Dirty Love stands out as an engaging single-pitch traditional climb on Zappa's Tooth, offering a distinctive combination of technical maneuvers and rewarding crack climbing just northeast of Estes Park Valley. From the moment your hands connect with the rock, you find yourself navigating a sequence of unconventional moves that demand creativity and body awareness rather than pure strength. The route begins just right of two scraggly bushes, immediately inviting you into a playful challenge of stem jams and dynamic body shifts. It's not a straightforward journey—each handhold and foothold seems alive, requiring you to puzzle through the movement to find the right positions.

After surmounting these initial moves, you push through a pronounced bulge, emerging into a clean jam crack that invites confident hand and finger placement. Following this crack leads you to a sharp arete, where a few precise moves push upward before allowing a careful step back left into a secure dihedral. The final stretch demands classic jam-and-stem technique to reach the top, where the rewarding exposure and crisp mountain air are well-earned.

The rock here demands respect—not for its fragility, but because the route requires a mix of standard and wider cam placements to safely protect the changing line. A typical rack loaded with doubles of #2 and #3 Camalots, combined with some big cams for wider sections, ensures you can guard the moves with confidence. Though the approach angle and slightly unusual moves may throw you off at first, the sequence flows once you find your rhythm.

Located along Colorado Highway 7, within the Estes Park Valley's scenic embrace, Zappa's Tooth offers climbers not just the beauty of rugged terrain but the intimacy of a lower elevation trad climb with that old-school flavor. The area's mix of sun exposure and moderate elevation means early summer and fall provide ideal conditions—avoid the midday heat to keep your hands fresh and your confidence high.

Accessing Dirty Love involves a short but engaging walk to the base of the formation, where well-trodden game trails thread through pockets of pines and rocky outcrops. The descent is straightforward—a downclimb of moderate difficulty leading back to the approach trail—though care is warranted as some loose gravel sections ask for deliberate footwork.

Whether you’re looking to sharpen your crack climbing skills, enjoy a technical single pitch with character, or simply taste a solid trad experience near Estes Park, Dirty Love rewards those willing to embrace its quirks. Don’t forget to pack enough water, a solid rack, and patience—the rock is eager to challenge, and the view from the top will remind you why those challenges are worth meeting head-on.