Liberty Bell: A Slave to Liberty

Washington, Washington Pass
Author: Andy Anderson. Climb Year: 2016. Publication Year: 2017.

In early August, Mikey Schaefer completed a difficult new route on the Liberty Bell formation. A Slave to Liberty (450m, 11 pitches, 5.13-) climbs the first three pitches of Freedom or Death (5.10, 5.11, 5.11), then steps right to join Thin Red Line just before its third-pitch anchor. From there the route climbs eight new pitches (four of which are 5.12), with the crux 5.13 slab on pitch eight.

Parts of this line had previously been attempted aid-solo by Darin Berdinka, but the route remained incomplete. In 2015, Schaefer rope-soloed to the base of the crux pitch and then returned over several weeks to suss and equip the best line before forest fires forced him to abandon the project for the season. He returned in July 2016 and pioneered the final few pitches to the top through a series of roofs. After several days of equipping and top-roping, he made a one-day free ascent on August 6, leading every pitch with the support of Shanjean Lee.

– Andy Anderson, with information from Mountain Project



Media Gallery