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Lightning Bolt Crack
5.8+ YDS 5b French 16 Ewbanks VI- UIAA 15 ZA HVS 4c British
Avg: 2.6 from 41
votes
Routes in West Ridge - part C - Pony Express to Long John
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Barrel of Monkeys S 5.11c/d 7a 24 VIII 25 E4 6a |
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Bloke On The Side T 5.9+ 5c 17 VI 17 E1 5a R |
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Bridget the Midget T 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c PG13 |
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Byway T 5.9+ 5c 17 VI 17 E1 5a R |
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Chick on the Side T 5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b |
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Conversions T,TR 5.12 7b+ 27 VIII+ 26 E6 6b X |
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Court Jester T 5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c PG13 |
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Crazy Stairs T 5.10+ 6b+ 21 VII+ 20 E3 5b |
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Curving Dihedral T 5.10c/d 6b+ 21 VII+ 21 E3 5b |
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Dandi-Line T,TR 5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b |
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Dead Letter Department T 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c |
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Drug Abuse T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a |
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Erickson's Finish T 5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a |
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False Prophet T 5.11d 7a 24 VIII 25 E5 6a R |
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Fever, The T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a R |
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Going Postal T 5.10c/d 6b+ 21 VII+ 21 E3 5b |
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Good Ship Venus T 5.9- 5c 17 VI 16 HVS 4c PG13 |
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Handcracker Direct T 5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a |
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Hanging Chad T 5.11b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c PG13 |
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Heatwave T 5.10 6b 20 VII- 19 E2 5b |
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Horse d'Oeuvre (aka Pony Express P1 to Zip Code aka Pony Code) T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a |
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Human Factor, The T 5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a R |
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Hyperspace Roundup T 5.12c 7b+ 27 IX- 27 E6 6b PG13 |
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Ignominity T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a |
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Ignore Me T 5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b R |
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Iron Horse T 5.11 6c+ 23 VIII- 23 E4 5c |
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Iron Pony T 5.11d 7a 24 VIII 25 E5 6a |
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Junk Mail T 5.8+ 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c |
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Lightning Bolt Crack T 5.8+ 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c |
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Lost in the Netherlands T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a |
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Mail Ridge Tower Link-Up T 5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b |
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Mail Ridge Variation Finish T 5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a |
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Mail Ridge, The T 5.9+ 5c 17 VI 17 E1 5a |
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Mesca-Line T 5.7+ 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b |
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Muscle and Hate T 5.10d 6b+ 21 VII+ 21 E3 5b PG13 |
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Passing Lane T 5.9+ 5c 17 VI 17 E1 5a R |
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Pony Express T 5.11c 6c+ 24 VIII- 24 E4 6a |
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Pony Express, Briggs' Variation T 5.11d 7a 24 VIII 25 E5 6a |
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Practice Climb 101 T 5.12c 7b+ 27 IX- 27 E6 6b R |
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Practice Wall T 5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c |
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Prison Sex T 5.10 6b 20 VII- 19 E2 5b PG13 |
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Pygmy Pony T 5.9+ 5c 17 VI 17 E1 5a PG13 |
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Quicksand T 5.10 6b 20 VII- 19 E2 5b R |
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Quiet Desperation T 5.11c 6c+ 24 VIII- 24 E4 6a R |
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Reckoning T,S 5.12d 7c 28 IX 28 E6 6b |
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Rhombohedral T 5.8+ 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c PG13 |
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Rope to Ruin T 5.8+ 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c |
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Scoff TR 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c R |
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Seemingly Innocent T 5.8+ 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c PG13 |
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Side Wall, The T 5.11b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c R |
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Sister Morphine T,TR 5.9- 5c 17 VI 16 HVS 4c |
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Sooberb T 5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b |
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Sooberb Lite T 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c |
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Sundial T 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c |
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Sword Of Damocles T 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c |
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Unbroken Chain T 5.11c 6c+ 24 VIII- 24 E4 6a R |
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Unbroken Prophet T 5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a R |
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variation to Mail Ridge T,TR 5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b |
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Warp Drive Overload S 5.12a/b 7b 26 VIII+ 26 E5 6a |
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Who's Holding T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a PG13 |
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Wind Tunnel T 5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b R |
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Zeros and Ones T 5.11+ 7a 24 VIII 24 E4 6a PG13 |
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Zip Code T 5.11- 6c 22 VIII- 22 E3 5c |
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| Type: | Trad, 70 ft (21 m) |
| FA: | Duncan Ferguson, Jim Erickson, 1971 |
| Page Views: | 5,782 total · 22/month |
| Shared By: | Ivan Rezucha on Feb 15, 2003 |
| 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
Two stars for position and intimidation. Lightning Bolt Crack is listed in Rossiter as a variation to Mail Ridge. Supposedly it looks like a lightning bolt from some angles, but the crack you climb is pretty much straight up. It is visible from the base of Mescaline up right at the top of the cliff. It is the left facing wall at the top of the Mail Ridge buttress. The top pitch and crux of Handcracker Direct is around the corner to the right. Just left of Lightning Bolt Crack is a V-chimney, the top pitch of Mail Ridge.
Approach via Dead Letter Department (5.8--this would be a good combination at that grade), Mescaline, or various other climbs in the area. You can also do this after descending the initial gully after doing Hand Cracker Direct. Belay below the crack below a rotten red band.
Climb carefully through the red band to the base of the crack. The crack is overhanging here, but there is a big loose, thin flake you can stand on. Be careful! From the top of the flake layback off jams a few moves to get established in the crack. Above this there are a few footholds on the arete to the right, but they quickly run out as the crack widens and flares. But the good jams continue, at least for your left hand. A few more moves bring you to a Thank God bucket and horizontal crack. That's the end of the crux section. From this point, using the arete on the right for a few moves seems easiest, then back to the crack to pull up into a very nice belay alcove. This is the same belay spot as for the top of the Handcracker Direct crux pitch.
Easier climbing at about 5.5 leads up a corner/crack system to the top. Descend to the north, down a gully, and then walk off, carefully, to the north, above the Mescaline wall. The last 20 feet or so of the descent are technical, getting around a chockstone.
Approach via Dead Letter Department (5.8--this would be a good combination at that grade), Mescaline, or various other climbs in the area. You can also do this after descending the initial gully after doing Hand Cracker Direct. Belay below the crack below a rotten red band.
Climb carefully through the red band to the base of the crack. The crack is overhanging here, but there is a big loose, thin flake you can stand on. Be careful! From the top of the flake layback off jams a few moves to get established in the crack. Above this there are a few footholds on the arete to the right, but they quickly run out as the crack widens and flares. But the good jams continue, at least for your left hand. A few more moves bring you to a Thank God bucket and horizontal crack. That's the end of the crux section. From this point, using the arete on the right for a few moves seems easiest, then back to the crack to pull up into a very nice belay alcove. This is the same belay spot as for the top of the Handcracker Direct crux pitch.
Easier climbing at about 5.5 leads up a corner/crack system to the top. Descend to the north, down a gully, and then walk off, carefully, to the north, above the Mescaline wall. The last 20 feet or so of the descent are technical, getting around a chockstone.
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