[TR] Washington Pass - Serpentine Crack - Liberty Bell 6/28/2009

[fern]

Trip: Washington Pass - Serpentine Crack - Liberty Bell

 

Date: 6/28/2009

 

Trip Report:

Here is the only other thread about this route:

Previous Serpentine Crack Thread

 

This route is 4-5 pitches on good rock on the West face of Liberty Bell. It is shady and the amount of lichen suggests it is not super popular. Pitches are described as we climbed them - YMMV, I'd say the pitches are rated 5.8, 5.10b/c, 5.10b/c, 5.7, 5.4. The difficulty of the 2nd pitch probably varies with hand and body size - bigger is better, if #3 Camalot is a handjam for you then it'll be fine.

 

Pitch 1 is up some slabs with fun knobs then up a steep mossy corner past a FP to a piton belay in a chimney/gully

Pitch 2 is up a wide crack, low angle at first, then steepening dramatically to a short overhang bulge before the angle kicks back in a flared chimney. This isn't the crux pitch in the books but it seems to be the crux discussed in the other thread. It's burly and I ended up aiding through the bulge after ripping a fist jam out. A FP in a horizontal foot-ledge can be backed up with hand or fist sized piece for the belay in a cramped alcove. The rock here is weirdly varnished with some calcite precipitate or something.

Pitch 3 is the guidebook crux, but it's technical footwork cruxy rather than fisty burlfest cruxy. There's an old 2x4 "pin" still wobbling in the crack. After pulling past another bulgy overhang the hard climbing is over, but there is still plenty of fun left.

Pitch 4 goes up some easy mossy blocks in the corner then tunnel under chockstones and squish through a little slot up onto a nice ledge (might need to clear your harness off to fit here). The Sidewinder route also comes up to this same ledge so the last pitch is shared.

I think the last pitch is one of the most super I have done at the Pass - it is a beautiful sunny position on a semi-exposed spur, with 5.easy to 5.7ish climbing over steeper bulges on cracks and cool granite plate chickenheads. Finish just below the west summit, then scramble through the notch and over to the main summit (kinda bad rock but easy). Descend the regular way per the Beckey Route.

 

Gear Notes:

mostly hand size up to #4 Camalot. Several in 3" and larger. Long slings.

 

Approach Notes:

Up the gully same as for Beckey Route, but about 100ft below the spur that route starts on you scramble out the left wall of the gully onto a slabby bench. The big roofs left of Serpentine are obvious - look at the photo in the Beckey guide to identify the relevant features.

[G-spotter]

How was the goat factor?

[mkporwit]

All the goats were over by SEWS -- we had a group of seven or eight of them, including three kids, hanging around at the base of the South Arete.

[tuffluv]

fern's utilitarian description of the route doesn't really convey how fun it actually is. The 3rd pitch is superb for alpine rock.

 

Lots of inquisitive goats too, of all sizes.

[ivan]

but pictures, man, pictures!

[Pete_H]

I thought that second pitch is a lot harder than Firn describes too. It may be decent hand jams but its akward as hell.