Sol

Dan is the man

Trip: Liberty Bell - Thin Red Line - Free Ascent - V 12c Date: 7/14/2010 Trip Report: On July 14th Max Hasson and myself made the likely 3rd free ascent of the Thin Red Line on the intimidating and sheer east face of Liberty Bell. This neo-classic hard free climb was established in Fall of 2008 by Mikey Schaefer and Kate Rutherford and repeated by Jens Holsten and Drew Schick in Fall of 2009. Mikey did a great job maintaining the character of the route as an aid climb while establishing the free version. A variation to pitch 4 was established (P5 on the free version), one bolt was replaced past the pendulum on pitch 5, and a new pin was placed (which later pulled so is no longer there) on the A2+ double roof 5th pitch. The route is very technical with mostly short crux's on small holds. There is plenty of manky fixed gear and very few straight forward cracks. We spent one day the previous week checking out the first 6 pitches in pretty warm conditions. Funny enough our good friends Jens and Jessica were at times a high five away climbing the Freedom or Death variation to Liberty Crack. We chatted and monkey-called back and forth as if it were another day in the icicle. The plan was to return on Tues of this week for the climb but our morning arrival was met by intermmitent sprinkling, a strong wind and frigid temperatures, too cold to free climb, so we spent a day idling around mazama, forcing ourselves not to climb, and resting up for the next day. Conditions the next day were much improved with warmer though ideal temps and a light sending breeze, the psych was high. Max was on a straight crushing spree and had a very impressive no-falls ascent, I on the other hand had to dig very deep to send this one, having to pull the rope once leading the crux fifth pitch, it took me four tries to send the sixth pitch clean, and three to send the final difficult 8th pitch. I couldn't stop thinking about what Mikey Schaefer said in his recent Town Crier Free TR: "In reckless desperation I let out a scream and dug deeper into the core of why I climb and found the remaining strength I needed to keep climbing," if he tapped in to that shit, I had to straight Keg Stand it. Free Version Beta is as follows: P1: 5.10- As recommended we began on P1 of Freedom or Death, a mixed bolted and gear protected face. Clip the anchor to FOD and then traverse right to the P1 anchor of TRL. P2: 5.11+ Move right off the anchor and surmount the first of two bulges with funky moves and mostly fixed protection, some of it manky. It is a short pitch which ends with a gear belay on a ledge to the left of a smooth arching corner. P3: 5.11+ Move up into the slick corner via stemming and palming with intermittent gear. The crux comes as you transition into the left arching section with a key moss jug and notoriously wet holds. Ends at a bolted anchor with a very poor stance. P4: 5.11- Move up into the roof via a straight-forward corner, move left out the roof with funky fixed pro. From the left exit of the roof follow small holds onto FOD, clip two bolts with long slings before moving right back onto TRL and a bolted anchor. P5: 5.12 The crux. Move right off the belay leaving the original aid line. Airy 5.10 slab climbing past 3 bolts leads into a corner with a fixed pin and some gear. Difficulties heighten as you continue to an awkward stemming and arete pinching crux past 3 more bolts with a final reachy crux thrown in before you arrive at two bolts (very poor stance) or continue past 3 fixed heads to a decent stance and a gear belay. P6: 5.12- Continue into the corner past a first easier roof into a second roof with a powerful crux sequence. Originally Mikey placed a fixed pin that later pulled on a free attempt. Currently the crux is "protected" by a questionable fixed bird beak. As recommended we first aided the roof placed a high yellow alien with a long sling. Pulled the rope and sent using the pre-placed piece. Bolder climbers will simply clip the beak and crush... The pitch ends at a fixed pin belay with a poor stance, but a gear belay with a slightly better stance can be set a bit lower. P7: 5.10 Climb past fixed geat straight above the belay before moving right on a slick ramp and into a loose though moderate corner with leads to a big ledge, traverse right to a bolted belay. P8: 5.12-/11+ This pitch begins with funky technical moves past manky fixed heads before finally reaching a bomber pin and a hard final series of moves to a small ledge, move left onto an easy ramp into the moderate and long final corner. Max linked both P8 and P9 into a mega 60m finale. His onsight was very impressive with mucho rope drag and a sting in the tail 59m from the belay, best to seperate these with a hanging belay from a manky old bolt and some gear. P9: 5.10+ Continue up the corner with moderate crack climbing before a final sting in the tail reaching a good ledge with a fixed pin. The standard though in-obvious final pitches lead to the summit. More pics to come when I get ahold of Max's photos. For now here are a few. Max following P1 of Freedom or Death Jens following the crux 5.12 slab on P3 of Freedom or Death Nearing the slick crux on P3 Starting the airy 5.10 slab on P5 Moving into the business Gear Notes: Doubles from blue alien to BD .75, single #1-#3, draws and slings. Couple of small nuts. We brought a tag line and hand hauled a bag for the first 9 pitches.

Didn't Justen remove a bunch of that mank when he originally sent?

Impressive MIkey (especially in those conditions)! Congrats on Freerider Kate!

that was a brit and a dude from squamish working amandla earlier this week. rise and fall seems to get attempted a bit here and there but i have yet to hear about anybody sending it.

By fixing gear at the cruxes, the morons have destroyed the character of the route turning it into another Vantage style clip-up. Just bolt the damn thing and get it over with. Just like at Index. Sounds like a mouthful of internet speculation there tomtom. Do you know wtf your talking about? I know they bolted two variation pitches and fixed two pins, one of which blew on a free attempt and was not replaced. So, chances are you can blame most of the proliferation of fixed gear on aid climbers and most likely that shits clogging up the good jams. It does seem thought that the E face of liberty bell might stir some aid vs. free discusssion.

Nice job Winter and partner. You guys should get on Der Sportsmen next, it will provide the length and challenge that SG doesn't. I'd agree with the 10+ rating, we didn't downgrade it cuz we didn't want to sandbag any 10+ leaders on the 2nd pitch crux. Jens and I attempted Prayer for a Friend last week, makes Der seem like the kiddie pool...

TRL has been freed by at least a couple of parties at 12b/c, maybe more. They have fixed some gear. Please leave it in, i'm hoping to give it a burn soon. You mentioned dry rock, was the route totally dry?

Fuck yeah!

a few years back my wife climbed hyperspace with a friend and then headed up the trail making it to upper snow lake before collapsing, they climbed the south face the next day and then headed down. pretty rad way to spend 36 hours!

thanks!

use a mesh bag from a BD harness fill with four beers and two rocks, then immerse bag and cover with more rocks. hide well.

wondering if anyone made it up to colchuck lake and/or aasgard this weekend? hows the snow? post-holing? boot-pack? pics? any info appreciated, thanks.

step up dawg

gorilla my dreams, a super fun 10a bolted flake timberjack fun 5.9 2 minute hike from the topout of GNS, well worth it.

we were wondering if that was the case... bummer.

i've heard the key to lessening your elbow strain is to use static cord. never used one so that's about all i know. will second the ring workouts. so good for core. hadn't done one in about a year and finally got my homemade rings up this week, did one workout, and felt immediate results.

Sick!

Hells yeah homeys! Definetly the best way to do the valley: drive in, get on the wall, climb, get off the wall, get drunk, go home.

just wait til you start going for the full sagg, so sick!

i've loaned my 5 and/or 6 out for backbone climbers before and would be happy to again. you drop you buy. im in ltown. pm.

i could have saturday free, what routes are you thinking of?