tvashtarkatena Posted June 29, 2009 Posted June 29, 2009 (edited) Trip: Liberty Bell - Thin Red Line Date: 6/26/2009 Trip Report: TR: Liberty Bell, Thin Red Line June 26-28 2009 Ivan and I spent the first days of his 5 week break from family, work, and taxes to trace a Thin Red Line on Liberty Bell. Arriving late, we managed to fix pitch 1 before repairing back to our vehicle, where we created Washington Pass's first sculpture installation, using materials we found on the descent. “Iron Bored I” 2009 steel, granite Two giants, one angry little Irish monkey The following morning we assaulted the route Ivan on the attack Just fixing the roof Roof traverse The author through Ivans sepia electronic eye The Liberty Bell Group The author cleans pitch 2 Ivan jugging pitch 3 We fixed the first 4 pitches, but illness overtook even Ivan’s unflappable spirit and our Thin Red Line became a Thin Red and Green Line of Sputum. The following day, we recovered our gear and bowed to the planet’s true owners: the microbes. “Iron Bored II” 2009 steel, granite By the time we got back to the vehicle, our sculpture park had been mysteriously swept from the landscape. Edited June 29, 2009 by tvashtarkatena Quote
mountainmatt Posted June 29, 2009 Posted June 29, 2009 Hells yeah guys! Way to get on it! How is the descent coming down the backside? Quote
tvashtarkatena Posted June 29, 2009 Author Posted June 29, 2009 We prefer the term "Siege Descent". How was your little jaunt next door? Quote
cbcbd Posted June 29, 2009 Posted June 29, 2009 Good work and nice pics! Ivan jugging pitch 3 Hmm... using a pulley with the gri gri so you don't have to keep pulling up on it. I like that, nice. Quote
fern Posted June 29, 2009 Posted June 29, 2009 we should have done our cc.com homework and brought some more big cams for the .11OW. We ran away like scared little girls. Shivered our way up Serpentine on Sunday. Fun weekend and very quiet. The avalanche debris over the Blue Lake trail is CRAZEEE! Quote
dberdinka Posted June 29, 2009 Posted June 29, 2009 Shivered our way up Serpentine on Sunday. Fern, post up a TR of Serpentine. That is a cool looking route that I've never heard anything about other than whats in the original Cascade Classics guide. Quote
billcoe Posted June 29, 2009 Posted June 29, 2009 Best 4 pitch TR this month! Thanks for sharing, hope everyone recovered from the Swine Flu. Quote
geoff Posted June 30, 2009 Posted June 30, 2009 What Tvashtarkatena neglected to mention was that the real climbing was going on over on the LC. Although most rope up for the initial 5 easy section, I did one better and got a belay over to the start. Kyle attempted the approach but when he has to test the heel dig arrest I opted for the rope. You can see where he slid in this photo. Just over his right shoulder. Although we bivied here on Friday, Ivan, Tvash, Fern and Friend met us as we were still in our bags. This is where Kyle left my black runner and key lock biner. If you retrieve, please enjoy it but remember climbing is dangerous. That sling and/or biner could break at any minute. It was really a trade since we collected a red tricam and old brown biner. Here's my belayer/cleaner. Was also able to catch a glimpse of Ivan, pre-campy virus part 2. Given the lack of upward progress on the Bell I think the lull of gravity in Wyoming moved over to Wash Pass to double up on us. At any rate, was able to leave the aiders to free climb a bit at top of P2. The start of P3 looks like this. Fixed mank abounds. Here's Tvash hiding his face as he does the climbers' walk/rappel of shame. Quote
ivan Posted July 1, 2009 Posted July 1, 2009 goddamn i heart my hardon-self! can medical science please get w/ the whole human cloning thing soon so i can have gay-incestal-child-sex w/ meself? still coughing up razorblades - maybe i should quit smoking light-bulbs and old-shopvac bag contents? spent last night on the city benches at index after climbing city park - did sloe children this morning after sleeping on a portaledge on route, like a dirty hi-tech hobo - heard a loud explosion and watched billowing clouds off on the 2 until it grew to dark - cops coming and going for a while - figured armagedeon was upon us and drank the last of my wine - bathed this afternoon in the mighty skykomish and sat a while in the sun now off to dildorado! Quote
ivan Posted July 1, 2009 Posted July 1, 2009 Good first effort! blah! woulda gone all the way the first time, i've just never felt that shitty waking up in the mtns - tvash was particularily pleased w/ the giant puddle of mucus i'd accumulated over the night next to my bivy the best strategy for me on this route would appear to be arriving at the pass early monring on day 1, fixing to pitch 4, bivyign at the car, then doing the rest of the route in a day - hauling overnight stuff harshes on my mellow and the pitches above m'n'm would suck w/ a bunch of weight plenty of fixed gear to make the first 4 pitches mellow - loved my borrowed hybrid aliens and used them relentlessly - the first pitch is rather enigmatic and seems easiest to start right of the obvious anchor chains, then traverse left on an easy ledge to a bolted route that heads up there - the bolted route is rather easy if you already have your aid head on - the loose block section on pitch 3 blows, especially as it led me to a blind #3 placment around the corner, and somehow above the frapping anchor? i don't understand how you'd reach that pitch 3 top anchor w/o fucking your second - at any rate, i continued on and climbed the first half of pitch 4, setting up an anchor on a slung block and bunch of aliens before bringing pat up. will probalby be a more enjoyalbe climb too when its not ballz cold up there! Quote
ivan Posted July 1, 2009 Posted July 1, 2009 Hmm... using a pulley with the gri gri so you don't have to keep pulling up on it. I like that, nice. i just figured out on my last trip too that this system works even better w/ a full-on heavy leather glove for the pull-hand - instead of having to grasp the rope, which is tiring after awhile and still produces blisters and calluses even with 3/4 gloves, w/ a full heavy leather glove you can just wrap the rope around your hand a couple times per stroke, relieving hte need to grasp the rope or wear any one part of your hand Quote
Bug Posted July 2, 2009 Posted July 2, 2009 How is camping up there? Any restrictions I should know about? Quote
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