Thin Red Line Washington Pass

[dac33]

Hi,

I'll be in the USA at the end of June with a week to spare. I was hoping to climb in Zion, but have been told it will be too hot. The Thin Red Line has been suggested, but I can't find a topo on the web. Does anyone have a URL to one please. (No guidebooks in the UK to it.)

 

I'd be climbing it solo on aid over three days, assuming that's a sensible thing to do. On supertopo they have a few pages from their guide which makes the descent sound dangerous alone with a haul bag on your back, and suggest down climbing at one point as there are no good anchors to rap from. This sounds worrying, as I'd have problems with 5.0 will all that crap on my back.

 

Any thoughts from anyone who has climbed/hauled it would be welcome.

 

Thanks.

 

PS. I've soloed walls before.

 

 

[dac33]

PPS. And what's the chance it will rain most the week? Thanks!

[telemarker]

thin red line

[ivan]

thin red line is certainly doable as a solo aid climb, though I bet the upper pitches would be a bitch if you're alone and hauling anything - some feller on this board I seem to recall did it solo in just a few hours, though that sounds like mutant shit to me

 

our weather's usually pretty stable and dry in june, but it certainly can rain - I'd expect plenty of snow at the base (which can make getting on route tricky, as well as setting up a solo anchor) that time of year - it's a north facing route too, so be ready for it to be a bit chilly (don't knock it though, when it gets warmer the mozzies come out like solid-gold mother-fuckers )

[ivan]

if you're into aiding walls, consider the upper town wall routes at index (like town crier and green drag-on) and some of the cool pinnacles of Oregon (monkey face at smith rock, steins pillar, turkey monster in the menagerie)

[ivan]

also, zion might still work in june, especially if you did a route w/ a lot of shade like prodigal sun. if you get too sun-blasted you can always chillax afterwards by doing a super-icy canyoneering romp

[Sol]

I was also going to suggest upper town walls at Index.

 

If you do get on Thin Red Line, I would do your best to avoid nailing as it is just as popular these days as a free climb. Though roadside, TRL is going to have some alpine characteristics to it that may be right up your alley or might be more then you want to deal with. Snowy approach, possible moat issues, once the "wall" portion of the climb is done a moderate 5th class finish that would be hellish to haul, and a straightforward though alpiney descent. That being said, the views and the environs up on that wall are all time.

 

Lots of bigger stuff a bit north at Squamish including Uncle Ben's, Cowboys and Indians, etc..

[DPS]

 

On supertopo they have a few pages from their guide which makes the descent sound dangerous alone with a haul bag on your back, and suggest down climbing at one point as there are no good anchors to rap from. This sounds worrying, as I'd have problems with 5.0 will all that crap on my back.

 

 

 

 

The down climb on the descent that the guide book mentions is a short down climb above a big ledge. You could lower the haul bag to the ledge and then down climb to it. If you solo the Thin Red Line, the descent should not cause you many problems.

[obwan]

dac33 - there is lots of stuff on Google, try "Thin Red Line Cascades". Here's just one of many - http://www.supertopo.com/rock-climbing/North-Cascades-Liberty-Bell-Thin-Red-Line

[dberdinka]

Have rope soloed more aid climbs than I care to admit I'm not sure Washington should be your destination of choice. TRL is a nice route but hauling on it is a total nightmare. Your bags will get hung up constantly and the low angle stuff at the top and the involved descent will consume tons of time. Fix and fire or just fire is the way to go, Index is ok for practice but the walls are short.

 

If you can slip into Canada Squamish would definitely be the place to be in N.A. and you will definitely have the aid route of your choice to yourself. Not a lot of clean routes but Uncle Bens is the classic moderate clean wall and is plenty big. A somewhat obscure extension of Cannabis Wall called Strange Brew offers miles of thin nutting and some very exciting flake traverses. With a light pin rack 10 Years After is a beautiful A3 line. Sheriffs Badge is the real deal if that's what you're looking for.

 

From Seattle, Squamish wouldn't be much more of a drive than Washington Pass.

 

In June the weather in Squamish can blow and Washington Pass MAY be a reasonable backup plan. But again I wouldn't haul the full big wall accouterments up there if you can at all avoid it.

[dac33]

thin red line

 

I have googled it, but I still can't find a topo with aid grades on it. Maybe you have had better luck, if so please send the URL.

[obwan]

You'll have to get a copy of Selected Climbs for any usable beta.

https://books.google.com/books?id=O6trUIvYfU4C&pg=PA245&lpg=PA245&dq=thin+red+line+cascades&source=bl&ots=hupNYeWlPc&sig=6El7MtchhoeO-8onhr8tQ-8mzRI&hl=en&sa=X&ei=pTZbVf-_JNPioAT0l4HoCw&ved=0CEcQ6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q=thin%20red%20line%20cascades&f=false

[telemarker]

thin red line

 

I have googled it, but I still can't find a topo with aid grades on it. Maybe you have had better luck, if so please send the URL.

 

Like Sol and others have said, it's pretty much a free climb with free grades, meaning clean, straightforward aid placements should be anticipated. And like others have warned, and i can attest, there's a whole lot of lower angle, wandry 5.8 climbing near the top that would make hauling a nightmare.

 

 

[dac33]

Thanks guys.

 

Looks like I'd be better off to head to University wall et al. at Squamish, and hope it doesn't rain.

 

 

[telemarker]

Or how about this... you could solo aid TRL up to M & M Ledge (P7) over two days, bivi on the ledge, though it is sloping and full of loose rocks. Rap back to the base. There are fixed anchors from the top of pitch 5 to the ground. Then, spend a day and a half solo aiding Liberty Crack next door up to top of the rotten block. Fixed anchors will get you back down.

 

 

Edited May 19, 2015 by telemarker

[dac33]

Might it be possible to camp on P7, then blast to the top, rap back to my stuff, then rap to base? Or it is not the ground to rap on and be able to get the rope back!

[dberdinka]

You could do it pretty easily. May need to leave some stoppers near the top for anchors or a sizeable piece of cordage. Fixed descent below Pitch 7. You said you wanted an aid climb, TRL is still half free climbing 5.9 and under.

[dac33]

You said you wanted an aid climb, TRL is still half free climbing 5.9 and under.

 

Thanks. Open to other routes with more aid. But clean aid it at all possible. Ideas please.

[Pete_H]

You have a really good chance of getting good weather in squamish in June. It's been a dry winter and spring too so current weather trend is in your favor.