UKC

News via Andy Donson in Boulder: Ben Bransby and Pete Robbins have made the first free ascent of The Finger of Fate route on The Titan, one of the Fisher Towers in Utah. No grade as yet. Reportedly it was their first route in the desert. The Finger of Fate is eight pitches of crumbling coarse sandstone, like a very soft and dusty gritstone in nature, on the largest of the Fishers. More details of the route and photos of previous ascents here:
http://www.climbingmoab.com/rock/db/fisher_towers/the_titan/finger_of_fate....

Stevie Haston had made a determined attempt to free the route in the mid-1990's, getting as far as the final bolt ladder but was foiled by hard climbing protected by 30+ year-old bolts in soft rock. His consolation was a first clean (no hammered gear) ascent. The route was rebolted in 2004, probably making this pitch a more reasonable proposition.

The Finger of Fate route was first climbed by Layton Kor in 1962 with the ascent given the full-colour treatment in National Geographic magazine. The climb is featured in Fifty Classic Climbs of North America, a US version of 'Hard Rock' and is a popular route despite the reputation of the Fishers for loose rock and dirt .

In reply to duncan:

Good effort. I've heard surprisingly competent parties have sometimes failed even to aid this route...

jcm

In reply to duncan: sounds like a fantastic effort and achievement and who knows waht they will go on to do in the time they have left.

Ben Bransby and Dave MacLeod are easily the best trad rock climbers in Britain at the moment (imo) with a real spirit of adventure, and I hope they'll team up one day.

In reply to duncan: I'm not sure you can compare desert sandstone to gritstone; literally chalk and cheese.

In reply to Chris Fryer:

Wrong: the Fishers are very much an eroded gritstone (with a side order of mud).

In reply to tobyfk: Agree ..the overall quality the rock on the Finger Of Fate route is excellent and very simular to the UK gritstone.Of course unlike the Gritstone it is not a 40'boulder problem.

In reply to Anonymous:


If you're referring to the Southern English Veterans attempt in October last year, I think it should be pointed out that only one of us 'failed'. Duncan clean-aided all of the hard (and still sometimes pegged) sections flawlessly ....