The Fisher Towers is one of the most difficult places in the desert to climb, but also one of the most spectacular. The towers are huge soaring fins of mud up to 1000 feet high. Nearly all the routes on the major towers are at least Grade IVs, and there is more than one Grade VI here.
The Fishers have a lot of history. Shortly after making the first ascent of Castleton, Layton Kor came here to climb the largest tower, the Titan. The extremely difficult ascent of the Finger of Fate route was the subject of a National Geographic article, and is one of the 50 Classic Climbs of North America. After Kor climbed the Titan, Harvey Carter dominated the scene by making first ascents of every other major tower and most of the smaller ones.
The Cutler sandstone is actually very hard, but doesn't fracture into continuous crack systems like most other sandstone. The rock is also covered with a thick layer of mud, which makes the climbing dirty, loose, difficult, and sometimes very dangerous. The caprock for the towers is Moenkopi.
Stolen Chimney on the corkscrew summit of Ancient Art is by far the most popular route here, and at 5.9 A1 the only real moderate route. The Colorado NE Ridge of the Kingfisher, Phantom Spirit on Echo Tower, and the Finger of Fate route on the Titan are all fairly popular and increasingly difficult. Some of the hardest routes in the desert are here, many put up solo by Jim Beyer. Stevie Haston has freed Echo Tower as a long scary 5.12 and nearly freed the Titan.
Getting There
From Moab, drive north on the River Road(SH 128) past Castle Valley to the Fisher Towers turnoff sign(about 27 miles). Drive to the parking lot at the end of the road.
All routes are accessed via the Titan Trail, which is quite good and well marked, though it can be hard to follow in the dark.
This route is a Fisher Tower classic. It should be a mandatory lead for anyone who wants to climb the larger towers. So unlikely, yet so much fun, and semi-terrifying too. Sart on the north side below a crack system. Up this at 5.9 or so, ending up on the obvious ledge on the west. A tricky mantel here (some kind of small camming device) gains another ledge below the major bulge above. Here you can actually throw a long piece of webbing ...[more]
Don't keep putting it off. Get out there, climb Ancient Art, and understand that the rock is not so bad. Do the Colorado Arete of King Fisher and realize, these towers can be climbed. Gaze East from the summit of King Fisher towards the Titan and know, it can be done. And from the summit of the Titan, retire from Fisher Tower climbing, content.
The Fisher Tower trade aid routes all suffer from serious rock abuse, the result of nailing.To the best of my knowledge, the following routes have all gone hammerless (some have even gone free!) without excessive trickery, yet continue to be nailed:Phantom Spirit (Echo Tower)Colorado Northeast (Kingfisher)West Side Story (Cottontail)Finger of Fate, Sundevil Chimney (Titan)
When I climbed these routes in the mid 90's, they all suffered from significant rock scarring, much worse than anything on The Nose or Salathe; I'm sure it's worse now. Desert sandstone is a very soft medium that simply doesn't stand up to repeated piton placements. I feel that we desert climbers should adopt the Yosemite ethos that once a route has gone hammerless, subsequent ascenders should make every effort to avoid nailing. This seems to be happening in Zion.
What do others think about this subject?
By Andrew Gram Administrator From: Denver, CO Nov 8, 2002
Has the Finger of Fate on the Titan gone hammerless? I didn't think it had yet. Does anyone carry a hammer on the Kingfisher anymore? That route goes clean really easily, though I'd buy someone a bunch of bolts and beer if they wanted to do a public service on the bolt ladder pitches. Maverick on the Hindu on Onion Creek is the same way - I was never even remotely tempted to bring out the hammer on that one.
I haven't done any of the other routes you mentioned, but I do think most people try to leave the hammer in the bag if at all possible.
I just climbed the Finger last week and was appalled by the scarring. Perhaps Fisher climbers should adopt the Olevsky technique and constructively sculpt some nut placements out of those boxy pin scars. After all, nailing is chiselling, too- just less deliberate in its effects on the rock. Any thoughts?
