All Locations > Washington > Northwest Region > Hwy 20 & N Casc… > N Cascades > Washington Pass > Liberty Bell Group > Liberty Bell

Liberty Crack (Free)

Name: Liberty Crack (Free)
Rating: 3.4

5.13b YDS 8a French 29 Ewbanks IX+ UIAA 30 ZA E7 6c British

Routes in Liberty Bell

L › R R › L A › Z

	A Servant To Liberty T 5.13 8a 29 X- 30 E7 6c
	Beckey Route (SW Face) T 5.6 4c 14 V 12 S 4b
	Dark Side of Liberty T 5.13+ 8b 30 X- 31 E7 7a V9-10 7C+
	Freedom or Death T 5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a
	Freedom Rider T 5.10d 6b+ 21 VII+ 21 E3 5b R
	Girl Next Door, The T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a
	Independence Route, The T 5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a
	Liberty and Injustice for All T 5.12b 7b 26 VIII+ 26 E5 6b PG13
	Liberty Crack T 5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c C2
	Liberty Crack (Free) T 5.13b 8a 29 IX+ 30 E7 6c
	Liberty Traverse T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a
	Live Free or Die!™ T V5+ 6C+
	Northwest Face T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a
	NW Face Var. (Remsberg Variation) T 5.10d 6b+ 21 VII+ 21 E3 5b
	Overexposure T 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c
	Rapple Grapple T 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c
	Serpentine Crack T 5.11 6c+ 23 VIII- 23 E4 5c
	Sidewinder (Southwest Corner) T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a
	Thin Red Line T 5.12 7b+ 27 VIII+ 26 E6 6b

Order Wrong? Sort Routes

Type:	Trad, Alpine, 1200 ft (364 m), 12 pitches, Grade V
FA:	FFA: Brooke Sandahl, 1991. FFA, current variation: Mikey Schaefer, Shanjean Lee, Blake Herrington & Nathan Hadley, 2017.
Page Views:	5,217 total · 65/month
Shared By:	Nathan Hadley on Sep 3, 2017 · Updates
Admins:	Jon Nelson, Micah Klesick, Zachary Winters Page Updates (admin only)

You & This Route

5 Opinions

Your To-Do List: ·

Your Star Rating:
Rating

Your Difficulty Rating:
-none- Change

Your Ticks:Add New Tick

-none-

Explore this route in 3D

Use onX Backcountry to explore the terrain in 3D, view recent satellite imagery, and more. Now available in onX Backcountry Mobile apps! For more information see this post.

Access Issue: Washington Pass Fire Closure Lifted Details

Washington Pass Climbing was closed on 8/15/23 due to the Blue Lake Fire until further notice. On 9/7/23 this closure was reduced in size. On 9/22 this was reduced again, opening all WA Climbing Routes. For remaining closures, see:
fs.usda.gov/alerts/okawen/a…

Access Issue: Seasonal Raptor Closure at Newhalem Crags March 1st to mid-July Details

Peregrine falcons select nest sites on cliffs in the Upper Skagit Valley, including the Climbing Management Areas of Newhalem West (Ryan’s Wall) and Newhalem East. As required in the NPS Superintendent’s Compendium, these areas will be closed to all public from March 1st to July 15th of each year, or until the young falcons have fledged or NPS staff have determined that nesting will not occur on a specific wall during this period. Access Fund, Washington Climbers Coalition and NPS partner on a volunteer raptor monitoring program to determine nesting activity. Contact the NPS and/or WCC for updates.

Description

Liberty Crack was originally freed by Brooke Sandahl in 1991. Mikey Schaefer, Shanjean Lee, Blake Herrington and I somewhat collectively created a new free variation to the bolt ladder. Brooke originally climbed the bolt ladder directly, but this has since seemed to have crumbled under years of aiding. Needless-to-say, the route's new free beta has finally settled, and a handful have sent as follows. Props for to Brooke being well ahead of his time. Some strong climbers in his day supposedly tried this thing and couldn't do it, and it stood unrepeated for over 20 years!

P1: 11-, same as original.

P2: Lithuanian Lip, 13b (my suggestion). Fun 11- climbing in a corner leads to a scrunchy and powerful traverse to finger locks above the lip. Lock it in, high step to the lip, grit your teeth and stab to a good lock. Keep it together on 12- moves to a small stance below the bolt ladder. Use a triple length sling to make a belay out of a high and low bolt.

P3: The new free variation of the slab pitch, which differs from how Brooke Sandahl originally freed it (up the bolt ladder, which now seems blank), moves right before the bolt ladder. Clip the higher belay bolt, move right across sloping ledges, mantel, and execute cruxy foot step ups. Move back left under a hand rail feature to the belay above the bolt ladder. 5.12.

P4: same as original P3. 11+, with a thin crux before reaching the small roof.

Protection

Single rack from purple c3 to #3 BD, with a few extra in the tips to fingers size, maybe red c3 to .4 BD, and stoppers. 8 long and 1 triple length sling for slab pitch belay. All belays are fixed.