Liberty Crack, free as possible

[counterfeitfake]

I climbed Liberty Crack back in 2007 when I was basically a 5.9+ climber without a lot of multipitch experience. I'm thinking about going back to do it again, now that I'm pretty solid on 5.10 and have much more experience.

 

I am wondering about the sections that go free reasonably but are aided by most parties, and I haven't found much in the way of firsthand descriptions.

 

The first pitch supposedly goes at 5.11- and I am wondering what it is like. I'm also wondering about the sections right below and above the "rotting block", I remember they seemed much too hard 5 years ago, but supposedly are 5.10.

 

Thanks for any help.

[Sol]

The first pitch is more like 10+ (first 11- I ever onsighted). Slick corner to start, then a couple of creaky pins near the crux, but not that bad.

 

Yes, getting to and pass the rotten block free is FUNKY! Might have to spend a bit of time working those sequences, being open minded in climbing left or right of where the fixed pins are, but it goes.

[unklehuck]

Think I was at about the same level when I climbed it a few years ago as you are now.

 

1st pitch only has a couple of hard moves - if your happy to pull on solid gear (no aiders required) I'd say it's more like 10a-b aside from the crux sequence.

 

You can easily link pitches 2 and 3 with a 70 and some occasional back-cleaning. Some of the wires on the fixed heads may be a little sketchy - I used a birdbeak on top of the head itself.

 

I think I used one or two points of aid (solidish fixed pins)getting on to the rotten block then another getting off of it (smallish hybrid metolius). Again, this was french free, no aiders required.

 

Go get some.

 

Edited June 14, 2012 by unklehuck

[Dane]

1st pitch is .11- fingers and well protected. Smaller the fingers the easier it is.

 

Other than the roof and obvious aid just above it the other crux's I remember as easy 10. The topo seems to be what I remember.

 

[selkirk]

I was up there a couple years ago as a 5.10ish climber.

We partially freed and french freed the 1st pitch. I believe it does goes 5.11, but at 5:30am with a pack on and no warm up pitches..... We opted for speed over grace since. On to and off the rotten block probably was 5.10+ ish, but with a pack on after several hours on route and some moderately strenuous free pitches below... we aided . Used a spot of french free getting up the 5.9 step above the block as well.

 

We went in with packs large enough to handle a bivy if we needed to, and ended up hitting the summit at sunset. If we did it again (and were in similar shape/technical ability) I'd go in with much lighter packs and planning to suffer some dehydration on the walkout. Then evaluate at the rotten block and bail from there if time was against us. Would be a pretty easy retreat with a minimal loss of gear.

 

We were both carrying ~20+ lbs between the aid rack, water, food, minimal bivy stuff etc. We were both solid 5.10+/low 5.11 crag climbers at the time. In the alpine, with a pack, uphill approach, alpine start, and some strenous pitches thrown in we consistently opted for a little french free and some hangdogging to maximise speed instead of pushing to free as much as possible.

 

YMMV