A Black Varnish cliff face split down the middle by this crack!

No Way Jose

Fiddle Sticks Tower, East Face

[Redacted]

The Bishop

Possibly the finest desert crack yet ascended by man. 2 pitch splitter.

Pitch 1: variety pack tight hands, wide fingers to stance belay (.12c)

Pitch 2: 120' of sustained #1 friends (.13b)

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Fiddle Sticks Tower is a remote tower located deep in Fiddler Cove Canyon. The approach is long, the drive sucks and the climbing is scrappy; however, the scenery and adventure level are top notch.

There might be a better way to do the approach but we started from the 4WD road north of Hatch Canyon. Begin by scrambling down into Hatch Canyon, meander south to intersect Fiddler Cove Canyon, and then hike back east back up Fiddler Cove Canyon to the base of the tower (5-6 miles one way). The twin towers on a mesa in the middle of the canyon are extremely obvious. Fiddle Sticks Tower is the easier looking, northern tower on the mesa.

To reach the base of the climb, scramble up a gully on the north side of the mesa to gain the pedestal that hosts the two towers (class 4). The climb begins up the obvious crack on the east face of the northern tower.

Start the climb by traversing on a narrow ledge to a crack of horrid choss and loose blocks. Climb up the crack 20 feet, very carefully (5.9-10 PG-13, some could argue R due to rock quality), to an overhanging finger crack. Aid or free the crack (we aided C1 estimated free climbing at 12-) to a short OW section. Continue past the OW to a nice hand crack that peters out. Once the crack ends, do a sandy traverse right to another crack system which takes you to the top of the tower.

To our astonishment, we found an anchor on the summit! Rappel back east to the pedestal. A single 60M will suffice.

An out there tower that has some good exposure and an absolutely classic 2nd pitch. After a bit of a hike in approach the right (North side of the tower).

The route starts up a 35 ft. 5.8 offwidth section to the base of an absolutely classic lightning bolt big hands crack (10+). Belay at the top of the crack at bolts. Next, make a face traverse left past one bolt (10+) to a fist crack which quickly opens to #4 Camalot size. At the top of the short offwidth section, traverse left 10 ft., step around the arete and climb face and crack to the top (5.9). Find rappel bolts on the opposite side of the tower. Take 2 ropes for the free-hanging rappel.

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Location

Protection

Routes in North Wash