Free Fall 

A fun and photogenic pitch on generally excellent holds. The crux involves a short section getting to the arete where the feet run out. The two bolts at the crux are very close and seem to be oddly placed. Clipping the second one is one of the hardest moves on the route. Perhaps it would have been better to have placed one bolt lower and out right in place of the 2.

I agree with Chris. Hard to onsight because of the location of the bolt at the crux. The bolts are literally 3-4 feet apart through most of the middle section, so it's hard to believe that one could be in a bad place... but yet there it is. As it is, the 5th bolt can only be clipped from smack in the middle of the crux... once the draw is hanging, it can be clipped by tall people before engaging the crux. For the onsight, the best option would be to skip the clip and finish the crux, then clip the 6th bolt, risking a nasty swinging fall.

Fun and short bouldery climb up a clean and aesthetic arete.

Excellent!!!!! The jug is good go for it!!!

I was thrilled to have onsighted this route a few years back. Before I went up, I decided there was no way I was gonna clip that one bolt till late and I was glad I waited. Good advice, so take it.

bobl

Since I'm a wimp, I clipped the crux bolt a little early. Actually, if you try clipping it one move before you naturally would, the right hand is bomber, and the clip isn't that bad. Seemed better than clipping after moving up and right of the crux, because doing so is pretty committing. Again depends on whether or not you want to take the fall down and left.

Nice route. Don't miss the little toe-in spot for your left foot at the crux.

Regarding the bolts along the overhang. Folks comment that the arrangement is weird and somewhat hard to clip. This is because I set up this otherwise very cool route alone during the winter of 1996. I couldn't find anyone (even Bonnie) to go up and belay me in the snow (and it was snowing), so I went up alone as usual, rapped from a tree on the upper ledge and set the ring anchors that are in use today. I pulled the rope, threaded the rings and rappelled to the talus.

Using a Petzl Shunt I climbed the route and marked the bolts without the luxury of a belay. At the crux, I blew out and fell away from the rock on the Shunt. I could not reach the wall again, so I thought maybe I could rappel with the Shunt by pressing in against the gate. I discovered that a Shunt is either on or off, you cannot rappel with a Shunt. So I fell free to the talus and landed on my back. I was just lying there with the snow falling in my eyes. I thought sure I was injured. I moved my arms, my legs, my head and seemed to be OK. I cautioned myself to be very careful getting up. "You cannot fall this far and be OK," I thought. But I was OK.

Now you know why the route is called FREE FALL. I went right back up and finished marking the bolts with spots of chalk. I soloed back to the anchors from Disinclination with the drill and set the bolts. This, I think, should explain why one or two of the placements are sort of hard to clip. A few weeks later, after it stopped snowing, I went back with Bonnie and led the route for the first time. I thought those clips were difficult too. It is still a good route, no?

Great story Richard. I love reading this kind of stuff. I'm sure you have more interesting FA stories (hopefully not too many like this one!) you could share on this website.

Richard's story is a prime example that one should always know how to use the equipment one is carrying, and that hanging on a rope is no place to experiment if you don't know how to use it properly.

I just climbed this today. Awesome route and my first 12a. I found the 5th bolt to be difficult to clip as well. I did notice there is a high foot out to the left (flat horizontal spot that's triangular) when you're moving into the crux. It's a pretty big foot but difficult to hold. Using it was the only way I was able to make that 5th clip.

I had trouble onsighting this route with the crux clip as well. (I thought it was clip #6 - the one on the face, above the sloping crack, right before you go around the arete.) My right hand was in the sloping crack, left hand on the little side pull and no feet... I discovered the crux clip is actually ok for a 5'7" climber with 0 ape index if:

Clip easier bolt #4 (I thought it was #5).
Left hand on farthest left chalked hold, sideways crimp pocket. Approximately 1 foot left of the sloping crack. Approximately 1 foot left of the vertical flake/edge.

Left foot flags out left.
Right foot finds a little pocket underneath.
Reach up and right about 4-5 feet to the clip, clip it. Reset body position, breath, clip rope.

Then reset left hand to vertical flake/edge, move right hand over on sloping crack and throw for jug.

Excellent route, Richard!

You can skip some of the clips and be OK. They are pretty close together.