Attractions. An Icicle Canyon crag composed of clean, solid granite. Fish Wall is close to the road and offers the average climber a half-dozen moderate (5.8 and 5.9) routes to enjoy. Additional bonuses, the routes protect well and the views of the spires capping the Hook Creek drainage are ones most of us never grow tired of.
Rope. Most routes are under 80 feet long and one 60-meter rope gets you up and down.
Protection. Bring a normal rack with gear up to 3 inches and 10 or 12 quickdraws. Most of the routes involve a mixture of crack climbing (traditional protection) and face climbing (bolted).
Parking. Drive 6.4 miles from Icicle Junction. The same pullouts some 50 to 75 yards before (downstream) of Icicle Buttress and can be used for Fish Wall, Duty Dome (several more minutes uphill of Fish Wall), and Warrior Wall (climber’s right and higher than Fish Wall). Waypoint: 47°32.788′ N, 120°44.925′ W
Reaching the crag. Cross the street from the parking pullout and walk uphill on a fairly steep climber’s trail. After some 5 to 7 minutes, the trail splits in a gulley, go left (right fork climbs to Warrior Wall). Reach the toe of Fish Wall after a few more minutes. At the toe of the buttress is Bottom Feeder, a short but sweet 5.9+ route, protected by 4 bolts. The other routes (pictured) are another minute or two uphill (waypoint: 47°32.885′ N, 120°44.881′ W).
Fish Wall. See (and print) a larger version of this picture.
Routes. From left to right, our picture shows:
- Sardine Routine (5.9), 3 bolts and gear to 1.5”
- Bohemian Blowfish (5.8), gear to 3”
- Virgin Sturgeon, (5.8+), two fixed pins in place and gear to 1.5”
- Crab Cakes, (5.8+), 7 bolts
- Shark Bait 5.10a, climbs up to and moves right around a flake to tree belay. Gear to 1” (bolts appear to have been placed recently to protect the flake moves).
Not shown:
- Looney Tuna, 5.10a, 3 bolts and gear to 2”. Start right of Shark Bait, undercling to the right, work up blocky area, and the climb a blanker face past 2 bolts to same tree belay as Shark Bait.
- Bottom Feeder, 5.9+, 4 bolts. Start at the toe of the wall and follow the bolt line.
Descents. All the routes described have good anchors for lowering or rappelling. Most of these anchors are bolted but don’t have chains so check the slinging well before trusting your neck to it.
Miscellaneous. This crag has a southwestern exposure. In the summer it’s shaded until close to noon, then it turns into a cooker.
Map. See our topo map to Icicle Canyon Crags.
Guidebooks. Our rock climbing information will introduce you to many topnotch climbs in the area. People who climb here often, however, will want Leavenworth Rock by Viktor Kramar – it’s the definitive guide to the Icicle and Tumwater canyons.
Leave It Better Than You Found It: This should be every outdoor user’s goal. Pick up trash left by others, pull some noxious weeds along your route, throw branches over unwanted spur trails, don’t ride or walk wet trails when you’re leaving ruts/footprints deeper than ¼ inch…
Disclaimer. Treat this information as recommendations, not gospel. Conditions change and those contributing these reports are volunteers–they may make mistakes or not know all the issues affecting a route. You are responsible for yourself, your actions, and your safety. If you won’t accept that responsibility, you are prohibited from using our information.
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