Fun 5.5 pitch route with a bunch of wide as well as some thin beaking/Peckering.

Start at the far right of the South Face below an obvious little spire.

Pretty much the analog crack of Phantom Sprint (North Face).

Fourth pitch shares a couple bolts (one is actually a nail pounded into mud) with Run Amok (Beyer) and 5th pitch shares the final Phantom Sprint (Beyer) bolt ladder.

Final pitch is same as Phantom Sprint.

Rap the route.

Sidewinder

The Tapeworm

Run Amok

The Iron Chef

Phantom Sprint

Three sustained pitches. Pitches 1 and 3 are open faces with thin seams. Pitch 2 is a meat-and-potato pitch: long, muddy and strenuous.

1. Climb easy slabs for fifty feet to a steep wall. Follow a seam (A3) to a three-bolt belay (130', A3).

2. Move left into a slot angling up and right. Up this and the long continuation crack in the obvious muddy left-facing dihedral to a tiny perch and three-bolt belay (170', A3).

3. Gain a poor seam ten feet right of the belay and follow this for thirty feet to a bolt (invisible from below) and jog right into a better crack leading to a zone of broken and dirty ledges. Finagle your way through this zone to a crack in a flare. When this ends, tension left into an crack in an obvious deep slot; up this to the big ledge and a three-bolt belay (130', A3+).

4. Move right to join the North Chimney route. Grunt over a bulge, pass a few bolts, then climb mostly free up the chimney to the large ledge under the final bolt ladder (A1, 5.7R, 90').

5. Up the North Chimney/Phantom Sprint bolt ladder past about ten bolts (A0, 30')

This is a good steep aid line that climbs the Southeast face of the formation between Deadmans Party and Run Amok. To approach, hike the trail to inbetween Cottontail Tower and the Titan and hike up the hill to the base of the route.

P1- This used to be some free climbing and some tricky moves but unfortunately somebody has drilled a bolt ladder. Climb the bolt ladder to the ledge directly below Run Amok.  Traverse left on the ledge until you come to thin cracks that rise from the left end of the ledge.

P2- Difficult thin nailing on a very steep wall to a hanging belay at bolts.  (A3+)

P3- Moderate nailing in a right leaning corner which progressively gets harder and scarier until you reach another hanging belay at bolts.  (A3)

P4- Climb the steep mud curtain above and into a chimney system with nailing and hooking.  The belay is from bolts on the outside of the chimney on the right side.  (A3)

P5- Climb a bolt ladder to some 5.9 free climbing in a chimney (really good)  When the free climbing runs out, climb another long bolt ladder to a shallow alcove.  Above the alcove some very shallow knifeblade moves will get you to a small diving board formation where you make a mantle.  From there, a difficult move gets you to another short bolt ladder and another hanging belay.  (A3+)

P6- Nail a moderate corner and then more difficult aid to the top of the tower.

To descend, rappel the opposite side of the tower from the routes final anchors down a deep, wide chimney called the bowels of the tapeworm.  Its 4 or 5 raps to get down.  The descent is clean and hassle free.

John Slezak and I did the second ascent of this route in full winter conditions in December of 1994.  We climbed it without fixed ropes and bivied in portaledges for three nights.  It was cold, and for the first three days there were blizzards of snow and slush.  One storm happened while John was leading the chimney on pitch four.  I was at the belay and mud and water poured out of the chimney next to me for a couple hours.  It was like being next to a chocolate waterfall.  The final day of the climb was my 19th birthday.  The summit was a good birthday present.

This is an awesome route that starts in the obvious, steep dihedral system to the right of the Tapeworm.  I soloed this route in three days in the fall of 1998.  This is a good introduction to some of the harder routes in the Fishers.

P1- This pitch used to be harder, but bolts have been added by someone who can't respect other peoples routes.  Climb up the bolts/drilled angles to a ledge.  (5.6 A1)

P2- Climb up the steep thin crack over a small roof leading to the dihedral.  There are a few bolts and 1/4" holes on this pitch.  (A3+)

P3- Nail up the right facing dihedral over some bulges to another hanging belay.  (A3+)

P4- Thin nailing leads to some tricky nailing through a rotten band.  A short bolt ladder leads to a small pendulum left into a good crack in a corner and another hanging belay.  (A3)

P5- Climb A1 which progressively gets harder to a wide crack and then to a small stance.  (A2+)

P6- Climb up and right up a muddy crack passing a few bolts to a small ledge.  (A3)

P7- Climb a wide crack (bongs useful here) to a 5.8 chimney with three bolts to a belay in an alcove.  (5.8 A2+)

P8- Climb a wide (5") right facing corner at 5.9 offwidth with a few moves of aid to a belay at the start of a bolt ladder.  (5.9 A2+)

P9- Climb a bolt ladder (which is part of the last pitch of the North Chimney route) to the summit.

Descent- Rappel Phantom Spirit on the opposite side of the tower.

This route is simply superb.  This is an obvious natural line - a rarity in the Fisher Towers.  The route has a grand total of two fixed pieces, both of which are on the first pitch, and then the last short bolt ladder on the North Chimney route to gain the summit.  The route gets no sun at all, so its best to do in late spring or even summer.

Hike up towards Ancient Art and the Kingfisher.  After scrambling up a 4th class section, look for a climbers trail that contours around the back of the side canyon to the shoulder of Echo Tower furthest from Cottontail Tower.  The route follows the obvious crack systems.

Pitch 1 - Scramble up an easy 5.4 chimney for 40 feet to the splitter where the tower gets steep.  Aid up a continuous crack which is sometimes wide and very awkward in places.  Uncomfortable belay at a small stance.  190' 5.4 C2  This can be done as two pitches with a belay on top of the chimney.

Pitch 2 - Make some dirty C2 moves into a wide crack, and then into an amazing clean crack which moves right and then back left before going up to a hanging belay.  100', mostly C1.  This is the best pitch on the route.

Pitch 3 - Head straight up good C1 cracks above the belay, and trend right when necessary.  A combination of aid moves and tension traversing brings you right into a wide crack.  Tension traverse right to the hanging belay when possible.  100', C2.

Pitch 4 - Climb up through roofs above the belay - this is the crux climbing on the route and gets hard right off the belay.  Don't fall - there is a lot to hit, but the hard climbing is pretty short.  Free climb 5.9 offwidth and chimney to a good ledge - much you can french free but the last bit to the ledge is mandatory free.  This is grunty but protects pretty well.  90', 5.9 CC.

Pitch 5 - Climb the 8 bolt ladder finish to the North Chimney.  This was formerly really bad bolts and the psychological crux, but now has been rebolted by Sam Lightner - thanks!   45', C0.

From here you are on top of the summit ridge.  The actual highpoint is a 30' poorly protected and precarious 5.6 scramble, which must be downclimbed.  The summit ridge is spectacular.

The route was also freed at 5.12 by Stevie Haston.  Good luck if you want to repeat that!

Make a double rope rap to the top of pitch 3, another to the top of pitch 1(be

very careful not to go too low before swinging right.  might be a good idea to leave a rope fixed between 1-3 to ease getting into the anchors).  One more double rope rap gets you to the ground.  60 meter ropes are a good idea - you will have to do a bit of downclimbing in the easy chimney without them.

Alternatively, rap down Iron Chef to avoid the swing to the P1 anchors.

Description

Location

Protection

Routes in Echo Tower