PRINT: Rock Climb Better than Watching TV, Fort Collins

Better than Watching TV

5.11d, Sport, 130 ft (39 m), 2 pitches,

Avg: 1.8 from 25 votes
FA: Casey & Vance White, (?Craig Luebben?)
Colorado > Ft Collins > Poudre Canyon > Crystal Wall > N Face

Access Issue: 2025 Seasonal Raptor Closures - Triple Tier, Boston Peak, Grazing Allotment Crag Details

From the NFS (2/3/25): Seasonal restrictions to protect nesting birds of prey

FORT COLLINS, Colo. (Feb. 3, 2025) – To protect nesting birds of prey, the Roosevelt National Forest began implementing annual closures in several popular recreation areas within the Canyon Lakes and Boulder Ranger Districts on Feb 1, 2025.

On the Canyon Lakes Ranger District, the closure areas include Triple Tier, south of CO Highway 14; Boston Peak, north of CO Highway 14; Grazing Allotment Crag, northwest of Prairie Divide Road; and Mt. Olympus, southeast of US Highway 34. See the closure map for more details.

The Roosevelt National Forest works closely with partners like Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Boulder Climbing Community and the Northern Colorado Climbers Coalition to monitor nesting progress and inform climbers about the importance of giving raptors space to raise their young.

Federal and state laws prohibit disturbing any nesting bird of prey. Visitors can help protect wildlife by respecting all closures. Signs will be posted at key access points into the closed areas. Additional closure information is available online.

From the Canyon Lakes Ranger District Forest Service:

Fort Collins, Colo. (March 7, 2024) – to protect nesting birds of prey, the U.S. Forest Service is implementing annual area closures in several popular recreation areas throughout the Canyon Lakes Ranger District. The closures include Triple Tier, south of CO Highway 14; Boston Peak, north of CO Highway 14; Grazing Allotment Crag, northwest of Prairie Divide Road; and Mt. Olympus, southeast of US Highway 34. See the closure map for more details. Effective through July 31, 2024, the closures protect established raptor territories to ensure the birds remain undisturbed during sensitive breeding and nesting seasons.

The Canyon Lakes Ranger District partners with Colorado Parks & Wildlife and the Northern Colorado Climbers Coalition to monitor nesting progress and to inform climbers about the importance of giving raptors space to raise their young.

Federal and state laws prohibit disturbing any nesting bird of prey. Visitors can help protect wildlife by respecting all closures. Signs will be posted at key access points into the closed areas. Additional closure information is available online.

A map: fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DO….

Additional information: fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DO….

Description

First pitch: start off on two cold shuts, then traverse right then back left. This route seems to be all over the wall. The bolt placement seems strange, and they are very spread out, although they are there when you need them. As long as you are confident at the grade, this route won't make you sweat too much, 5.10a, 90'.

Second pitch: ? 5.11d, 75'.

Location

Approaching the main face from the trail, take a right after getting to the crag. This route is the very first one on the main face going right to left. Starts just a few feet left of the tree.

Protection

First pitch: 7 bolts and two anchor bolts that are shared with the route to the left. Long runners aren't a bad idea to keep the drag down.

Second pitch: Per derek peavey: there is a bolted second pitch to this climb that goes at .11d.

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

derek peavey

There is a bolted second pitch to this climb that goes at .11d. Jun 4, 2007

Spencer Anderson
Fort Collins, CO

5.11d

Derek, thanks for the info. Is the second route part of this line or the one to the left? From what I could tell, the two right most routes shared anchors. Who does the second pitch belong to? I guess it doesn't matter other than just organizational purposes. Jun 4, 2007

derek peavey

The second pitch is part of the coldshut route which is a route that was there before I started climbing there 4 years ago. The route to the left was put up but an unknown person last summer. There was two side by side bolts about 20 ft. up for some reason. One of the bolts has been removed. I have not climbed that route yet, so I don't know if there is a second pitch to that line. Jun 4, 2007

Spencer Anderson
Fort Collins, CO

5.11d

I climbed both of the right most routes and from what I can tell (which may not be correct) they both end at the same anchors. However, with this line you have to do some considerable traversing to the left to get to the anchors. It seems strange that someone would go to that much trouble to put the anchors so far out there. I'll update the posting when I get a chance to do the second pitch, any suggestions/clarifications would be helpful. Jun 4, 2007

