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 all around the tower for protection. Reaching and clipping the fixed pin above is not easy. When I did this the wind was blowing real hard so every time I teetered up with a view to clipping the rope into the quickdraw, the quickdraw kept swinging out of reach. Scary. However the benefit of the wind was that the sling I slung round the whole tower just flew right round and back into my hands. Once the quickdraw is safely clipped, lurch upwards. Most folks go for a full-on dyno here, but I figured out an awkward but cool sequence to avoid this. The pin is drilled into what looks like pettrified mashed potato (with paprika), so heavy falls are perhaps not such a good idea. Anyway, once you've gained the rail above the "bolt" the final overhang seems pretty easy (if inelegant). I kinda recall that a large (4-inch ?)cam goes in under here, but watch for rope drag. Once I was on top, the wind almost blew me right back off, and, acutely aware that a windy day is just the kind of day which will see this thing fall over, I stayed perhaps a second, before lowering, mildly gibbering, to the ground. Best to keep your eyes shut while lowering, as this Cobra sure looks like it has some nasty eating disorder.
Protection
This route needs a small rack of medium/large cams for the first half, a very long sling to tie off the tower halfway up, and a quickdraw for the bolt/fixed pin. Finally there are two bolts on top with fixed webbing and fixed biners, so you can lower/toprope rappel.
You need a little over 10 feet of sling to tie off the neck of the Cobra below the fixed pin; I used a long cordelette. This is key protection and makes clipping the fixed pin above just mildly unnerving.
The rack for me consisted of an orange TCU and #2 camalot, but would they hold a fall? I guarantee it wouldn't. Please be considerate of you life saving belayer and don't hit him in the head with those huge stones half way up.....oooops! Clipping the pin is easier on the left of the pin, but surpassing the pin goes to the right, IMO. I love those roof jugs!
The only piece of worthwhile gear on this route is the 10 ft sling around the neck (so bring it!). I brought a couple large cams but didn't bother placing them since the rock in that section is of the horrible kitty litter/coblestone variety. The 'bolt' looks pretty bad, but I'm sure its taken some falls since the crux move is pretty tricky.
This tower is good spicy fun, despite its short length. Clipping the pin is hard, moving past the pin even harder. You might want a screamer for the pin particularly if you don't girth hitch the tower. The last moves are easy if steep rock is your thing, and comparatively well protected with cams beneath the caprock. This is a very delicate tower with a not-so-relaxing summit!
Finally climbed this yesterday after coming off ancient art. Took a #3 up but didn't place it. Clipping the "bolt" was very insecure, especially since I didn't have any gear below it, not sure how folks under 6ft would do it. However, once you're in that finger lock just left of the bolt the holds seem to just get better and better. Very cool moves. Could use some new webbing up top, didn't have any with us, but anchor was pretty manky. Enjoy
Worth the time if you are in the Fishers, of course for the quintessential photo. We made the climb much easier, and fun, by stick clipping the piton from the good stance below. Pretty much unprotected until that point. We are not 5.11 R climbers, but were able to enjoy the moves (goes right to nice hands) and spectacular unusual summit. We left the stick in one of the chimneys on the front of the formation, for those Ancient Art climbers wishing to tackle another summit, like us.
you can get a BOMBER .5 camalot just left of the drilled angle in that left hand side-pull. It's a blind placement however, so place it, and really yank on it to make sure it'll hold if you blow it while clipping the angle. The summit moves are very easy so the #3 camalot isn't necessary. I nested a #1 and #2 camalot at the base of the neck to keep me from decking.
By Allen Hill From: FIve Points, Colorado and Pine Apr 11, 2009
I watched a then 68 year old Czech climbing legend Petr Prachtal free solo and then down climb this route. Just about the most nerve racking I've ever witnessed. It was his first route ever on any type of North American sandstone.
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