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The Human Factor

Name: The Human Factor
Rating: 3.2

5.12a YDS 7a+ French 25 Ewbanks VIII+ UIAA 25 ZA E5 6a British R

Routes in West Ridge - part C - Pony Express to Long John

L › R R › L A › Z

	Barrel of Monkeys S 5.11+ 7a 24 VIII 24 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) 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 5.12b/c 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
	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, 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
	Scoff TR 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c R
	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

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Type:	Trad, 80 ft (24 m)
FA:	Alec Sharp & Dan Hare, 1980
Page Views:	1,611 total · 13/month
Shared By:	Wayne Crill on Feb 8, 2013
Admins:	Leo Paik, John McNamee, Frances Fierst, Monty, Monomaniac, Tyler KC Page Updates (admin only)

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Access Issue: 2023 Seasonal Closures Details

Per Mike McHugh, ECSP: The upper loop of the Rattlesnake Gulch Trail, above the Crags Hotel Ruin and the
Continental Divide Overlook, is closed effective immediately.

This includes the Continental Crag climbing area.

These areas are closed to all activities, including rock climbing and hiking, through July 15 or until further notice, to protect nesting golden eagles on the south 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 up to $5,000 and 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 information visit:
cpw.state.co.us/placestogo/…

Double check prior to venturing there. Thanks!

Description

Human Factor is another Alec Sharp classic in an area full of them. Although not long nor the most aesthetic appearing climb, this route truly climbs like a dream! The technical difficulty of the climbing and the gear placements increase as you ascend this one. Climb the slab to the base of the overhang where you can get good gear above in the beginning of the dihedral crack. Climb the dihedral with increasingly technical moves to a tenuous stance prior to the final difficulties. The two larger Loweball slider nuts fit very well here. Stem out the cruxy top of the dihedral and romp up the corners to the tree finish where an anchor can be made or move R to the Sooberb anchor. Although certainly more serious at the time of the FA, modern gear protects this climb reasonably well. I think its habanero heat on the spicy scale, maybe only jalepeno, overall it's reasonably safe. I find it a little difficult to grade, it didn't feel like it had 5.12- pulling on it, in fact it's not particularly powerful; but it is devious, technical, and sustained, I think the grade is something like 11+/12- PG13/R. The quality and grade feels similar to Foxtrot and Crazy Fingers.

Location

Human factor climbs the obvious, right-facing dihedral of red-brown rock, left of Court Jester and approximately 30 right of Sidewall (just right of Quiet Desperation).