My Favorite Climbing Route
Ancient Art, The Stolen Chimney (5.11a or 5.9 A1), Fisher Towers, Utah.
First Ascent: Bill Roos and Paul Sibley, April 1969
First Free Ascent: Keith Reynolds and Burton Moomaw, May 1991
All About My Climb
My partner Jeff and I had driven out from Colorado Springs overnight. We were upholding a long road trip tradition started by Harvey Carter, Jimmy Dunn, Ed Webster, and untold other climbers who had made Colorado Springs their home at one time or another.
We warmed up on Lizard Rock right by the parking area. The regular route is 5.8 and the protection isn’t too bad by Fishers standards but it is still a little spooky making that last mantle onto the capstone.
After that success we set our sights on Ancient Art.
Ancient Art seems more like a fin than a traditional tower. The first pitch is relatively easy with only a few 5.6 moves over boulders before arriving at an old piton ladder in a shallow gully. You can free climb the ladder at 5.11 but, as it was our first time there, we were not above pulling up on gear to make short work of the A1 aid climbing section.
The next pitch is a typical Fischer Towers chimney. Muddy and fluted, it gapes open above you like the inside of a dead fish. I have heard this pitch called everything from 5.6 to 5.10 (and A3!) but consensus places it at a comfortable 5.8 with good protection. For me this has always been my favorite pitch to lead for two reasons: it’s the longest one on the route, and emerging from the chimney below the belay ledge is just a cool experience.
At this point Ancient Art starts to feel more like a tower. You make a few off-balance moves up to a ridge and either free climb or pull past a couple aid moves up to the “sidewalk” where you see the awesome summit spire for the first time since leaving the base. On our first trip up, Jeff and I sat here for a while and debated exactly how to do the next bit.
Should we go over the diving board feature or under it?
Around to the right side or left?
The route description Harvey Carter gave us just said, “Get to the sidewalk, walk over and climb final spire”
Huh, you don’t say? I think we were waiting each other out to see who would go first. We were a little intimidated but we had come that far so we finished it up after exploring our options. To this day I have still never done the mantle over the diving board as described in the new Desert Rock books. I always duck under and climb a cool wall to the left side. I have it on good authority that this is where the first ascent went.
Standing on the pizza pan-sized summit is spectacular. Relax, take a breathe, and stand up (if you dare) for one of the coolest summit photos ever.
Lessons Learned
- Just put your head down and get to work, you'll be surprised at what you can accomplish.
- I have since climbed Ancient Art seven times and it just gets better. I have been on it with some of the best friends I’m ever likely to have and I took my wife up for her second desert tower; Independence Monument was her first the day before. I wouldn’t trade those days for anything.
