rock on these ledges. Rappel Terminal Velocity.
Rossiter calls the FA Unknown; can any historians (or seniors) out there set the record straight? Important minutia.
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