Fisher Peak - SE Ridge

[dbb]

Route: SE Ridge of Mt. Fisher

Who: Dave, Phil, Doug, Brian

When: July 2000

Fisher Peak's SE ridge rising out of the mist.

It began as a project when Phil and I spotted this awesome looking ridge from HW 20 back

in May on our way out to Liberty Bell. "I think it's only like 5.4," he said. After some research

in Beckey and through BOELPS, that seemed to pretty much be the case. It was a long rock

ridge with a only a moderate technical grade. Supposidly it is only a Alpine grade II, but

seeing as the route, from toe of ridge to summit, is longer than 1,500 feet of technical

climbing, I figured it would be more like a III.

The boealps group that I contacted had done most of the route 10 years ago and had a total

epic. "36 hours day, cut ropes, broken arm."

There is no trail into the basin under Fisher, so you must cross Granite creek on a log

and work your way up a river valley in the forrest. These

were pretty much open forrest, and so we all moved really quickly. After finding a few game trails and some cool trails through

the two slide paths that beckey mentions, we broke out into the basin below the ridge. We grabbed some lunch and marvelled

at such an unknown landscape that very rarely saw people. From here we proceeded in out worst-possible-bush-route out onto the

snow left covering the creek leading to the basin under the ridge. I say this because it is way easier to break out into the open

medows and rock scree/snow before heading up hill. We really had to battle to get out of the Trees that Beckey recomends

staying in. Some camping spots can be found on a rock perch enar the decent gully, though they are uncomfortable. Best to bring a

shovel for an early season snow ledge.

The route begins on the South side of the ridge toe at a steep wall. After a regular pitch of steep climbing the grade eased off

and we ran many ropelengths up into the large basin next to the ridge. From here we climbed up some steep, loosening rock up

to the ridge crest. The weather seemed to be coming in and getting worse, but we descided to run up another "pitch" anyways.

not to get too committed, but a pitch usually consisted of 4-5 ropelegths! So up we climbed through the

fog onto the crux of the route. The obvious steepening of the ridge forms a path at about 5.7 where you climb up a

chimney/flare, traverse 10 right and repeat about 4 or 5 times. Bypassing the overhanging rock by continuing right, you

eventially hit the crest where there is a good belay tree. From here the route matches Beckey's description: 3rd and 4th class with the

ocasional low to mid 5th steps. We continued this until we caught up with doug and brian, at that point I took back the lead and

we continued to traverse the very narrow and extremely exposed ridge. At some points were were walking on a 6 inch wide

ledge of loose-ish rock with major drops on both sides. Very cool! We started climbing up and down these little pinnacles on the

ridge, the downclimbing usually being very loose. On one downclimb, my pack caught a textbook sized rock and slammed it

down onto my right hand's pinky. It smashed it good, which I later found out was a small fracture that has left

me in a splint for 3 weeks. But no time to stop and splint in the middle of a climb, so on we went, reaching the SE summit soon

there after. It had been 5 hours from the base of the ridge to this point. The SE summit is one of those stupendously exposed

pinnacles where the only feasable way down to the notch is to down climb an airy ridge to some old rap slings on the South

side. From here we were able to make a single rope rapp down a very loose overhanging chimney into a deep notch. This is a

way committing rapp because you don't really have any way out of the notch except up the route. All other exits are steep loose

gullies that lead onto the S face.

Brian had followed the poorly protected ridge downclimb, and the look on his face said it all... fear! Out of the notch is a 20

ft. section of 5.7/8 where the pro is a little sketch, and the moves are really off balance on loose rock.

Still, enjoyable climbing up a half rope lead us to easier ground. Phil and I continued up

and after about another 500 feet of cool 4th class climbing on way solid white granite we arrived on top at about 1 pm. Hurt

and tired (pinky pain) I tossed the rack down and pulled out the food. Phil was soon on top, and we were all then admiring the

inside of the cloud we were in.

The descent sucks. 6-800 feet of super loose and dirty 4th class gullies lead down to a moat rapp onto the snow finger in

the decent gully. These gullies may be full of snow in May (as Beckey describes), but they sure weren't in July!

Overall the route is very Cascade Alpine and an asthedic looking line. I would rate it 5.8 Grade III.

[This message has been edited by dbb (edited 11-28-2000).]