Jimn Seiler
North Platte, NE

If you guys are talking about the route farthest to the right that starts with cold shuts, that is a Craig Luebben route called Fantastic Voyage that goes 5.10- on the first pitch, and I'm not sure on the second pitch. I don't know about the x rating, I don't remember it being that sketchy, but maybe we are not talking about the same route. The one I am talking about is as far as you can go to the right on the ledge right by the tree that starts with cold shuts. Jun 8, 2007

Spencer Anderson
Fort Collins, CO

5.11d

I think we are talking about the same route. The bolting is fairly spaced out, at least compared to the other routes on the wall. The good thing is that they are there when you need them, so it doesn't feel sketchy. Jun 11, 2007

morkel
Fort Collins, CO

I have yet to climb this route. I believe this is a route a friend of mine was always trying to get me to climb. There was only one route on the face when he put it up. So, I don't think Craig put this up. And, it may have also be called Better Than TV. Or was it Better Than VD? Depends whether you like it or not I guess. Sep 3, 2008

morkel
Fort Collins, CO

Okay, the second pitch is nice, as good as any of the other second pitches here that I've climbed-they have so far had bolts farther spaced than the first pitches. That makes for fun. Fairly certain this is the route I was told about, Better Than TV, 5.11c**. Sep 28, 2008

Aaron Martinuzzi

Whatever route this is, the second pitch definitely improves the overall route quality and, I think, is fairly graded at 11d. The crux is sort of short, but is pretty powerful and rather than doing the moves to be rewarded by a big rest, you have to climb an 11ish sequence to a nice hold, and then some 10 moves to a legit rest.

This route is more like 165 feet long. P1: ~90 ft, P2: 72ft. Sep 5, 2009

morkel
Fort Collins, CO

I plan on changing out the first two cold shut hangers. Very poor and unwelded. I want to believe this route was retrobolted, the fat bolt by the fat crack seems uncharacteristic for the first ascentionists, VW and partner but then so do the unwelded cold shuts. The second pitch is really pretty nice, easier than other 11+'s, and the first pitch makes for a good warm-up. Sep 20, 2010

Victor Blanco

I'm a little behind the times on this. Morkel is right though; we called this route: "Better than Watching TV" and rated it .11+. We bolted this (Casey and I) together, and it was our first route. Casey did more of the work if I recall correctly. We used a #3 Camalot in the pod on the second pitch to protect that section. I would not be offended at all if the anchors were updated or sections cleaned more as this again was our first route. I would love to get back there and check out all the other routes that have gone up. Dec 4, 2012

JCD Derrick
Longmont, CO

Just climbed P1 today. A bit sketch with the bolt distance and meandering. Also the entire climb was overgrown with lichen, like it hadn't been climbed much this year Aug 17, 2014

Guy H.
Fort Collins CO

5.11c

The bolts have been replaced on the first pitch, and a direct start appears to be added. May 14, 2016

garrett K
salt lake city

The second pitch is completely bolted and has chains for rappelling. You can rappel all the way from the top to the ground with 2 60m ropes (we did it was a 60 and 70 but the 60 was through the chains so the 70 technically gave us no extra length). Apr 27, 2017

Ken Duncan
Ft Collins, CO

5.11a/b PG13

Replaced the last unwelded cold shut today, so there are no shuts to ID the route. May 24, 2018

Ken Duncan
Ft Collins, CO

5.11a/b PG13

This route is now the third route left of the juniper tree. Better Than the Internet starts behind the tree and has camo hangers with small dots, Just Get Outside starts about ten feet left of the tree and has silver hangers, and BTWTV starts about 20 ft left of the tree. BTWTV diagonals up and right, sharing its third bolt with Just Get Outside, then diagonals back left passing four more bolts to the first pitch anchor. Aug 4, 2021

Kevin S
Ft Collins, CO

P1 of this route meanders a bit but is a good one to do if you’ve done the other 10s at the wall. The first and fourth bolts I clipped were using alpine draws for the bolts on just get outside. There were some minor runouts, but it is not PG-13. This shares anchors with Balaam, which can be easily TR'ed after going up P1 of Better Than TV. Apr 27, 2025