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Pup Tent of Solitude
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Routes Sorted
L to R R to L Alpha
Aloha 
Beer, Bolts, & Trundeled Boulders (BBTB) 
Canyon Wren 
Close to the Bone 
Country Style Pork Rib 
Craptonite 
Dark Side 
Deputy Dawg 
Disturbed Susan 
Easier 
Easiest 
Easy 
Eternity 
Ewok Stew 
First Blood  
Fist of Elder 
Gatehouse of Loneliness 
Girls With Guns 
Hanu 
Hope 
Ides of March 
Jennifer's World 
Magical Handhold 
Nickelpup, The 
Nose Picking Good 
Puppy Love 
Puppy Power 
Red Breasts and Hot Wings 
Rex Luthor 
Shapeshifter 
Sith Lord 
Speed 
Step Up To The Flake 
Subprime 
Subtle Knife 
Thin and Crispy 
Tooth or Consequences 
Total Eclipse 

Pup Tent of Solitude 


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Submitted By: Michael Schneiter on Nov 3, 2010

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Main Elk Creek wins this one, bummer for the homeo...

Description 

The Pup Tent is the little sibling, maybe red-headed step child, of the Fortress of Solitude. While diminutive in stature to the storied and illustrious Fortress of Solitude, the Pup Tent offers a high concentration of well-protected routes with a relatively short approach and a long climbing season. Facing south, this crag can be excellent on winter days as well as many days throughout the spring, summer and fall. The rock here tends to vary between quartzite, limestone, and sandstone.


Getting There 

Situated beneath the Fortress of Solitude, following the same approach before veering off to this little crag.

From New Castle, travel west on County Road 245, which can be found at the west end of main street by following the sign for "National Forest Service Access." Go past the turnoff to East Elk to the Main Elk Road turnoff, County Road 243, which is also the National Forest Service Access for the Clinetop Road. Go about 6 miles on County Road 243. The pavement ends at a sharp right hand turn and the road crosses Main Elk Creek on a bridge. Shortly thereafter is a large pullout on the left with a large brown sign for the Clinetop bighorn sheep and a large informational bulletin board. This is the trailhead for the Hadley Gulch Trail.

Follow the Hadley Gulch Trail, making sure to stay right at the fork for trail #1849A. The Pup Tent will come into obvious view from across a gulch. Continue up the trail until you come to the far right of the crag and a climber's trail is obvious on your left, accessing the climbs.

Expect about 20 minutes hiking time.

You can also access the Main Elk climbs by continuing left past the Pup Tent.


The Classics

Mountain Project's determination of some of the classic, most popular, highest rated routes for Pup Tent of Solitude:
Deputy Dawg   5.8     Sport, 1 pitch, 25 feet   
Ewok Stew   5.9     Sport, 1 pitch, 70 feet   
Sith Lord   5.9     Trad, Sport, 1 pitch, 70 feet   
First Blood    5.9+     Trad, Sport, 1 pitch, 35 feet   
The Nickelpup   5.10a     Sport, 1 pitch, 70 feet   
Subtle Knife   5.10a     Sport, 1 pitch, 30 feet   
Red Breasts and Hot Wings   5.10-     Trad, Sport, 1 pitch, 40 feet   
Disturbed Susan   5.10b     Trad, Sport, 1 pitch, 100 feet   
Thin and Crispy   5.10b     Sport, 1 pitch, 50 feet   
Girls With Guns   5.10+     Sport, 1 pitch, 75 feet   
Subprime   5.10d     Sport, 1 pitch, 60 feet   
Hanu   5.11b     Sport, 1 pitch, 90 feet   
Tooth or Consequences   5.11b     Sport, 1 pitch, 70 feet   
Puppy Love   5.11c     Sport, 1 pitch, 70 feet   
Rex Luthor   5.11c     Sport, 1 pitch, 40 feet   
Jennifer's World   5.11c     Sport, 1 pitch, 90 feet   
Aloha   5.11d     Sport, 1 pitch, 30 feet   
Total Eclipse   5.12a     Sport, 60 feet   
Hope   5.12a/b     Sport, 1 pitch, 60 feet   
Shapeshifter   5.12b     Sport, 1 pitch, 50 feet   
Browse More Classics in Pup Tent of Solitude

Featured Route For Pup Tent of Solitude
Aeon on the second ascent.

Shapeshifter 5.12b  CO : Glenwood Springs : Pup Tent of Solitude
Start in a slanting crack and follow the arete features to anchors at a horizontal break. This has technical and sustained climbing in the upper half....[more]   Browse More Classics in CO


Photos of Pup Tent of Solitude Slideshow Add Photo
Aeon on Rex Luthor, one of the original Pup Tent routes.

Aeon on Rex Luthor, one of the original Pup Tent r...

Morgan on one of the many new climbs at The Pup Tent. This is the last route to the left as you go around the corner towards Main Elk crag.

Morgan on one of the many new climbs at The Pup Te...

Somewhere near the Pup Tent.

Somewhere near the Pup Tent.

12a.

12a.

The view down-canyon from the Pup Tent. Not too shabby.

The view down-canyon from the Pup Tent. Not too sh...

The top of Girls With Guns (5.10d).

The top of Girls With Guns (5.10d).


Comments on Pup Tent of Solitude Add Comment
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By Meg Evilsizor
May 9, 2012

Found a typo in the approach described here and in the "Rifle Mountain Park and Western Colorado Rock Climbs" guidebook: when trail #1840 forks, you WILL NOT take a trail marked #1849a and instead will take the trail marked #1840a.

By Jared Campbell
From: Fort Collins, CO
Jul 18, 2012

Meg, you are correct. When the trail forks, the sign is marked as #1840a. Also, I think it's worth mentioning that as you hike in on #1840a, you will eventually come to a wooden fence with a small trail branching left immediately before it. You will also see a couple of bolted routes easily visible on the rock face nearby. Follow this left branch down to the rest of the routes.