PRINT: Climb Kahuna Roof, Fort Collins

Kahuna Roof

V6, Boulder,

Avg: 3.7 from 94 votes
FA: [Steve Mammen or maybe Mark Wilford?]
Colorado > Ft Collins > Carter Lake > Kahuna Boulder

Description

This is is perhaps the most ultra-classic problem at Carter Lake, and is practically a destination by itself. It's located on the steepest overhanging side of the Kahuna boulder. Start with your hands matched on the large half-moon hold, find a way to stick the sloping shelf a few feet up, and then crank a couple more solid moves to top out. Like much of the rest of Carter, it's on fantastic rock, the landing really couldn't be any better, and the moves are truly spectacular. Definitely one of the Front Range's best problems.

Protection

A crashpad or two will be plenty for this problem.

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

Hey look, another one of the same photo. (self-portrait)

Pulling through the roof in October 2019. Could never do the first move, but the rest was nice. Note the water level that year.

Eric Cutler on The Kahuna Roof.

Sticking the sloper is the easy part, moving off of it is the real challange.

Kahuna Roof.

Notice, the boulder has sunk about two to three feet and tilted downward on the westward side about 10° (i.e., it's steeper). Climber is 5'10" and easily reaches the sloper.

Playing in the snow.

All set up for the move to the right hand sidepull.

Top view.

Said Belhaj of Sweden pulling down on the classic Kahuna Roof, 2/16/19.

Mitch Musci on Kahuna Roof.

Sticking the big move on the send go!

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

Peter Franzen
Phoenix, AZ

I'm really not up on my Front Range bouldering history, so maybe someone a little more knowledgable can help me out with the first-ascent info for this one. Dec 4, 2001

Anonymous Coward

I think it was Steve Mammen or maybe Mark Wilford. Dec 5, 2001

Adam Holmes

Definitely one of the best sandstone problems around. A variation to Kahuna Roof moves to the slopers then move right along the lip. I heard it was called "Turtle Head". I don't know the grade. Seems harder than Kahuna roof. Apr 2, 2002

Andy Mauk

I heard that the crimp at the top of the route has now been broken off. Dec 18, 2003

Anonymous Coward

Yup, the crimp on the face below the lip is gone. The lip is good, so it doesn't affect the difficulties much. Dec 18, 2003

Anonymous Coward

Did this on my first visit to Carter. Couldn't do it on my second visit. I hate that! Aug 26, 2004

Tom C

I flashed a V7 and did Tommy's Arete (V7) the day before and couldn't pull near the second move on this. So, I'm not sure about the grade. Ahem, sandbag. Jun 19, 2006

Captain Splatt

That problem is sick! A must do! The hardest part of the problem is the second move to the right hand sidepull, after that it's not really too bad. Sep 17, 2006

Brandon English
Lakewood, CO

This is the perfect boulder problem.
Not a single flaw. Apr 5, 2007

martin tikusis

Right side pull has broken for second move. Still goes but after all the breaking in the recent years, most would probably consider this to be V6 or maybe even V7. It is a classic though, so maybe V5 should always remain not that that makes much logical sense. Jan 26, 2009

Spencer Anderson
Fort Collins, CO

I was on Kahuna recently now that the water is low enough (freaky rain this year) and the side pull seems the same as it was last season. I've always felt that V5 was a bit of a sand bag but certainly not V7. Jul 9, 2009

Jon Roberts
Denver, CO

V6-

This problem took me three sessions and felt like V6+, but I was using some crazy heel beta that had me hanging on the second hand hold for way too long. I went back and sent it again with a drop knee to get the second hold and then bumped asap to the good crimp above. This way is much easier, but still harder than V5 I think. This is one of those problems that feels easy when you master it. Dec 17, 2009

Michael Molony
Chattanooga

Beautiful, exactly how V5 should feel. Jan 31, 2010

Cesar Valencia

Sending Kahuna! This route was amazing. Great movement from start to finish. This one is not over till it's over. It's stiff for a V5 IMO, but either way it's great.

youtube.com/watch?v=z9uJfU8… Apr 19, 2012

ROCKMAN2 Pecknold
PDX

Sand. Bag. Oct 17, 2016

Joseph Crotty
Erie, CO

This was a classic, but I have a sinking feeling (pun intended) it's on its way out. Kahuna boulder's west face continues to shift and tilt (i.e., become steeper) due to the block being covered by water in Carter Lake reservoir for half the year. It will eventually tip over. Sadly this climb is no longer a historical yard stick. I climbed it at V6/7A in 1988, but it's grades harder now and a different style altogether. Oct 15, 2017

Aaron Ramras

I did this before it tilted and now again after, and I would argue that although the first move is not as cool (as Joseph pointed out), the rest of the problem is much more interesting and technical now that it is steeper. In my opinion... V7 and just as good as before...for now. Dec 4, 2017

Xavier Rojas
Broomfield

Wow, when I got there, I thought that the water had just deposited more sediment at the base, but now comparing it with photos from 2001-2006, it is really very obvious that it has sank and is indeed steeper. Still great though, I'm not sure how increasing its steepness could take away from the quality. Sure it's definitely harder than V5 now or even V6, but all the moves are still there (albeit, lower to the ground). Mar 10, 2020

Ryan odonnel

This problem is essentially gone. I went a couple weeks ago and the whole boulder looks to have finally toppled over, with broken rock scattered about showing it majorly shifted recently. The starting hold was touching the water with only about two feet of water below it.

The angle of the problem would be well over 60% now. Jun 29, 2021

TJ H	[Hide Comment] Just went here a couple days ago. It's definitely very steep now but still probably doable by someone stronger than me. The water is also pretty low now, so I imagine this isn't climbable for part of the year. Sep 22, 2021