Vicious Fish

This is the ultimate prize on the Churning Buttress. Each winter hardmen flock to this site in search of 'good' (read: frigid) conditions for the redpoint. This is another great example of a route without holds. Sure, there are holds in spots, but in the business, you're basically slapping and sloping on pitiful ripples.

The route begins a few meters right of Churning, atop a flat boulder. Careful not to bump your head while surmounting the V0 boulder problem to reach the opening holds. The six easiest moves on the route are those leading up to the 3rd bolt. From here a good, but somewhat unnecessary rest gives you a chance to recoup for what is likely the most difficult bit of climbing. A tremendous amount of finger strength, skin, and a knob that one local compared to a medieval-mace, will be required to reach the excellent jugs right of the 5th bolt. The 4th bolt can be a bit tricky to clip if you're short. I recommend practicing the clipping stance on TR, as a blown clip here would certainly send you to the hospital.

Shake what you can at the 5th bolt. The next crux is downright heinous without the proper beta. Ask a local if you prefer, or spend 3 days trading finger skin and motivation for 'a sense of accomplishment' like I did. After clipping the 6th bolt, the climbing is relatively casual, but still very technical with big moves, ending with large jugs and a dubious rest at the Churning anchor. Again, rest the best you can...

Traverse right to the hanging arete. The traverse is rather technical, very pumpy, and culminates in some desparate slaps up the arete to an excellent jug at the 9th bolt. You should plan to hang out here for a while, as it will be a mad dash to the anchor from here.

The next 30 feet are widely regarded as the actual crux of the route. This section is doubtless the redpoint crux, but I felt the moves at the 4th bolt were much more difficult. I won't give anything away, but it would be useful to have at least a master's degree in arete technique. I would argue the entire upper arete, from the Churning anchor to the Fish chains is about 12d. Its probably less powerful than Split Image (12c/d), but a bit longer and more involved technically.

This is located immediately right of Churning, on the far right end of the Morning Glory Wall. It is easily identified as the first route left of the Kings of Rap roof on the Churning Buttress.

Bolts