PRINT: Rock Climb Hand Crack (aka White Lightning), Eldorado Canyon State Park

Hand Crack (aka White Lightning)

5.10a, Trad, 80 ft (24 m),

Avg: 3.4 from 534 votes
FA: Jim Michael and Dan Hare?
Colorado > Boulder > Eldorado Canyon SP > W Ridge > W Ridge - part D - Xa…

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

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.

Protection

Standard Eldo rack to #2 or #3 Camalot; even the gripped should be well-equipped without doubles as the crack size varies substantially. If going light, leave the #3 Camalot behind; otherwise it can be sunk near the top for the last bit of (5.7 or .8) jamming.

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

Max Owens approaching the splitter hands section.

Simon plugging in a #3.

On White Lightning - fingers section.

On White Lightning.

The start of Hand Crack.

On White Lightning - hands.

White Lightning.

Excellent pitch.

Cruising the crux.

Nearing half way on Hand Crack<br>
Photo by Tonya Riggs<br>

Nearing half way on Hand Crack Photo by Tonya Riggs

Approaching the finger crack.

As above.

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

Joe Huggins
Grand Junction

A good route, I've soloed it many times, but have always referred to it as White Lightning. Don't know the first though. Oct 15, 2001

Peter Spindloe
BC

I agree that it's a little easier than the grade suggests, but a very pleasant climb, even on a fairly cold day (look at the pictures). Nov 28, 2001

Shane Zentner
Colorado

[Definitely] a worthy climb with good pro. I fell at the crux of Hand Crack and was stopped by a green alien. This was a fun route to do, [especially] if one is a beginning 5.10 trad leader, such as myself. Feb 3, 2003

Chris Archer

5.10a

Great climb. Don't know why it was renamed in the guide, especially since there is already a route named Handcracker on the West Ridge. As Joe says, it had always been referred to as White Lightning until Boulder Climbs South came out. Nov 30, 2003

SirVato SirVato
Boulder

Fun, Fun, Fun route !! Don't try to fiddle with nuts or it gets quite pumpy! just shove small cams in an let 'er rip!! Apr 21, 2004

Anonymous Coward

A great climb! I think this climb deserves its rating. The finger locks can be slick and if you have sausages for fingers like me its hard to get those puppies in there. A word to the wise...Dont place gear in the crack directly after the finger crack and expect it to hold. My first time on it I got pumped after the finger locks plugged a .5 cam in the crap rock and went for it only to fall. My piece pulled as did a good hunk of rock. Feb 21, 2005

Jason Shatek

5.10b

I thought this route could go at 10a or 10b. This is an excellent route for starting 5.10 leaders. The gear is very good and straight forward. However, the moves eluded me for some time! The finger crack is really pumpy with crappy feet. The second you hop out onto the slab the clock starts ticking; just use cams or you'll burn out! Move quickly or the boogeyman in your head will demand you yell "take" after a short period of time. To me it felt like a more sustained climb than chockstone and I had a harder time with this one than tagger. Probably because it requires sequencing of several 5.10 moves while placing gear. I doubled on green aliens for the finger crack; it just sucks'um right off your rack. Last week I fell on on one of the green aliens and it held, so its a good piece to bring. Very good climb; highly recommended! Jul 22, 2005

Rob Kepley
Westminster, CO

5.10b

One of the best climbs in this area. Great pro throughout with fun movement. Sep 16, 2006

Ken Cangi
Eldorado Springs, CO

5.10b

I agree with Dave. This route, compared to Chockstone, which I think has a harder and tricker crux move, is pretty straightforward. All the jams and locks are solid. Nov 11, 2007

Andy Laakmann
Bend, OR

5.10a

Good fun. Felt soft for the grade, I give it 10a. Bomber pro every step of the way. Oct 21, 2008

Eric Goltz
Boulder, CO

I'm writing this because it's not mentioned in the description: you can place a directional near the top of the pitch, then lower off a set of double-bolts atop Terminal Velocity. After your partner is finished cleaning, you'll be all set to TR T.V.! Nov 4, 2008

Larry Marquardt

I'm thinking Jim Michael and Dan Hare did the first ascent at roughly the same time as Xanadu was put up. :) Aug 25, 2009

Andrew McLean
Boulder, CO

5.10a

Loved this route. This was my first Eldo. "5.10" lead and I must say I thought it was easier than some 5.9+ in the area. Not a surprise. Extra #2s and a #3 for the hand crack up high would have been nice. Nov 20, 2009

