Finger of Fate

A certified desert classic and a visionary first ascent in its day. Not nearly as loose as rumored, but do expect large doses of mank. Only a couple sections require tricky aid but loads of ancient, often hilarious, fixed gear keep the excitement level high. The aid is mostly clean but we did have to place about 7 or so pins.Most of the anchors have at least one good bolt.

There are a couple strategies for climbing this route. Many guides call this route grade IV but only a very fast party will be able to do the route in a day. In the end it took us about 14 hours of climbing spread over 2 days to summit. The most likely option is to climb the first 5-1/2 pitches on the first day, fix 3 ropes down the descent route, then jug to the highpoint and finish off the route the next day. The jugging on the descent route is miserable so if you're pretty fast (or you have the long days of late-spring) then try to do it in a day.

Approach:

follow the obvious trail to the Titan, circumnavigating the tower around to the NE side. The approach takes a little over an hour with full aid climbing regalia. The route starts in the crack system about 30 feet to the left of the obvious descent gully.

P1-

Aid up the crack system, passing a false belay, to a belay about 130 feet off the deck. A lot of this pitch could be free climbed at a moderate grade. Triples of #2 and #3, doubles of #4 would be useful if aiding and not wanting to back clean.

5.8 C1 (130ft)

P2-

Continue up the crack system into a flaring groove,

5.7 C2 (80ft)

P3-

Continue up the obvious line to a ledge at the base of the Finger. Pin scars and holes off belay is tricky aiding but brief. Some mandatory free moves that are committing on this pitch.

5.8 C2+ (70ft)

P4-

Traverse the ledge around the corner (5.6) to an ancient bolt. Aid the roof (A2, tricky) and continue to a belay on the other side of the Finger. If you're lucky the pin stack we placed and couldn't clean will still be there. The traverse is well protected by the original drilled angle anchor one bad angle and bad star drive and one good angle. the old star drive protecting the beginning of the roof bulge is still there and is manky, both fixed tricams are in place and menacing as ever! haha, I brought one screamer on route it came in handy for piece of mind...gets you to base of The Finger.

5.8 C2F (50ft)

P5-

Scramble up to a drilled pin, then continue up the strenuous flare (C1 or 5.10). At the top of the flare, 5.8 groveling (free crux) is required to reach the belay, ends standing on ridge with the duck in front of you.

C1 (80ft)

P6-

Traverse around the left side of "The Duck". On the other side of the duck is the anchor for the descent route (3 double rope rappels to the base). Continue up the wide crack system to a large ledge (bivy site) and belay,

5.8 (85ft)

P7-

Traverse right around the arete to a seam. Aid the seam (A2) back up to the crest of the arete. Mixed free (5.7-5.8) and aid (C2) past questionable fixed gear leads to an exposed stance on the arete, some placements and fixed pin lead you to many bolts to anchor. 80 feet.

5.7 C2 (80ft)

P8-

Mixed free (5.7-5.8) and aid (C2, very long reaches, trickery necessary) past more museum relics to a wide crack. Continue up the crack, over a roof in the caprock (wild exposure), and mantle up to the belay. Almost a bolt ladder, with some free moves and top steps.

5.8 A0 (100ft)

P9-

4th class to the summit

Descent-

rappel from the top of P8 to top of P7. Rappel from top of P7 to the anchor next to The Duck on P6. Three rappels down the gully to the base.

You can also save yourself the trouble of walking all the way back around the Titan by making 2 double rope rappels to the west down the cliff near the base.

Finger of Fate

Description

Protection

Routes in The Titan