Liberty Crack?

[knatapow]

Has anyone been up Liberty Crack lately? Wondering what the snow conditions are like at the base?

Also, does anyone know the true rating of this route. Nelson's book puts it at V 5.9 A2, whereas Rock Climbing Washington gives it V 5.10b C3

Thanks

[Retrosaurus]

You'll need 2 tools and pickets.

[Downhill]

hehe Retro.

You must have advised the platoon on Eldorado last weekend: 2-tools, pickets, flukes, lids, shovels (my view was obscured by the 12-ply Groove-Tex, but I'm betting Jumars were carried as well)

[scott]

i think the rating depends on if you free the forth pitch. i "french freed" it at 5.9 A0, but it goes at pretty stiff 10b, i think. i don't think it takes more time to french free this pitch. the pitch above the rotten block, where you are in the corner and have to go over the little roof, is 5.9 A0, or maybe 5.10-. or maybe i was just sketched. if you can climb 5.9 and 5.10 by pulling pieces, you can do the route pretty fast. i guess that you shouldn't bother bringing boots for the snow patch. the second pitch is short but is the most time consuming.

[DPS]

I was there 2 weeks ago doing Thin Red Line, the snow at the base was inconsequential, should be almost gone by now. The route can be climbed at 5.9, C2. Definitely not C3.

[scott]

what aid specific gear did u use for thin red line?

[DPS]

We used aiders, daisy chains, haul bag, wall hauler, belay seat, fifi hooks, knee pads, ascenders.

[scott]

err? pins? cam hooks? lowe balls? sawed offs?

[DPS]

Bugaboos, small angles, lost arrows (a few each)lots of small Aliens, good assortment of hooks, (include one big one), double set of cams to #3, Hugh Banner offset nuts in the small sizes.

We brought but did not use Lowe balls or copperheads.

[Matt]

Liberty Crack goes clean, leave the hammer and pins at home.

[scott]

thanks danielpatricksmith

[Matt_Anderson]

Pitons? No Way! It goes very clean.

I climbed it eight years ago, about a year after I started climbing (so I certainly wasn't that good) with a double set of cams, a double set of black diamond stoppers, one sky hook, and a 3, 4, and a 5 RP (someone told me that I needed the last four items so I went out and bought them.) I think the hook was used one time on the pitch after the lip (or was it just the end of the lip pitch? . . . age is killin my memory)

There is no reason to pull out the hammer on that climb. As I recall, fixed gear was minimal, except for the rotten block and the lip. Saving resources is not just about chopping bolts. It's about doing routes clean whenever possible. (and Liberty Crack is easy C2)

The info on the snow is correct. I climbed the independence routes about three weeks ago and it was inconsequential.

Re: belay seat, haul bag, etc . . . If LC is not an in-a-day climb for you, fix the first few pitches, sleep at the car/bottom and throw a light pack on the second. Hauling towards the top of that mountain sucks.

[DPS]

You are welcome. When are you thinking about doing TRL?

[DPS]

Matt Anderson,

I was giving rack recommendations for Thin Red Line, not Lib Crack. But thanks for telling us all what a rock star you are. And thanks for the ethics lecture.

Dan

[This message has been edited by danielpatricksmith (edited 07-25-2001).]

[scott]

third week in august or after.

i have heard that the thin red line can be done clean, but is it usually done this way?

[DPS]

With effort we could have probably eliminated some of our pin placements by using lowe balls or other things. We brought the iron so we used it.

[Matt_Anderson]

re: danielpatricksmith's comment.

whoops.

re: thin red line.

I don't know about "usually", but the route goes at least almost completely clean at a very reasonable level. We had a good assortment of hooks (I remember a pecker hand placed being particularly useful), some micro nuts and a free climbing rack and the route only required three hammer placements:

One was mine and could've been eliminated, but I'd just fallen and was way sketched.

The other two I didn't make, but my partner's only prior aid experience was Town Crier, so there's a good chance he wouldn't make it today.

Using the limited iron definitely didn't make the climb any harder than the rating in the book - it seemed a bit easier than we expected, actually.

Sincerely,

Your Rock Star

(autograph's available on request)

[Lambone]

Did you guys bivi on Red Line, or did it go in a day?

[Matt_Anderson]

We bivied.

Veeery long day the first day. Got to the bivy near M&M ledge around midnight on the first night.

I'd probably do it the same way, but my partner said if he ever did it again, he'd just rap off after the aid. He thought hauling our pig over the last few pitches was the crux of the route (then again, he's 5'10" and only 135 pounds).