JVonD
Longmont, CO

Steve A's ascent of White Lightning (AKA: Hand Crack) 5.10b in Eldorado Canyon Colorado.
youtube.com/watch?v=JGMF9uC… Mar 2, 2010

Joseph Crotty
Carbondale, CO

5.10b

JVonD, love the video of Steve Annecone. Is the sound track from 'Blodder is my Spotter?' Mar 2, 2010

ClimberSuz
Jackson, WY

Just for another perspective on size (it matters!): for me the crux was the top section which was between hand and fist (#3 Camalot)! The fingers and hand sections were easier. Great route without a doubt. May 24, 2010

Tommey-James
Boulder,Colorado

5.10a

Great gear, thought the cruz was down low exiting the finger locks and getting to the hand crack. 10a is perfect, for sure no harder. Jul 11, 2011

Canon

5.10a

You can TR it from the Terminal Velocity anchor with a directional in the crack up at the top. Fantastic climb. There are a couple swallows that live in the second crack above the crux. Jul 23, 2011

Ben Burnett
NM

5.10a/b

Bring the #3 Camalots! I would have placed 2 if I had them! That's about all that will fit in the upper crack, which is pretty hard for those with small hands. Unfortunately I placed my #3 on the middle section. I started with a bad #0.75 but immediately added the #3 higher up when I saw the condition of the rock where the smaller cam goes - see AC's post above.
I find the middle to be the crux - my hands just don't seem to fit well! Mar 4, 2012

Eric Haye
Boulder

5.10a PG13

Great route. Bottom portion is the crux. A blue Alien, green aliens and a yellow Alien should do it. Hand crack section is grea,t and if I were to rack up again, I would take a 3rd #2 and #3 BD cam. Does not require any nuts and you can leave the #0.5, 0.75 and 1 BD doubles behind. Jul 23, 2012

Jessica Pemble
Yosemite, CA

This route is great and has a little of everything; definitely bring a #3 for the top if you have small hands! I had a few insecure fists at the top, and it was awesome to have it. Feb 3, 2013

Coury Ditch
Boulder, CO. Email me os@c…

A group of us climbed it this morning. Absolutely great route! There was a large loose block (really chalked up) right before you start into the section of solid hands, but as we were hiking down from Rincon later in the day a group of people decided to trundle the block into the scree down the way.

Some will like, some will disapprove. Interested to see how it climbs now though. New fist crack? big hands?

Cheers Apr 7, 2013

Alex Vidal
Durango, CO

I climbed the route today in its new trundled form. The climb now accepts a #4 Camalot and is quite a bit easier through this section. There is a lot of dirt and loose rock still in the crack (much to the dismay of my belayer), we tried to get as much out as possible. Until it gets cleaned up a bit, I won't be climbing this route. Apr 8, 2013

Tim Farkas
Albuquerque, NM

5.10-

My first 5.10 trad lead today. Super safe, super fun. Do it! Found Chockstone (5.10a) substantially harder. Aug 1, 2013

The Blueprint Part Dank
FEMA Region VIII

5.10-

Super fun route, instant classic in my book. Very reminiscent of the style of climbing at the Tennessee Wall, where I cut my teeth years ago. I agree with I some of the other posts that this felt a bit soft for 10b, and the gear is excellent. So don't let the grade intimidate you away from this beauty.

"White Lightning" is a way more bad ass name for this IMHO. Oct 5, 2014

Andrew Locke
Louisville, CO

5.10a

If you've been to Indian Creek (unlike me), you'll probably find this easy. If you're good at crack climbing (unlike me), you'll also probably find this easy. If you haven't climbed in a year (like me), this route feels super hard, but it's amazing, and you should climb it. Mar 16, 2019

Joshua Burns
Denver, CO

Several laps on this one, excellent line. Feels like a hard 5.8/easy 9 in Eldo. With A body length of finger locks and smearing, this route has plenty of rest positions and perfect jams. Sep 8, 2019

Kaz Hatfield
Firestone, CO

5.10a

This was my first Eldorado 5.10a before heading to Darkness til Dawn and tagging our second! We got frozen fingers with a slight pump through the finger crux of this climb. Excellent moves to good holds and good climbing to the top. Way easier than I hyped it up to be! If you're onsighting 5.9+ in Eldo, you're probably ready for this! Oct 31, 2021

George Bracksieck

In 1975, I led Doug Hill up this, after leading Funeral March. It wasn’t in any guidebooks and had no chalk on it. Feb 16, 2024