Clown Loach threads a distinct path up a striking black intrusion band high above Clear Creek Canyon, blending trad and sport climbing into a gritty, hands-on experience. This single-pitch, 120-foot climb sits between well-known neighbors Guppy and Crackside Direct, offering a route that challenges you to read the rock, trust your placements, and stay focused amid steep terrain that doesn’t hand out easy holds. Originating from early explorations when hexes were standard currency of protection, this climb has earned a quiet but tough reputation, a route waiting for modern climbers to carve their own path within its cracks and edges.

The climb launches either from the Guppy pod, angling diagonally up and right towards the dark band, or from Crackside’s two-bolt anchor, where the route swings left to meet the same features. Around 30 feet in, a choice emerges: take the slender, right-facing dihedral or surge straight up the blocky black rock. Protection is abundant but discontinuous—you’ll rely on wired nuts and cams up to a #3 Camalot, threading your gear carefully through a sequence of holds and cracks that both protect and test your technique.

The rock’s texture changes under your hands, transitioning from knobby edges to thin cracks that demand precision finger jams and confident feet placement. Near the top, the route navigates a finger crack reminiscent of Crackside Direct before stepping right onto larger features leading to a semi-hanging belay. This anchor, shared with Guppy, signifies the end of a climb that balances power, finesse, and route-finding skill.

In Clear Creek Canyon’s varied landscape, the climb’s position offers a rugged perspective—rock faces bathed in shifting light, the distant hum of the creek below urging steady movement, and the canyon’s natural amphitheater shaping your ascent. While the rock rewards calculated moves and solid gear placements, the approach and descent are equally straightforward, a short hike into a familiar climbing hub with well-established access trails.

Practical gear advice includes bringing a well-rounded rack featuring wired nuts alongside cams up to size #3 Camalot, complemented by about 15 slings and quickdraws to manage the bolt runouts and anchor setup. Climbers should come prepared for a technical, yet approachable 5.8, where the grade feels fair but occasionally stiff depending on your comfort with placing gear on varied crack sizes.

Clown Loach doesn’t offer flashy moves or polished holds—it demands a gritty approach, rewarding those who appreciate a mix of tradition and sport on rugged Colorado rock. It’s a route for adventurers ready to blend mental challenge with physical engagement on a quiet but worthy wall in Clear Creek Canyon.