Type: Sport, 40 ft (12 m) Fixed Hardware (4)
FA: Mike Brooks (All your routes rock!!!!)
Page Views: 2,744 total · 11/month
Shared By: Ken Trout on Dec 27, 2002
Admins: Leo Paik, John McNamee, Frances Fierst, Monty, Monomaniac, Tyler KC

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Description Suggest change

Climbers on Free Speech, 5.12a.

This old photo of the Whales Tail needs updating but remains as an aid for orientation.  Free Speech is a short 5.12- party trick on slippery river polished rock.  

THE START

5.9+.

Climb directly up to a single bolt (5.9-).  The bolt is clearly visible from the trail and easily stick clipped too.  The next move is a 5.10-  undercling and then a slippery face up to the old ring-angle piton under the roof.  Back up the pin by stuffing a purple/0.5 next to the left side of the pin.  Your fingers will be in the way!  (going left at the ring angle is the gear placing crux for the route "M".) 

SETTING UP FOR THE CRUX DYNO

5.12a.  

From the "rest" under the ring angle, clip the second bolt.  Use a left toe hook, deep under the roof, to help with the hard undercling move up to the horrible sloper.  The next move is the crux.  Launch a dyno rightward to a pistol grip that is both comfortable and secure for the next clip.  Both feet cut loose after reaching air speed.   The feeling of success when regaining foot control is what makes this route so fun.

CLIPPING THE THIRD BOLT

Pistol grip. After clipping the third bolt, your left hand goes into a deeply incut finger-bucket. Get the feet up as high as possible. Paw at the lip with the right hand, then launch a mini dyno to a hidden pot hole (about 15 degree right of vertical).  That ends the important business.

REACHING FOR THE POTHOLE 

Hard to on-sight because you can't see the mini-pothole!

FIRST ANCHOR

This is where Mike Brook's original line ended.  Short, sweet, and easier to clean via lowering off from this anchor.  Don't try to clean via rappelling because the route traverses too much under the roof.

EXTENSION

Two more bolts protect more fun face climbing up the remaining headwall and then leftward to the anchor on "M".    Maybe five-ten-ish.  Before heading over to the "M" anchor, climb up a bit to find a cam that will safely protect the follower (#1 C4 or thereabouts).

Protection Suggest change

Nine bolts including both anchors.  Use the first anchor to protect getting to the last two protection bolts.  A purple #.5 C4 to back up the ancient ring angle is a must.  Maybe a #1.0 or #.75 to protect followers.  It is almost impossible to clean the pitch and not pull outward on the ring pin.

Free Speech can be cleaned from either Mike's lower anchor or the "M" anchor (two massive glue-in bolts with chains on a ledge).  From either anchor here is a lot of rope drag for lowering and cleaning but rap cleaning is more dangerous.   All the protection bolts are 1/2 inch stainless.  

Not falling onto or otherwise endangering innocent hikers requires a bit of crowd control and waiting.  Instead of blocking the popular trail please keep the rope close to the cliff and stash packs just a bit downstream at the big boulder.  

Photos

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