PRINT: Rock Climb Tufunintasticator, Fort Collins

Tufunintasticator

5.11, Sport, 70 ft (21 m),

Avg: 2.4 from 5 votes
FA: J. Snyder, L. Yingling, 2020
Colorado > Ft Collins > Poudre Canyon > Pine Vu > Routes

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

As the name clearly implies, this thing is a funtastical romp up a strange spire/tower, granitic, spike-like feature. There is a little granite crust you'll find scrittilin' on the route, but otherwise the features and quality of movement is good. A wild element of the route is the tufa-like features you get to grapple throughout the climb to summit.

Location

It is possible to look up the gully just west of the other Pine Vu routes and spot the spire only couple hundred feet up the gully. Don't walk directly up the gully from the road. Steep choss and micro-cliffs will stymie your quest. Instead, walk around to the left of Pine Vu routes up an old foot trail that disintegrates into a hillside. Walk along the top of the cliff on a decent animal trail. After several minutes, you will have walked past all other Pine Vu routes and beyond a few gullies. You will see the feature sticking its head out of the soil. From the backside, the feature is not tall, and you could access anchor if desired... walk around to base through path of least resistance. This is 10-45 minutes from the car.

Protection

Bolts and a bolted anchor.

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

Go down stream for about 60 yards from the 5.12/13 routes, and follow a faint trail up the hill side. Stay up higher than you think. Don't go down some of the steep gullies, but stay up higher, and…

Around top above road routes. Don't go this way. Always stay up higher than you think you need.

Exactly like limestone.

A view from back side of spire. Hike up and left over saddle, then scramble down loose dirt to the base of the route on the other side.

From the base... tufas!

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

Jeffrey Snyder
Flagstaff, AZ--> FoCo, CO

5.11

Somewhere near here:
40.687928, -105.295033... you can see the feature from the road but have to walk around. There is a smaller tower you walk past the ski hill that has a kinda cool trad-like line I did on it - cool, jetting spike thing.... Feb 14, 2023

Justin Smestad DC
Fort Collins, CO

5.11

The GPS drop was spot on. Just make sure you stay up high on the hill while traversing, and don’t stay close to the gullies - can mislead you too far down. I added a couple beta photos from the back side of spire and another one where I got really lost that you do not go. Apr 2, 2023

Ashley Watts
Fort Collins, CO

5.11a PG13

There's a runout section between bolts 5 & 6. When I clipped the 6th draw my feet were about 8 feet above the 5th draw. To some people this may not be considered run out. However, I wanted to share for those who have a lower runout tolerance.

Deep fist jams are possible. If I had trad gear and experience, I would bring a piece of protection for it (fist jam-sized crack). Jun 2, 2023

Jeffrey Snyder
Flagstaff, AZ--> FoCo, CO

5.11

Runout? I think it's more just "climbing above a bolt".... I'd have to subtract 4 of the bolts to make this runout. Jun 8, 2023

Al Wiedmann Jr.
Fort Collins, CO

5.11a

Well bolted, decent route, not runout at all. The easiest access is to walk about 70? yards upstream along the road from the river-side parking area and look for a cairn a few feet from the edge of the road that's after the rock band ends. Ascend straight up a rock staircase-type feature that becomes a gully for like 40? yards, take a left at the cairn, continue for another 30? yards, then go right straight up the hill. You'll soon see a few formations appear up and to the right, including the back/left side of the spire the climb's on; the spire is a bit higher than the lower formation. Keep ascending straight up scree/fallen trees/vegetation for 80 yards or so (no real trail), and take a right (upriver) when you come to a cairn atop a 4' tree stump, ascending 20 yards or so to an outcrop, then, continuing upriver (west?) descend with a rock formation on your left and do some careful traversing right to access base of the climb... you won't be able to see bolts until you're right at the climb's base. Shouldn't be hard to find. 10 minute approach. I don't recommend taking the trail in yellow on the map like we did... 45 mins-hour for us, got lost, hard to find the spire, rappelled in to base. The trail I describe above is an almost straight shot with fair amount of cairns, that gets you there much faster and it wasn't too steep at all. Just be a bit careful at the very end. Jul 9, 2023

Alex Morano
Colorado

5.11b

Al’s directions worked for me! Definitely be careful at the top if you take this approach. It’s pretty steep, and a fall would stink.

The route is super fun and unique. Hopefully this cleans up! I put chains on the anchors Dec 15, 2024