Guided Climbing on the Fishhook Arete on Mount Russell (14, 094’), a High Sierra Classic

I think the Fishhook Arete and the South Face of Charlotte Dome stand out to me as the two 5.8-5.9 climbs in the High Sierra that not only met my high expectations based on their “classic” status but even exceeded them when I first climbed them, and by quite a bit. I first climbed the Fishhook with my longtime climbing partner Phil Caballero on a weekend where we also managed to get in the East Face of Mount Whitney, another classic climb, for the first time.

The Fishhook Arete is aptly named. It descends dramatically from the summit of Mount Russell, finally terminating at its base in a true hook or “J.” Beginning this climb, you head up a steep and sustained 5.9 crack right at that bottom belly of the J shape. While an excellent pitch and probably the crux of the entire route, you’ve got some even better pitches in store, including a remarkably steep pitch on a slender arete of golden granite (pitch 5 in the Supertopo guidebook) that goes at 5.7-5.8 and is renowned for eliciting squeals of delight from just about every climber who embarks upon it.

One nice thing about this 8-pitch route is that you can easily bail from it from the top of pitch 4 with a single rappel that is shorter than 100 feet. You can also begin this climb by climbing some steep (albeit somewhat loose) 5.8 flakes to get to this same point, just before what I consider to be the route’s “money pitch” number 5. These facts make the route a relatively safer option than many others nearby (or in the High Sierra in general) on days with potential for afternoon thunderstorms. If you end up taking the abridged version of the route and weather is holding, you might even be able to go ahead and climb at least the first pitch of the standard route after descending from the summit. Oftentimes there are slings left around a good horn/pinch at the top. Or maybe you can even make it back up to the top of pitch 4 and descend to where you originally started. Mount Russell is unique for lending itself to all kinds of shenanigans to maximize pitches even on “iffy” weather days.

No matter what, you will enjoy climbing a classic route that stays 5th-class and respectably steep right up until you land on the summit.