One of Tuck's defining features is a large, left-facing dihedral that arcs up steeply into a roof. In this dihedral is a very small crack that runs the length of the vertical dihedral. Follow this corner in, up, and finally out through the top.

Hypotenuse

Unnamed (submitted as Doc's Route)

Lethal Dose

Boiling Point

Old Dihedral

Caddis/Argus

Wimps

Dan-D-Line

Left-angling Crack

Ebb Tide

Gimps

Spread Eages Dhare

Mr. Spiffy

Mr. Stiffy

Night Train

Surprising Slab

Heart Throb

Constrictor

Plastic Fantastic (submitted as Small Dose)

Gyro Captain

Finger Crack

Arête

Hare Balls

Antagonism

Bock!

Climb a slab to a steep face. It is short but interesting.

This is a decent route, but is still pretty dirty and has some loose rock, perhaps owing to it's lack of popularity, which could perhaps be due to the name?  This is the next climb right of Heart Throb. It is plainly visible in the attached photo, rising up and right to the edge of the picture.  It starts in a steep crack and shallow corner, climbing up a few reachy moves (#1 crux, 10a) then reaching a large left facing corner to a stepped overhang and roof- which is surpassed with nice stemming (#2 crux, 10a). Height may have an effect on the perceived grade, with long legs or flexibility being beneficial for both cruxes. Once above the overhang, continue up and right through a crack and flake system to a large ledge (8+, S-), then up over then next wall (moderate climbing) to top out. Watch the rope topping out so as not to knock rocks down. Belay on this large ledge of of excellent stoppers or tricams in a solid crack up and left.  The name implied to me that I was probably getting on something nastily protected, but that turned out NOT to be the case. There were some runouts on the line due to choosing not to place gear behind some questionable flakes, but all of the hard climbing felt reasonably protected and safe. Just mind not to drop anything onto your belayer if you are a heavy climber and given to breaking holds.

Climb straight up a clean face, just right of an arcing, very defined, left-facing dihedral. A vertical crack runs right up the middle of this face, providing some excellent finger jams.

This route ascends the prominent dihedral. It is pretty easy; 5.5/5.6. Climb it; it is fun. This could be an easy solo if desired.

Argus starts about 10 feet left of

Gyro Captain

.

One star climb, zero star setting.  Argus involves climbing the boulder problem Caddis and then continuing up some 5.11 climbing to the anchors.  A 6 move wonder.  Most people don't rope up for this and just climb Caddis, which officially ends on the escape ledge about 25 feet up, though it's common to jump off after the crux.  But, if you want to make it safe and finish at the top of the cliff, then Argus is your route.  Even though it's fairly sharp and close to the road, it's got some fun, hard moves and makes for a convenient project.

Climb a steep flake to a face. It is short but fun!

Begin at a west-facing slab just right of

Surprising Slab

.  Climb up low-angled rock with good edges for feet to a break in the roof above.

Continue through the roof using a good jug for your right hand, then slightly left and finally right to the chain anchors.

Find finger crack right behind a small aspen tree (white tree trunk) on the way up to arete/finger crack.  Take short crack straight up to small ledge under roof (nice rest), go left around roof, following the crack, and follow as it angles left and the angle drops on this low angle slab.....the crack turns into a seam and peeters out, run it out for 30 feet up to a large right facing dihedral....another short but steep and sparsely protected 15 feet leads to a large and loose belay ledge (exciting).  Scramble west or east to decend.

Climb the left of two cracks on the far west end of Nip. Scramble up the easy rocks to the base of the crack, below a roof. The way I saw it done (by Ben Mottinger) was via a heel hook above his head. I don't know if this is the best or only way to pass the roof, but it did look extremely bad ass. Follow the crack up to the top.

This is easy to locate to the right of

Hypotenuse

, the thin seam in the very large corner.  Start up the same low-angle slab.  Where

Hypotenuse

goes up the thin seam, veer right, cross some spicy terrain to gain the arete, and then cruise to the top.

Mr. Spiffy is on the overhung wall next to the parking area for Nip & Tuck.  The regular start begins with an awkward mantle.  The moves go left from here, through some big but hard to use sidepulls, then to a jug on the arete (which is surprisingly hard to clip from).  A couple thrutchy moves and you're at the crux, which involves pretty tough body position on slopey crimps and gastons pulling over the lip.  Look for a key right foot under the lip to get your hips up, and it's all over.

