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Boulder Slips
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Colorado Senior Open 
Edges and Ledges 
Family Guy 
La Lune 
Minutia 
Minutia Arete 
My Way 
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Pumpkin Corner 
Ride, The 
Same As It Ever Was 
Sunlight Arete 
Threshold Variation 
Threshold, The 
Throttle, The 
Where's Bob? 

Minutia 

5.8

   

FA: Dan Hare, Kurt Gray, Charly Oliver, 1980
Type: Trad
Consensus: 5.8 [details]
Length: 1 pitch, 100 feet
Views: 1,080 page views

Submitted By: Ron Olsen on Oct 6, 2006


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BETA PHOTO: Minutia, a fabulous 5.8 crack and corner on the le...


Description 

This is one of the best moderate crack climbs I've done in Boulder Canyon: steep, sustained, and elegant. The broken rock at the start, and the vibrating flake near the top keep it from 4-star status, but it is still a very good climb.

Walk west on the gravel pullout to the left side of the Boulder Slips formation. Hike up a path to the base of a broken slab. The striking hand crack of Minutia can be seen about 40' above.

Climb up easy broken rock to the base of the crack. The fun starts here and doesn't end until you're at the belay. Jam and stem up the beautiful, steep hand crack to a ledge. Step right, and climb a short dihedral. Watch out for a vibrating flake near the top of the route; best to avoid using the tempting jug at its top.

Clip the lowering hooks and lower 100' from a 2-bolt anchor at the top of the dihedral. It's also possible to belay from the top if you wish.


Location 

On the left side of the Boulder Slips crag, about 100' above the road.


Protection 

Hand-sized cams. I sewed it up with a yellow Alien, 2 #0.75 Camalots, 2 #1 Camalots, 2 #2 Camalots, and 2 #3 Camalots; bolder leaders can get by with less. 2-bolt anchor with lowering hooks at the top. Lower 100' from here.



Photos of Minutia Slideshow Add Photo
Yvonne D'Andrea doing the splits on Minutia. Bruno Haché belaying.

Yvonne D'Andrea doing the splits on Minutia. Bruno...

Bruno Haché testing his flexibilty near the top of the crack.

Bruno Haché testing his flexibilty near the top of...

Ron Olsen jamming the beautiful hand crack on Minutia.  Photo by Mike Borkowski.

Ron Olsen jamming the beautiful hand crack on Minu...

Routes on the left side of Boulder Slips.

BETA PHOTO: Routes on the left side of Boulder Slips.

Boulder Slips Route Overview<br /><br />1. Edges and Ledges, 8, 8 bolts<br />2. Brand New Bosch, 9, 6 bolts<br />3. Party Time!, 9, 5 bolts & gear to 3.5"<br />4. Minutia, 8, gear to 3"<br />5. Minutia Arete, 9+, TR<br />6. Pumpkin Corner, 9, gear to 2"<br />7. La Lune, 12d, 5 bolts<br />8. Sunlight Arete, 10b, 5 bolts<br />9. The Throttle, 11 R, TR<br />10. Threshold Variation, 9+ R, TR<br />11. My Way, 9, 4 bolts & gear to 2"<br />12. Boulder Slips, 9 R, gear to 2"<br />13. Where's Bob?, 10, 5 bolts & 2 green Camalots<br />14. The Ride, 10b, 5 bolts & gear to 2"

BETA PHOTO: Boulder Slips Route Overview

1. Edges and Ledges,...



Comments on Minutia Add Comment
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By Leo Paik
Administrator
From: Westminster, Colorado
Oct 30, 2006

4 star handcrack in BC gets one's attention...okay climb, best bit is about 20' in the middle (a bit funky to get into this bit). From a clucker: a set of cams to #3.5 Camalot (or #4 Friend), #9 hex, & wires worked. Funky block(s) just below the anchor makes you think 'ard about pullin' on it. Not quite as good as North Face Center, Cob Rock.

By Gary Schmidt
From: Boulder, CO
Nov 13, 2006

A very nice climb, takes great gear and great practice for leading cracks. A bit sustained in places, it is no gimme. A climb well worth doing. You may wish to consider doubling up on #1 and #2 Camalots to really feel good.

By Brenda Leach
Nov 25, 2006

Watch out for the loose block, about 2'H x 1'W, that's a few feet below the anchor. If you pull on it, it moves. Fun climb in the middle section.

By Nick Wilder
Site Landlord
May 6, 2007

Awesome climbing that would be solid 4 stars if it was longer and didn't have the chossy start to get to the crack. The loose rock others mentioned is either gone or trivial to avoid. Easy pro and really fun moves the whole way up.

By Bruno Hache
From: Longmont, CO
May 6, 2007

I found that for a crack climb in this grade, it is a classic.
The block mentioned by Brenda has been taken down late October 2006, early November 2006.
Be aware that this line is at a junction between two rock walls.
It is no surprise that there is some freeze/thaw stuff on this route.

By Rich Kelly
May 16, 2007

I really enjoyed the jamming on this climb but felt very uncomfortable pulling on the block just below the chains. It sounds like there was an even looser one here. Anyway, if you use less optimum holds/jams around it you can minimize the pull force on the block.

By Ron Olsen
From: Boulder, CO
Mar 2, 2008

I climbed the route again on 3/1/08. I found some small loose rocks near the start of the crack, which I plan to trundle when the crag is less crowded.

There is a big flake near the top of the route that vibrates when you tap on it, but it appears to be firmly anchored in the surrounding rock. You can get a good #1 Camalot in an overlap to the right, and avoid using the top of the flake as a handhold, without increasing the difficulty of the climb.

By Rebecca
From: Broomfield, CO
Apr 29, 2009
rating: 5.8

A nice climb, I very much enjoyed it, and I am still a beginner trad leader. Gear places well, and the route takes nuts nicely in addition to all the cams mentioned before. Be careful if you use the gully up to the left for the approach as the rock is pretty loose in there.

By Justin Cantrall
From: Smoulder, CO
Oct 19, 2009
rating: 5.8

3-star handcrack on a 1-star crag. Worth doing if you're there anyway, but don't go to the 'Slips just for this climb.