El Barrio

Is your left shoulder getting sore from all the right-to-left traverses in the Flatirons? Do you like road noise and pumpy granite? Then El Barrio, a somewhat industrial bouldering slot nestled behind the guard rail on the west end of Nip and Tuck, is the place for you.

You can see this very overhanging slot on your right as you're driving to Nederland, just as you round the bend and the road straightens out and heads due west (the Barrio is about 100 yards west of Gyro Captain, etc.). Park on the left in a huge pull-out marked by a red RTD bus stop sign. Cross the road, jump the guard rail, ford the marsh and voila!

While there are numerous variations and link-up possibilities in the slot itself, here are a few of the basic first ascents that went in:

Choss Boss (V9): This is a traverse of the entire slot staying high in the black rock through the lip of the lower cave and high across the upper crux section as well. Since like most things at the Barrio this traverse 70-80 feet long, it would probably get a mid-5.13 route grade. 5.13b? FA: Charley Bentley

Barrio Traverse (V9): This version of the traverse has undergone various evolutions as holds have snapped or been cleaned off for safety purposes (as in huge, loose blocks). It's slightly harder than Choss Boss. This variant stays butt-draggingly low through the lower cave and features a dyno crux off of poor holds to a sloping jug. Continue railing right and at the upper crux section continue to stay low on flat holds, making a hard lurch rightward to a flat hold with some traces of glue on it (this used to be much harder until the hold broke). Continue all the way along the lip until you can step off. 5.13b/c? FA: Pete Zoller/Matt Samet

Cave Problem (V9): This reachy, difficult power problem climbs out to the lip of the right side of the lower cave, starting on low holds near the crux of the Barrio Traverse and crossing into a crisp, right-hand layaway in the roof. Lock it off and gun for the upper seam. FA: Charley Bentley

Super Summer Maximum Fun Time (SSMFT) (5.14): Begin on the standard Barrio Traverse, staying low through the cave and busting the dyno crux to the flat, right-hand sloper jug. Without moving up and right to rest on the horns, head left along a rising fingertip seam on crimpers and slots.

This seam leads into Choss Boss. Reverse the lip business of Choss Boss, crusing leftward, then up, then back down along the left margin of the cave to the standard Barrio Traverse starting point.

Now loop back around right, staying low and finishing with the Barrio Traverse via the low finish, going all the way to the end. FA: Matt Samet

A crash pad, perhaps two.