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A Madman’s Dream: The First Ascent of Fisher Towers

A Madman’s Dream: The First Ascent of Fisher Towers

Written By Laurie Schmidt

A view of the Fisher Towers red rock formation in Moab, Utah.

Fisher Towers | Laurie Schmidt

Many visitors get their first glimpse of southern Utah’s stunning red rock landscape when they travel along Utah Highway 128 (UT 128) on their way to Moab. Also known as the Colorado River Scenic Byway, most of the route skirts the edge of the Colorado River and snakes through sandstone canyons and cliffs.

After passing mile marker 25 on the byway, an iconic scene comes into view: Fisher Towers framed by the La Sal Mountains and the Colorado River. From this vantage point, you can see Fisher Towers’ two tallest formations: King Fisher and the 900-foot Titan, said to be the largest natural free-standing tower in the United States.

But that distant view is just a preview. If you detour from UT 128 and drive to the base of Fisher Towers, you discover that King Fisher and the Titan are the sandstone guardians overlooking an entire labyrinth of eroded spires and pinnacles.

Named for a miner who lived in the area in the 1800s, Fisher Towers are the remnants Moab of a floodplain deposited from a region of geologic uplift in western Colorado. Millions of years of erosion wore away the softer layers of sandstone, leaving the more resistant rock that makes up the towers.

The flanks of the towers have a unique drapery-like appearance, which developed as rainwater percolated down the sandstone and left eroded ruts. The smooth appearance of these ruts gives the impression of folded curtains hanging from the top of the towers.

The flanks of Fisher Towers have a unique drapery-like appearance, which developed as rainwater percolated down the sandstone and left eroded ruts.

Photo: Laurie Schmidt

A Madman’s Dream

In the late 1950s, a climber from Boulder, Colorado, named Huntley Ingalls spotted the Titan while working as a field assistant for the U.S. Geological Survey in nearby Castle Valley. He thought about climbing it but said he quickly dismissed the idea as a “madman’s dream.” He knew the rock at Fisher Towers was soft and loose and would likely crumble beneath a climber’s boot.

But Ingalls couldn’t get the idea of climbing the Titan out of his head. Eventually, he shared the idea with his Boulder neighbor, Layton Kor, who was one of the most expert climbers in the country. The two had recently made the first ascent of the 400-foot Castle Rock (now known as Castleton Tower) in Castle Valley. Knowing that the fabric of Fisher Towers was crumbling rock and dried mud, Kor was less than enthusiastic. But Ingalls reminded him that the Titan had never been climbed, saying, “If we don’t do it, eventually someone else is almost certain to.”

So, the two set out on a reconnaissance trip to outline a possible climbing route to the top of the Titan. To their relief, the sandstone tower was more stable than they expected. Beneath the mud coating was fairly solid rock, which would enable the use of pitons (spikes driven into the rock to secure climbing ropes).

At about this time, the National Geographic Society (NGS) had a growing interest in mountaineering and climbing. Ingalls and Kor decided to pitch the magazine a story on their planned climb up the Titan. The NGS offered to not only sponsor the trip, but also to send a staff photographer to document the climb. Next, Ingalls and Kor enlisted George Hurley, a climber and English instructor from Boulder, to join them. On May 6, 1962, the three set out for the weekend trip to Fisher Towers.

They decided to ascend the north face of Titan, which offered the shortest route to the top and had crack systems for placing their pitons. The first day of climbing was slow and treacherous. Kor took the lead, as the most experienced climber in the group. He would hammer a piton into a crevice, clip a three-rung stirrup to it, use the stirrup to climb a bit higher, and then repeat the process. Below him, secured to a piton, Hurley served as a belaying anchor in case Kor fell. By afternoon, the exhausted climbers returned to the ground, leaving their ropes hanging so they could start again in the morning.

The next day, they returned to their previous high point using a Prusik system, which allows climbers to ascend hanging ropes. The climbing was a slow and laborious process. In some places, Kor had to use his hammer to remove caked mud from the rock so he could place the pitons. This excavation process continually showered dust and small rocks down on Ingalls below.

By the end of the second day, they had made good progress, including navigating around a difficult overhang they named the Finger of Fate. But they were out of time, so they left their ropes in place and drove back to Boulder in time for work on Monday morning.

If you want to step inside the maze of Fisher Towers, you can take the 4.2-mile (out and back) trail that leads around the base of the towers to a scenic viewpoint of the surrounding valley.

Photo: Marc Piscotty

Fisher Towers framed by the La Sal Mountains and the Colorado River.

Photo: Laurie Schmidt

Push to the Summit

Four days later, they made the six-hour trip back to Fisher Towers for the final effort. After another day of repetitive maneuvers, they completed 500 feet of difficult climbing. Rather than descend to the ground this time, they decided to tie in to bolts and spend the night on a ledge so they could start climbing again at first light.

The sloping ledge was narrow, with barely enough room for the three of them. Kor had such severe leg cramps that he needed to stretch out to get some relief. But this crowded Hurley into an awkward position that kept him from getting any sleep the entire night. With spring winds gusting and temperatures in the 30s, Ingalls described the night as a miserable endurance contest. “We clung like three beetles climbing the corner of a building,” he wrote.

But their tenacity paid off, and by noon the next day (May 13, 1962), they finally reached Titan’s summit. Ingalls later said the six-hour descent was the riskiest part of the whole climb, requiring “all the skill, alertness, and judgment” the team could muster.

In November that year, National Geographic published Ingalls’ account of the climb in an article titled "We Climbed Utah’s Skyscraper Rock." The story publicized their climb and brought attention to the area that Ingalls referred to as a “pink, red, and orange skyscraper city.” Fisher Towers is now considered one of the classic climbs in North America and draws climbers from all over the world.

Fisher Towers Hike

If you want to step inside the maze of Fisher Towers, you can take the 4.2-mile (out and back) trail that leads around the base of the towers to a scenic viewpoint of the surrounding valley. The full hike takes three to four hours, and it’s the only way to get a view of the Titan from its base.

The trail has some exposed areas and a metal ladder you’ll need to climb. Be sure to get an early start during summer months, as there is little to no shade along the trail. In winter, sections of the route can be icy and snow-covered.

Getting to Fisher Towers

From Moab: Drive north on U.S. 191 and turn right on UT 128. After about 21 miles, a sign indicates the right turn onto Fisher Towers Road. The two-mile gravel road leading to the parking area is normally passable to two-wheel drive vehicles.

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About the Author – Laurie Schmidt

Laurie J. Schmidt is a writer and guidebook author who specializes in travel and environment. She has been hiking and photographing Utah's canyon country for more than 25 years.