"Creatively sculpt nut placements..."? All a pin scar is, is a chance to cratively place a nut. Or better yet, a tricam. Just like in hard sport, if you don't have the skill (in this case, gear), don't make the route bend (or break) to fit your needs by altering the rock. Go buy some better gear (e.g. tricams-esp. small ones, tapered nuts, off-set cams...). These routes are amazing to climb clean, somewhat scary, but amazing none the less. A climber skilled in variable placements shouldn't be exposed to more than a 10 foot fall at just about any time on the Finger of Fate, and imagine it is the same on many of the other moderates in the fishers.
Anybody know who or what these towers were named after? Fred Knapp claims "Fisher" is a modification of "fissure". I don't believe this as cracks are not evident on most of these towers, at least they are certainly not their most striking features. Bjornstadt told me he thought they were named after a local rancher, but he didn't know for sure.
Finger of Fate can be done hammerless almost "easily". Even Sundevil Chimney has gone clean. Just bring LOTS of tricams and healthy appetite for some fear...Each new pin that is placed increases the size of the scars; if you can't do a trade route clean, don't do it. If you want to hammer, get on something A4.
Brad, Bill, and I did Fantasia on the Oracle this last weekend. In case anyone is interested the final bolt ladder either needs to be rebolted or bring a really long stick clip. I took a fall and ripped a screamer when one of the bolts pulled under my weight.(and i am not even that fat!) then after batmaning back up i pulled two more out of muck with my finger tips. Just letting you know in case anyone was planning an ascent. Also we did it hammerless so don't bring one unless you are replacing bolts. ben
I have a sense that many routes in the Mystery Towers and Fisher Towers suffered the consequences of huge rains this past month in Moab. I would approach alot of the routes where3 mud is known to flow, more cautiously. though you climbed it in September, I bet much more time bombs have erupted out there since!
God I miss the Fishers. When I'm there, I get really nervous and pray (I'm not religious) to live through the experience but when I'm thousands of miles away, I keep thinking about them. I guess that's love. In these internet discussions some considerations have been brought up; some say that routes that have been done clean should continue to be done in such a style. I fully agree. Others have made the claim that climbers are free to do anything they wish (there is no climbing police, thankfully) and therefore they are justified by climbing any way they wish. The latter viewpoint seems selfish in that it ignores the need for preservation of the rock. The rock in the Fishers is Good, certainly unique. Anyone who thinks these towers will be gone in 1000 years is way off the mark. Erosive processes do not take place that fast...does it look like the Titan is going to fall down? I think not. Maybe the Cobra...but I would guess even it will make it another 1000 years. Surely the number of climbers attracted to these parts will only grow. Hundreds of ascents will turn into thousands. Effort should be made to keep the original nature of the routes, as hard as that may be sometimes. No one seems to be saying that when someone frees a route, it should be designated a free route. But when someone raises the bar and doesn't use a hammer on a nailing route, it seems like that should be the way the route gets done afterward. Clean aid is likely just as bomber, in many cases. For the Finger on the Titan, it probably isn't any harder to do a clean ascent than a nailing ascent anymore with the right gear. So why nail?? Now, for a route like Brer Rabbit...now that it goes clean...the bar is raised and it continues to be a proud route that is not an "everyman" route. I can't be sure, but I think there are "everyman" routes up all the formations. Well, I'm rambling...I still have a couple of questions. I'd be curious as to what people think are the most impressive accomplishments in the Fishers...is it Rob Slater climbing all the Fishers/Mysteries...Steve Haston free climbing Sundevil or those other Brits freeing the Finger (WAY impressive in my book!)...Jim Beyer's psychoroutes?? Has Deadman's Party ever seen a second ascent? Also, I'm curious as to how FAs are put up. HAs a route ever been put up clean?? They all seem to follow a natural line, at least partway...but where is the line drawn to what is climbable physically and what is not, given the way bolt ladders/trenching/rivets have been used. Fortunately, most bolt ladders seem to be on the older classic "everyman" routes for guys like me!
Tim Wagner and Lance Bateman did the second ascent of Deadmans Party. In my opinion, all those things you mentioned were great accomplishments. The free climbing that has been done out there is pretty amazing, super impressive!
Fisher Towers
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