[TR] Liberty Bell- Thin Red Line, sort of 9/25/2005

[telemarker]

Climb: Liberty Bell-Thin Red Line, sort of

 

Date of Climb: 9/25/2005

 

Trip Report:

Taking inventory, it's been a decent climbing season for Kyle Flick and me. Learning to aid climb has been a bonus. With visions of The Nose on El Cap next spring, we knew we had to step up the difficulty. We had been climbing efficiently lately, with comfortable day climbs of Colchuck Balanced Rock and Liberty Crack, the latter being my first serious aid climb. Where to find a harder aid climb? Literally right next door to LC: Thin Red Line. Along with our 3rd, Steve Tift, we had our goal. We had never hauled, nor climbed a serious wall as a threesome, but hey, aid climbing as a party of 3 always worked out great on paper.

 

The amazing E. Face of Liberty Bell

 

Round 1, 9-17, we're at the base looking for the start of the damn route. Kyle ends up taking the suggestion of the Nelson guide by starting right, then traversing back left. It's a tedious, frustrating experience in routefinding as he climbs, traverses, hangs, lowers, assess, then reclimbs. By the time Kyle reaches the belay, he's damn well spelled his name with the lead rope. Hauling 80 lbs of gear is a goddamn nightmare on the overlapping, off angled pitch. I get the 2nd pitch, A3 over a small roof. Just above the roof, a sawed off angle gets me past a flared pin scar and Aliens work their magic on the rest of the scars.

 

 

Kyle cleaning to the 2nd belay.

The long corner above is reachy but solid to the bolted belay just below the third pitch roof. The hauling isn't so bad on this pitch. Steve jugs the haul line and reaches the belay. We haul knowing we're going no further.

 

Knackered.

 

So, this is what it's like to have your ass handed to you...It's a huge cluster and we've taken way too long. Naively, we planned on making M & M ledge today, but half the day's gone and M & M ledge may as well be the moon, plus I don't want to lead the A3 5th pitch in the dark, so we're headed down.

 

Round 2, 9-25, Kyle and I are back to climb up to at least the 4th pitch, with light hauling of a day pack. Kyle starts off the right way this time: Directly below the pitch one anchor, following mixed gear and bolted climbing. Kyle throws in a couple hook moves between bolts to keep the pitch a respectable 5.8, A1. Pitch 2 goes quicker than last week, though it still feels like it goes on forever. Kyle gets the 3rd pitch roof, and is stymied by a long reach between a fixed pin and a solid cam placement. He hammers in a partially driven angle in rotten rock right above his head, wills himself to miraculously lose 20 lbs, and rocks over onto the pin. It holds, and he's off clipping and stepping out of the roof. On this pitch, Kyle utilizes a couple of the bolts from the adjacent 5.12 sport route.

 

Psyching up for pitch 3

 

 

It's my turn to test the crappy pin when I have to clip clean the roof. I roundly curse Kyle as I step onto it, and am pleasantly surprised it holds me as well. We're in a rhythm now, and again climbing efficiently with clusters at a minimum. Pitch 4 is a short arch, A2 with some flaring placements, but again Aliens are incredible here. I even get my first cam hook on this pitch. This belay hangs your butt straight down a blank face to the ground.

 

PItch 4 belay

 

Jugging 4

 

Kyle jugs and we get a good look at pitch 5. Intimidating as all hell, with its double roofs. However, the pendulum and hook moves to mantles look fairly easy, being only 10 to 15 feet away, which probably makes it more of a tension traverse than a pendulum. However, our day is done. I beef up the anchor for the rap. We're so pleased with our progress, we don't even bicker over whose cordelette we leave behind for the rap. Three double rope raps take us to the ground, and a good jump-start on a complete ascent next spring.

 

This route is burly, just from the first four pitches. There is no where near the same amount of fixed gear as LC, and the placements not nearly as straight forward. Also, we learned if you don't know what the hell you're doing in the first place, don't add a 3rd person to the mix until you've practiced 3 person technique: You'll go 100 times slower than as a twosome.

 

Gear Notes:

Lots of aliens, tripled small to medium cams, double on larger stuff to 3.5 inch camalot, some HB offsets, small camhooks, one grappling hook, one skyhook, 3 or 4 sawed off angles, some KB's, a few LA's, a few heads.

 

Approach Notes:

Can it get any better?

Edited September 26, 2005 by telemarker

[tomtom]

Cool.

 

I've been eyeing that route for a year now. Haven't found the right combo of weather/partners to give it a go.

 

Do you have a pic of the first pitch?

[EWolfe]

Great TR, relly good pix.

 

The learning curve...

[glassgowkiss]

this thing can be done clean, no need to hammer and destry the rock (real crap in a lot of places). it goes at 5.11a A1, can easly be done in a day.

[bigwalling]

Also, we learned if you don't know what the hell you're doing in the first place, don't add a 3rd person to the mix until you've practiced 3 person technique: You'll go 100 times slower than as a twosome.

 

Hmm, 3rd person is pretty simple if you do it right, but that said it sucks if you don't short fix.

 

Also, glad to see you did clip cleaning, I've seen so many people out aiding that don't do it and struggle greatly.

