[TR] Liberty Bell-Washington Pass - Freedom Rider 8/9/2013

[sgreg]

Trip: Liberty Bell-Washington Pass - Freedom Rider

 

Date: 8/9/2013

 

Trip Report:

Just wanted to post about a recent trip up The Freedom Rider.

 

The New Super Topo gives a great overall description of the route serious-ness and rating and grade, there are a few typos in the edition I have but if you read carefully all of the info is their.Pick up the new WA Pass book if you haven't already and climb in the pass often.

 

its a significant climb worthy of a serious rating and grade. if that's your bag, it will provide serious fun, if not it may be serious in not fun ways.

 

First two pitches had very poor rock quality as stated in super topo, be weary

 

p1. 5.8 R felt accurate, (see super topo for specific beta)

 

p2. 5.10a R Lots of poor rock (see super topo for specific beta)

 

P3. 5.11b OW (if you like OW's This thing was CLASSIC!!, and hard!!!)

 

p4. We accidentally gained Liberty crack here by taking the farthest right, L Facing corner which I believe is pitch 7 or 8 of Liberty crack. Classic none the less, I believe we were suppose to continue straight up after the OW though.

 

P.5-8/10 ish - Liberty Crack

 

P.9/10ish - (Back onto Freedom Rider) From the tree with a ton of tat (Not super helpful I know) at the end of p.9 exposed traverse on Liberty Crack look up to see a bad 1/4inch bolt. Just look at it, grimace and then don't touch it.Look high to spot a 3/8's button head. Walk/scramble up the ledge (left of 1/4 inch) 10ft-ish then stand up into a THIN R facing corner and on a good stance. Look across right and spot the newer 3/8 button head. This is the 5.7 Traverse to the dirty 10 that leads to the medusa roof. These 10a/b pitches were of the grade but very dirty and runout/difficult to protect.

 

P.11 to the top - Climb the medusa roof, a wild pitch!

 

P.12 As Super describes the Anchor options are poor above the roof,take your time and hunt for a good anchor as the rock is really bad here.

 

p.13ish - go right of the last stance, awesome 5.8 ring locks to a commiting step across take you to sandy slabs.

 

p.14- top. There is some 5.6 -ish stuff and trees for 30ft then mostly 3rd/4th class to the summit.

 

Descent: Rappel the standard Liberty Bell Descent to blue lake TH.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gear Notes:

Gear:

We enjoyed having,

Standard double rack to 3

 

items that may not be in your standard rack that we enjoyed having

 

Micro cams X2 (grey, purple tcus)

Micro nuts X1

# 4 Camelot X2

#5 Camelot X2

# 6 Camelot X1

(We're not super hero OW climbers, yet. So we were stoked to have these pieces and felt it was mandatory for aiding the crux. We'll get it next time!)

 

Approach Notes:

Approach:

 

Standard E Face Approach. There is a moat and about a 100 ft +/- of snow (depending on how you do it) to get to the base. Ice axe didn't feel necessary to our group. Be weary, the moat is overhanging and undercut in places. Be careful and make conservative decisions getting in the moat. There is a small stance that felt ok, at the base of the corner (p1). (though surley it will change in the coming weeks).

Edited August 9, 2013 by sgreg

[climbingsolo]

nice work man. thats a stout route

[layton]

leapfrogging cams up that OW is exciting

[Blake]

If you don't like off width cracks or just don't want to carry those big cams, the original corner option to the left protects well and the slab traverse is really just a couple moves rightwarda blank face at a fixed cam. This keeps the whole thing in the 5.10 range and you just need gear to a 2 or 3 camalot.

Edited August 10, 2013 by Blake

[Micah Faville]

ehhhhhhhhh