marc_leclerc Posted July 22, 2010 Posted July 22, 2010 Trip: Squamish B.C - University Wall + Freeway Link Up Date: 7/21/2010 Trip Report: I tried to free the classic University Wall a couple weeks ago, but after blowing the on-sight by hanging on the first two 5.12 pitches I wasn't too keen on continuing and my partner and myself retreated. U-Wall is old school 5.12-, freed in 1982 by Peter Croft and Hamish Fraser, and is considered hard and 'heads up' for the grade. A few days later I returned to pitch 1 with Tony Mclane and ran some laps, then after some sport climbing and a rest day I was stoked to return. I met up with Aussie climber Zach Vertrees and after some bouldering to warm up we headed up to U-Wall ready to go for the free ascent. We saw a party on Pitch 1 so we climbed 'Seasoned in the Sun', a classic 5.10- splitter, to give them some time, then we cruised on up to the base of the route. The party ahead was actually rapping down from the top of pitch 1 and we had the go ahead to start, so I geared up and headed up the first 12a pitch of U-Wall. This pitch is truly sick, some easy climbing leads to powerful laybacking, then some flaring jams and a wicked undercling jug in the double overhanging corner. A chimney slot that I just power laybacked led up to the anchor. I dispatched with this pitch quickly and Zach followed no problem. Zach headed off on Pitch 2 which is also wild, 40 ft of enduro laybacking leads to a wild undercling traverse and a weird section entering a chimney. Zach made a proud onsight of this 5.12- pitch and I followed cleanly, feeling really strong. I led pitch 3, the 11+ flaring chimney with great difficulty, nearly falling, then screaming and propelling myself onwards to the jugs at the end without slipping out somehow. Zach had spent the last 5 weeks in Yosemite freeing 'Golden Gate' and 'Freerider' and said compared to all the wide slots he had been sending in the the Valley the chimney pitch wasn't so bad... in other words he walked it following. The next few pitches were easier, a mix of burly 10+ laybacking and 5.11 face climbing brought us to the top of U-Wall. Pitch 6 was super cool, with hands and feet stemming in a corner, then a fun finger traverse left, then a bizzare ramp leading back right. The ramp involved walking with your feet down by your hands on an exposed wall with big pendulum potential if you slipped.. wild! On U-Wall we swung leads the whole route and neither of us fell at all, getting the team free ascent which was sweet! We ran off Bellygood Ledge and down the backside trail, then Zach suggested we try to climb 'Freeway' (12 pitches, 5.11d) in the same day. I didn't think we had enough time but decided to ask some friends in the campground for some beta anyways. They told us it was 'easy' and we could simul most of it and send it in a couple hours! We got psyched and walked to the base of 'Freeway'. I led pitch one, a slick 11b corner, then the next couple pitches were easy 5.10 cruising. But we soon realized that the stacked 5.11 pitches of 'Freeway' really are not that 'easy' and we were getting tired and moving too slowly. Zach was a real beast and took over one of my leads on Freeway when I got really tired, and we made it past the crux 11d roof pitch without falling off. It soon became dark and we realized we had forgotten the headlamps in Zach's car, The route finding became more challenging after the 11a traverse and we climbed some weird '5.11a' link up of 'Express Lane' into 'Freeway' for the next pitch. Zach was a champ and sent it up the runout 5.10 offwidth in the dark without a headlamp, then I led the final '5.10d' slabby arete without falling off. We topped out after making a completely free ascent of both U-Wall and Freeway but now had to descend the trail in the dark without any light source. I had told my girlfriend, Tamara, I would be down early that evening, but now we were long overdue and had a long, tedious descent ahead of us. I knew she would be worried but the only thing to do was slowly meander our way downwards in the dark. Tamara had told some of my friends were were missing on the wall and they assumed we must be stuck on the descent without lamps and started hiking up to us with some extra headlamps. They soon found us stumbling through the woods like drunken morons and gave us the headlamps. We walked down quickly and met Tamara, a few friends and a police officer at the base. We were scolded for being total morons and forgetting our headlamps and underestimating how long we would be, then sorted gear. We got the free ascent of both routes in a day, but I still feel really bad about making everyone worry so much with our late return, especially after telling Tamara I would be back 'way' earlier. But it was another lesson learned for next time... here's some U-Wall pics, my camera died at the last pitch of U-Wall so there are no pics from Freeway. Tony on P1 of U-Wall, 5.12a (a week ago) Warming up on Seasoned in the Sun, 5.10-... U-Wall visible up and right, the big corner system. Zach follows Pitch 1 of U-Wall, 5.12a Zach on-sights Pitch 2 of U-Wall, 5.12a Zach on Pitch 4, 5.11a Me, stoked on progress so far! Zach follows Pitch 5, 5.10d Zach on the wicked Pitch 6, 5.11b U-Wall Description Freeway Description More pics here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/14994476@N06/ Gear Notes: light rack but triples in the 0.5 camalot size. Approach Notes: Drive, Walk Quote
Rad Posted July 22, 2010 Posted July 22, 2010 Sweet! Amazing rock. Looks like it would be REALLY bad to fall off on that traverse on p6...long pendulum into a corner. The only thing more dangerous is hitting your head. Quote
pazzo Posted July 22, 2010 Posted July 22, 2010 Now you're focusing on the real stuff. This climbing will make you tough - falling off Bruce Lee vs... will not Quote
marc_leclerc Posted July 22, 2010 Author Posted July 22, 2010 Now you're focusing on the real stuff. This climbing will make you tough - falling off Bruce Lee vs... will not I fell off that thing from the lip.... made me sick! U-Wall has to be one of the best climbs f it's grade in north america, so good! Quote
mountainmatt Posted July 22, 2010 Posted July 22, 2010 Awesome Marc, one hell of a link up for sure! . Quote
counterfeitfake Posted July 22, 2010 Posted July 22, 2010 So cool! They told us it was 'easy' and we could simul most of it and send it in a couple hours! CLASSIC SANDBAG! lol Quote
pazzo Posted July 22, 2010 Posted July 22, 2010 So cool! They told us it was 'easy' and we could simul most of it and send it in a couple hours! CLASSIC SANDBAG! lol Freeway was a sandbag because he was tired after freeing U-Wall and running down the backside. It is definitely not a sandbag when you're fresh. Quote
counterfeitfake Posted July 22, 2010 Posted July 22, 2010 I'm not saying Freeway's grade is sandbagged (I'd have to get on it before making that call). I'm saying them talking him into getting on route at that point was sandbagging him. Classic. I know Marc is way strong but does he really simulclimb 5.11-? Maybe I should be even more impressed. Quote
pazzo Posted July 23, 2010 Posted July 23, 2010 I'm not saying Freeway's grade is sandbagged (I'd have to get on it before making that call). I'm saying them talking him into getting on route at that point was sandbagging him. Classic. Lol. I had a feeling that's what you were talking about Quote
marc_leclerc Posted July 23, 2010 Author Posted July 23, 2010 U-Wall is more of the sandbag than 'Freeway' when compared to other routes of a similar grade in Squamish. Freeway is pretty chill on it's own, great route though! Quote
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