 

I'd reccomend you check out Index for aiding. Here are my recomendations:

Lower Wall

-Narrow Arrow Roof thingy, start on the direct and join the overhang route

-Shirley

Upper Wall

-Green Dragon

-Town Crier

[telemarker]

Cool.

 

I've been eyeing that route for a year now. Haven't found the right combo of weather/partners to give it a go.

 

Do you have a pic of the first pitch?

 

 

The first pitch done correctly:

[telemarker]

this thing can be done clean, no need to hammer and destry the rock (real crap in a lot of places). it goes at 5.11a A1, can easly be done in a day.

 

I'm sure it can be done in a day, but "easily"? Why do you have to be in such a hurry? The Nose was climbed in under three hours. Are we all held to that standard now?

 

As far as nailing, when we get on the route again, we'll definitely look to hook more to try to avoid the nailing.

[telemarker]

Also, we learned if you don't know what the hell you're doing in the first place, don't add a 3rd person to the mix until you've practiced 3 person technique: You'll go 100 times slower than as a twosome.

 

Hmm, 3rd person is pretty simple if you do it right, but that said it sucks if you don't short fix.

 

Also, glad to see you did clip cleaning, I've seen so many people out aiding that don't do it and struggle greatly.

 

I'd reccomend you check out Index for aiding. Here are my recomendations:

Lower Wall

-Narrow Arrow Roof thingy, start on the direct and join the overhang route

-Shirley

Upper Wall

-Green Dragon

-Town Crier

 

True, 3 person aiding should be easy, we just didn't agree beforehand on the process, like sending the 2nd up immediately on the next lead while the 3rd cleans. The "vibe" just wasn't there for us that day. Thanks for the suggestions on Index routes. BTW, outstanding pictures of your new route on Snowpatch Spire!

[bigwalling]

Yeh, 3rd person can be a bit tricky.... If you guys want to aid some stuff out at Index let me know, I'm always looking for people to aid with around here.

[glassgowkiss]

if you took off your hiking shoes and used your rock climbing shoes.... climbing is about style.

[layton]

bob, stfu!

people should try real hard to do this route clean and join the 21st century along with the rest of the yosemite free crowd.

 

Nice job on the route, since this is the 1st Thin Red Line TR (i think) we should really point out that it is no longer acceptable to nail this route b/c it can be done clean.

Not to shit on your awesome job, i probably would've brough pins too...but now that this is being read, do it clean from now on.

[cicleclimb]

I screwed up the 1st pitch when I was there as well. And your picture doesn't make it look any more straightforward. We made it to exactly where you did, all with clean aid - HB offsets and a shitton of aliens being key. That 5th pitch does look intimidating - but 5.11 and A1 huh? Seems unlikely but shit, that'd be burly. Cool pics, story - I need to get back up there.

[DPS]

I nailed when I did it, but that was before the social conscience that is CC.com was in existence. Now I know better.

[layton]

didn't you also nail green dragon in the rain?

[bigwalling]

I say nail the shit out of it... when bob come to bitch, trundle on him! Does this thing have fixed heads??? How in the fuck is that clean, they are going to rip out and you will have to bail if you don't have good gear. Or maybe that part goes free.

 

Bob, it is pretty pathetic that you had to do A1 on this. I'm sure with your badass polish skills you could have freed it...

[DPS]

No, I did not nail green dragon, but it did rain one time.

[EWolfe]

I nailed this sweet crack in the rain once....

[jshamster]

Nice guys!

We saw y'all bailing from your 9/17 attempt when we came up to fix a pitch of LC that evening.

Good to hear ya gettin' back on it.

 

I second Index for aid.

First three pitches of Dana's Arch are great!

[glassgowkiss]

this clownpunch crowd is hopeless. just keep jerking off. have a nice day. good job ob doing half of the route and bailing.

[catbirdseat]

didn't you also nail green dragon in the rain?

No that was Ehmic (sp?).

[tyree]

Good Job! not bad for your first year aid climbing, as for "jerking off" have you seen the forearm on that guy??

[bigwalling]

i love pussy but never the bitch that it's attached to

Now that is fucking classic!

[Kyle_Flick]

Telemarker is a quick study and has picked up aiding quickly. Just like the first time he went ice climbing, we did Triple Couloirs, and he got bored.

I've done a little aid climbing at Index years ago, but if you don't do it very often it feels like you have to relearn everything.

[Dru]

i love pussy but never the ewe that it's attached to

Now that is fucking classic!

 

Except that for Bob it should be as altered above.

[fatswaller]

Next time don't forget the sawed off angles.I would

recommend fixing the first pitch and camp at the small

ledge on top of the sixth pitch.The first pitch that you

have a photo of looks completely different than what I've

done.It should follow an a shallow corner with a left

traverse to the start of the second pitch,maybe 5.8/5.9.

With an 80# haul bag,I would assume you had alot of oil

cans for the bivy.The Nose is alot easier than Thin Red

Line only alot longer and more hauling.Fortunately for

me hauling and jumaring are my best skills.Great photos

never the less.Good luck for next year.