Lisa_D Posted June 4, 2007 Share Posted June 4, 2007 Trip: Liberty Bell - Beckey Route Date: 6/2/2007 Trip Report: Saturday, June 2, Lee (kwangkoo) and I climbed the Beckey Route on Liberty Bell. It was our first climb with a partner of similar experience and strength, as opposed to tagging along with more experienced climbers. Really fun to figure things out for ourselves! Starting out from the Blue Lake trailhead at 7:15 AM, we kicked steps up the gully. We made good time to the Liberty-Concord notch. Enjoying the view, Lee took an artfully-framed shot of Silver Star: I took the first pitch--my first alpine lead! The climbing was easy, but it felt fun to be on the sharp end of the rope after following all spring. Lee led the second, awkward chimney pitch. He styled it, even while wearing the pack, which he'd forgotten to give me at the belay station! After the third pitch, we soloed to the summit. We enjoyed spectacular views, eating lunch and chatting with Joe, Sam, Tamora (sp?), and Steve (goatboy), a fun group of people who seem to have done a lot of great climbing. Turns out I met Joe and Sam in the Eldorado parking lot last June--small world! Originally, we'd intended to climb the North Face of Concord Tower as well, but the bottom pitch was wet and Lee was craving a PBR. So, down we went, plunge-stepping and glissading, taking a bonus detour through the Early Winters creek drainage and coming out on the road a half mile from the trailhead. Happy with our climb, we relaxed at the parking lot (ok, I admit, PBR tastes good after a climb, especially with chips!). A really fun day on a classic route--more climbs to come! Gear Notes: Don't forget slings like we did, or you'll have to use clunky old webbing! Approach Notes: Gully still filled with snow, but things are melting out fast--Significant change since I'd been in the area a week earlier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billygoat Posted June 4, 2007 Share Posted June 4, 2007 Yeah, but does he make good coffee?! Sounds like fun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Posted June 4, 2007 Share Posted June 4, 2007 congrats on your first alpine lead! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenderfour Posted June 4, 2007 Share Posted June 4, 2007 Congrats to both of you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goatboy Posted June 4, 2007 Share Posted June 4, 2007 Way to go on your first alpine lead, LisaD! Great to meet you and Lee up there. What a glorious day! Thanks for the good summit company and PBR Tall-boys in the parking lot! Hope to see y'all again in the hills... - Goatboy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rad Posted June 4, 2007 Share Posted June 4, 2007 Congrats, and thanks for posting a TR. This site could use more TRs and less spray. Cheers, Rad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weekend_Climberz Posted June 4, 2007 Share Posted June 4, 2007 Good jorb on the first lead. This last two weeks has been great. TR's abound. Makes me want to write one of my own Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goatboy Posted June 4, 2007 Share Posted June 4, 2007 This site could use more TRs and less spray. Ya think? Oops, I just sprayed... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blake Posted June 4, 2007 Share Posted June 4, 2007 Nice lisa, way to go. if you are at the Lib-Bell/Concord notch and want a few more pitches of climbing, the Rapple Grapple in Liberty Bell, or the West Face of Concord start there and are worth doing as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goatboy Posted June 4, 2007 Share Posted June 4, 2007 I second Rapple Grapple as a nice alternative to the Beckey Route. I noticed that the "Cave Route" on Concord had a huge pile of snow and ice in the cave entrance, making it not a savory choice right now unless you are sick. The regular N Face of Concord route was also still rather wet from lingering snow... We actually top-roped the first pitch of Overexposure after rapping off and it was fun, but seemed a bit thoughtful to adequately protect....really only a few hard, unprotected moves, but not appealing (to me) to lead it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa_D Posted June 4, 2007 Author Share Posted June 4, 2007 That first pitch of Overexposure looked fun...but I wouldn't want to lead it either! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-spotter Posted June 4, 2007 Share Posted June 4, 2007 Contrary to appearances the first pitch of Overexposure is easily and well protected. (TCUs) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goatboy Posted June 4, 2007 Share Posted June 4, 2007 Yeah, I saw spots where pro could go...but honestly the rock quality there was the sort of exfoliating, kitty litter rock that parts of Libert Bell seem to be afflicted with... I definitely agree with the "easily protected" part, but am not so sure about the "well protected" part in terms of actually holding a fall... TR-ing it was fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-spotter Posted June 4, 2007 Share Posted June 4, 2007 Those flakes are pretty solid. I couldn't find a single loose hold. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhyang Posted June 4, 2007 Share Posted June 4, 2007 Sweet. Congrats ! Was there a nut still fixed in the first pitch chimney (I remember that from last August) ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goatboy Posted June 4, 2007 Share Posted June 4, 2007 in-situ nut still in place despite best efforts of Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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