I may be a puss, or maybe I was doing the moves wrong, but this thing feels really hard.  I heard someone bouldered it out and called it an 8. Yikes.

This route is the free version (mostly) of

Capital Punishment

, but since it climbs extensively on the left arete, it deserves its own entry. It is a very sustained, bouldery climb with roadside access.

Start on the overhanging crack down and left of the start to

Gyro Captain

. Climb the crack directly (painful V9) to join

GC

and

Mr. Spiffy

. Continue past where those routes exit left to a final sloping arete section and the anchors. You will use the finger crack on the right a bit, but it's mostly climbed on the left.

On the west end of the rock lies the prominent triangular roof that this route skirts. Crawl up the thin, seamy cracks. Go through two horizontal cracks, up to a small hold (crux move). Stem out and enter the chimney, battle through and out.

Start left of where the rope falls. Most of the climb is done to the left of the rope. The begining is fairly easy with lots of big holds. About half way up the climb gets harder with some interesting balance techniques and opposing forces. The top is easy and if you follow the route you should have to traverse about 10 feet to the chains.

Do the same start as

Night Train

. Move under the triangular roof, and then move out to the big jug (hint: ;ook for the head jam). Clip a bolt just over the top of the roof, and finish up a gentler slab.

Same start as Hypotenuse, but where that climb goes left to the huge corner, this goes up and right, up the scary-looking "Constriction".

Start left of a large, clean, left-facing dihedral. The dihedral curves into an overhang, and at its center is a clean, small crack running the length of it. Move up an easy face, then a steep bulge with great, solid hand holds to crank off of. A huge hold at the top of the bulge signifies the end of the crux, move up and slightly left to finish.

Start 12 feet right of

Lethal Dose

, using large underclings, sidepulls and juggy thuggy moves past a small cam in an obvious slot to reach the horizontal slopers. More gear on the slopey traverse right gets you to a good rest below the first of two bolts. The crux moving left from the first bolt is sharp and reachy, followed by some nice movements along this dull arete past the second bolt. Easier climbing leads to a two bolt anchor which also works for the adjacent

Lethal Dose

. This testpiece can also be easily top roped after leading the classic

Lethal Dose

.

Begin on a slopey mantle on the right side of the overhanging wall (same as for Mr. Spiffy).  Then, traverse up and left a make several bouldery moves to the jug on the left side of the wall.  Clip, make a tough move to get over the lip and then you're home free (home free if the top out is dry  - a friend slipped on a snow patch close to the anchors and took a good fall).  The original rating I saw for this route was 5.12 c/d, but I don't think its harder than 5.12b. To me it felt easier than Power Bulge, Quick Draws, and other Colorado 12cs.  In any case, open for discussion.For harder variations, do the direct start to Gyro Captain (hard - called Rob's Direct Start, I think) or Mr. Spiffy (13a), which goes one bolt further to a challenging top out (see route description on this site).  Although not entirely necessary, it was helpful to have a stick clip for the first bolt.

This is a short climb, about 25 feet up. The crack starts more wide open with options for laybacks if you are feeling creative. It revolves from the right to left with a one or two degree slant. The crack has yet to be worn out, so all finger jams are pretty solid - a good one for those who may not be that comfortable in cracks.

Note: there is one loose rock up there, but it does not come out.

This is a beautiful arete running along the west side of the slab. The crux moves are over the roof and getting over the bulge onto the arete about halfway up. It is well worth it.

Start climbing to the right of where the rope falls. Follow up to a ledge that has some grass growing in the upper part of it. Then follow the rope up to the bolts. There are no real surprises on this route, it is just solid and consistent.

Follow the bolts up the face of the slab midway between Nip and Tuck. Start with the obvious layback, move up to the crimp, and continue. The horizontal slashes around the second bolt are interesting.

This is a bitty route snuck in between

Doc's Route

and

Arete

that adds another low-end moderate for those inclined. Climb the line of big holds (PG-13) left of the retrobolted

Arete

start aiming for the wide crack above. Use the cracks on the left for protection. Near the top, there is an okay green Alien placement. Finish by pulling up over the arete to the right.

Note, if this line has another name, we can change the name.

Per

Greg Barnes

and

Matt Shaffer

, there are some very loose blocks up near the top. Beware!

Description

Protection

Routes in Nip and Tuck