Type: Trad, 120 ft
FA: John Long and Brian Pottorff, November 1971
Page Views: 598 total · 4/month
Shared By: Roger Linfield on Feb 2, 2006
Admins: C Miller, M. Morley, Adam Stackhouse, Salamanizer suchoski, Justin Johnsen, Vicki Schwantes

You & This Route


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Description

This is an enjoyable face climb, with intriguing footwork at the crux. As of 1999, a bolt had been added to this route, removing the "R" rating given to it in guidebooks. Climb the first few feet of The Shadow and then traverse right onto the face. Rappel from near the top.

Protection

4 bolts, plus one or two small pieces for the initial crack, and gear for the anchor on top

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Free Lance goes up the bolt line just to the right of The Shadow.
Free Lance goes up the bolt line just to the ri…
 1
Ron Hayes following "The Shadow", but this is about where you would head over to the right on to "Free Lance"...anybody recognize the climber walking down the trail? Is that Eric Ericksson? circa 1981
Ron Hayes following "The Shadow", but this is a…
 0
Rick on Free Lance
Rick on Free Lance
 0

8 Comments

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C Miller
CA
  5.10c
C Miller   CA  
  5.10c
This climb originally had only 3 bolts and older guidebooks reflected this fact. The newest guidebook (2001) shows 4 bolts, which indeed there are.

It's quite surprising that the added bolt (the topmost one) not only hasn't been chopped but surreptitiously made it's way into the newest guidebook and thus history. Sep 24, 2007
Adam Stackhouse

  5.10c PG13
Adam Stackhouse    
  5.10c PG13
Not to bad of a typical Suicide slabolicious environment... Jul 14, 2008
Ryan Strickland
Idyllwild, CA
  5.10b PG13
Ryan Strickland   Idyllwild, CA
  5.10b PG13
This route felt pretty sustained at low 5.10. There was always at least one move between bolts that demanded concentration. The most difficult moves for me were just after passing the third bolt. Oct 16, 2013
johannsolo
So Cal, now in Sandy, UT
johannsolo   So Cal, now in Sandy, UT
The "added" last bolt was placed too far to the left and is a little hard to clip. Great route though. The "Javelin" unprotected start goes up and left to get to the first bolt. Jul 7, 2014
dnaiscool
 
dnaiscool  
 
The route was not shown in Randy Vogel's "2 Ring Binder 'O Topos" published in 1980. This Vogel masterpiece was the very first set of topos ever published for Tahquitz & Suicide, and it came out two years before the yellow George Meyers topo guide to Yosemite Valley, which was also a first for Valley climbs. Not knowing what it was, but thinking it looked pretty good, I led "Free Lance" in '81...it was pretty stout, and when I saw it in the new red guide as a .10a...Sandbag came to mind. The right start is called "Javeline" and it sports some gear (up and to the right) protected .10c right off the ground. I think doing it this way makes the climb more consistent for the grade. Mar 23, 2015
johannsolo
So Cal, now in Sandy, UT
johannsolo   So Cal, now in Sandy, UT
Javelin is definitely not 10c as it is way harder that anything on FreeLance. Pretty much unprotected crux off the ground, 11a at least. I've led it a couple of times. Bring a pad or have a good spotter and don't fall. Nov 5, 2016
Tradiban
 
Tradiban  
 
Ok climbing for the first three bolts. Good holds will push you right to an unprotectable flaring crack (5.9) at bolt three, staying on route goes straight up to the 4th bolt but that felt pretty contrived to do so. Nov 14, 2016
Tradiban
 
Tradiban  
 
Redid this today, I think the crux is between bolt three and four, moving into it from a nice knob out right. Vogel and Gaines says it goes straight up from bolt 3 but I wasn't seeing it. Apr 16, 2017