Route Freed on the Fisher Towers - 5.12R

7th April, 2009

This has been read 3,965 times

Jason Haas and Rob Pizem have free-climbed every pitch of West Side Story on 800-foot Cottontail tower in Utah's Fisher Towers, USA.

Despite a reputation for fairly stout aid climbing (5.9 C3), this is the easiest route on the most serious of the Fishers' four main towers. The route required three 5.12 pitches and two broken bones to free-climb...

Full report by Dougald MacDonald on Climbing.com

British climbers Ben Bransby and Pete Robins nabbed a coveted first free ascent of the Fisher Towers back in 2005 (UKC News) with their crumbly ascent of The Finger of Fate on the nearby tower The Titan. The Finger of Fate features in the popular book Fifty Classic Climbs of North America (as an aid route).

This post has been read 3,965 times

Return to Latest News

UKC Advertising

Comments

andyinglis

7 Apr, 2009

Is this really news, when not all of the pitches were even led???? This wouldn't get reported in the UK if someone cleanly toproped a pitch!

Michael Ryan

7 Apr, 2009

It's an epic tale which expands horizons. Good to have items on the news page which reflect the diversity of global climbing - even if 'success' in the strictest sense of the word is not achieved. Mick

andyinglis

7 Apr, 2009

Yeah I guess, but it just comes across like a couple of guys out for a crack at a route and their 'adventures'. Actually reminded me of some of the writing contest entries recently!

TonyB

8 Apr, 2009

I think it's a great article. There tends to be a feeling that we Brits have a monopoly on hard runout routes on poor rock. It's good to see others doing them as well. I was especially impressed with their route in the Zion Narrows. I've been in the narrows before and the walls are dead vertical and waterworn. The most impressive thing is, that as the canyon is so narrow in most places you wouldn't be able to see more than the bottom pitch. This would have to be the ultimate in onsight climbing. photo from within the narrows http://www.ukclimbing.com/images/dbpage.html?id=107468

Add Comment