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

[telemarker]

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.

 

I'm thinking there was rock fall that changed the lower 1/3 of the first pitch, and if you look straight up to the anchors from the ground, it's clean and protectable, thus no reason to traverse in from the right on friable rock.

 

As for nailing, the only TR I was able to come up with was a 1999 ascent, in which the party used sawed off angles in some of the pin scars. Beta search on CC.Com most recommendations were to bring pitons. Finally, Nelson's guide...So, yeah, we brought and very spariningly used pitons. In retrospect, ballnutz and more cam hooking will get us by the two placements we previously nailed.

[telemarker]

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.

 

Thanks!

 

You're right, the color in that picture reveals practically nothing about the first pitch. And yes, I think we'll bivy at the 6th pitch most likely.

[gosolo]

bob (and I dont know him) may not appreciate when he learned to aid climb. F%%%er may have been born climbin out of the womb (his por mama). But I liked your report and pics. I will PM you info I have on the Nose. Good Luck.

[Marko]

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

 

Bigwalling-

What is clip cleaning? Same thing as back cleaning?

[bigwalling]

Clip cleaning= cleaning a traverse and pretty much re-aiding it useing the pieces of pro left by the leader. It can be kinda interesting if you have to stand on shitty gear! OH if your partner backcleaned on a traverse... well you get to take the ride.

[telemarker]

This is an amended TR for this same route, nine months later on 6-3-06. Kyle and I knew we had a short window to get some aid pitches in, and hauling with a full load. The forecast was 80%pop on Sunday, but 0% for Saturday, so a bivi on M & M was out. So, we'd get what we could, which was to the top of pitch 5. The weather was moving in, and by Sunday morning in Wenatchee it was a downpour. Good practice anyways, and pitch 5 is an incredible pitch, the double roofs making the Lith Lip seem like child's play.

 

 

The approach with dubious weather in the morning.

 

The supposed A3 2nd pitch, which is more like C2. A cam hook this time and #1 slider nut eliminates any need to nail

 

Looking down from the roof on P3

 

P5 started off with a 10 foot pendulum, to a small ledge that took a grappling hook nicely. Top step the aider to finish off the mantel to some good gear, then to a funky pull-tab bolt. Lots of air on the mantel.

 

The second roof really spits you out from the wall. Really a spectacular position.

 

Kyle cleaning the roofs.

 

 

Heading down yet again

Edited June 9, 2006 by telemarker

[RocNoggin]

nice pics!

[DirtyHarry]

No need for pins on this route, cam hooks work FINE.

[Kyle_Flick]

Thanks for the troll...I'll bite. We were able to do it clean (credit: hybrids, hooks, slider nuts and a # 4 friend) until the 2nd roof of the fifth pitch. WTF do you use there?

[DirtyHarry]

Upside down, sideways camhooks. But truthfully, if I had a hammer and pins at the time I probably would have used them. Nice work, BTW. You guys will crush in Yosemite.

[John Frieh]

WTF do you use there?

 

Ice tools

[wscottf]

I did this route a few years ago and we didn't bring a hammer or any pitons. Here's our gear list:

 

1 set HB brass offsets

2 sets stoppers (3-4 of the smaller sizes)

2 sets cams (mix of BD and Metolious)

1 cam hook

1 BD talon

1 cliff hanger

Maybe some hexes but I can't remember

 

The "upside down sideways camhook" I actually did that toward the top of the second pitch. Scared the hell out of me.

 

We got to M&M ledge around midnight on that trip, taking a 25 foot whipper 5 feet from the ledge.

[tomtom]

After having just climbed it, I still don't know where the first pitch goes. We started just left of the toe of the buttress and went straight up on moderate terrain. Then traversed left directly under the roof, down a bit, then continued traversing to the anchor. Took most of a 60m rope. It went, but there were a couple sparsely protected parts of the traverse.

[telemarker]

There are three new bolts on the uppper part of p.1 (Freedom or Death route I think), with some fun 5.9 climbing, maybe a move of 5.10, the entire pitch is well protected.

[telemarker]

Well, it's been a process, but...

 

Starting out in 2005, I've been trying to finish this stupid route. This weekend it finally happened. For a small wall, Thin Red Line sure feels bigger. It is distinctly different than Liberty Crack. I'll leave it at that.

 

My friend Tom Michael and I climed it over two days 9/16 to 9/17. We fixed up to pitch 5 on the first day, then sent the rest on Tuesday. I had the privilege of meeting badass Darin Berdinka on the wall as well.

 

Thin Red is quite the route up to M & M ledge. So, basically, 8 pitches of aid, french free, and free. We used both the new Supertopo guide (Tom bought the E-Version) and the Mike Schaefer Version . Personally, I preferred the simplified, easy-to-read Schaefer topo, as it proved to be more accurate in terms of fixed pro, route finding and grading of each pitch.

 

My other musings are:

**From the anchors at the top of pitch 4 (arching corner pitch), two 70m ropes will get one back to the ground, tied together and tieing in to the anchors on the way down;

**pitches 7 & 8 can be combined with a 70m to M &M ledge, preferable to avoid another hanging belay;

**M & M Ledge would make a miserable place to bivi, and dangerous to those below;

**The sustained steepness of the route is 2nd to none!

**There is fixed pro, but not a lot of it. But, the heads are in a helluva lot better shape than its neighbor LC;

**There is a lot of climbing left once you reach M & M ledge. If you're hauling big wall style, then the last 500' will be pure hell and hauling will be next to impossible.

 

Tom and I climbed both classics on NEWS on Sunday (W. Face and NW Corner). With a 70m rope, we were able to climb the W. Face in 3 pitches and the NW Corner in 2.

Tom warming his hands on the big ledge:

 

Me higher on the thin crack of the W. Face:

 

Tom starting out on the Freedom or Death first pitch on Monday. Fun climbing on bolts, 5.10:

 

Me higher on the pitch:

 

Me on the 2nd pitch, which a lot goes free and french free:

 

Tom cleaning the classic pitch 3 corner on TRL:

 

Tom turning the roof on pitch 4:

 

Tom cleaning the pitch 5 funky arching corner:

 

Tom getting ready to commit to the 5.9 big wall mantel at the start of pitch 5, start of our 2nd day:

 

Me cleaning the double roof pitch 5:

 

Tom traversing to the nice but small ledge at the top of pitch 6:

 

After a ton of mid-5th climbing after M & M ledge, we reach the top:

 

 

Completing this route was very satisfying, remaining unfinished business since 2005. It was bittersweet as my long-time climbing partner Kyle Flick, who failed with me each time on this route, was not able to join me. But damn, it sure feels good to check this one off!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 20, 2012 by telemarker

[Blake]

nice john!

 

that topo was actually made by my friend Scott Bennett, though Mikey's bolting of the low-traverse to begin p5 was the key to making TRL go as a free climb.

[pms]

nice, enjoying the TR's and pics!

 

[Kyle_Flick]

Great job Tom and John! Sorry I couldn't join you for our unfinished business. Next time....

[ivan]

i haaaaate the huge loose blocks you have to aid on p4 after traversing under the roof and passing above...

[telemarker]

i haaaaate the huge loose blocks you have to aid on p4 after traversing under the roof and passing above...

 

Oh yeah! Tom was grumbling loudly as he tip toed through that section. And on the last couple placements to M &M ledge he swore off aid climbing altogether.

Edited September 21, 2012 by telemarker

[OlympicMtnBoy]

Cool, way to finish it up! That's been on my tick list for a while but I haven't managed to get up to try it yet.

[olyclimber]

Nice work telemarker! I always enjoy your TRs. Way to stick with this one!