Audrey on her first free solo

All Locations > Washington > Northwest Region > Hwy 20 & N Casc… > N Cascades > Washington Pass > Liberty Bell Group > S Early Winters… > S Arete (5.5 4b 13 IV+ 11 MS 4a)

Audrey on her first free solo

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Ridge Traverse

John on the knife-edge section of the South Arete.

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Shaun Johnson

May 26, 2016

“Audrey on her first free solo”

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Ridge Traverse

Audrey on her first free solo

John on the knife-edge section of the South Arete.

Exposed traverse on the South Arete of South Early Winters Spire

Location of new rap anchors. Skiers left of the old gully tree station. The route goes up to the left of this photo. Thanks to North Cascades Mountain Guides.

On Route

Down Climbing the South Arete

SEWS from the saddle

South Arete from SW Rib

S arete, options above the shark fin

Sharon Birchfield at the start of first pitch.

The start of the S Arete route,

Early Winter Spires. South Arete goes up the left skyline.

General view of the route, following the ridge that runs left to right.

Unknown mountaineer on summit.

Chimney on lower route

Looking down the chimney/gulley at the start.

The best way to cross the fin (which is the best part of the climb).

nearing the summit of SEWS

Looking back at my belayer having just crossed the sharksfin. Early June 2017.

Shadow of the South Early Winter spire in the valley.

Airy Ledge

Looking down at the hairpin turn from the traverse just below the summit.

Rapping to the base of the climb

A mostly unexposed, easy solo with a couple of semi-exposed spots. Here's my buddy Sam Haugh enjoying one of those spots on our quick ascent of SEWS while we waited for West Face of NEWS to go into the shade

south arete