Free Speech  5.12a

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Type:  Sport, 1 pitch, 40 feet Consensus:  5.12a [details] FA:  Mike Brooks (All your routes rock!!!!) Fixed Hardware:  2 Lead Bolts, 2 Belay Bolts [details] Submitted By:  Ken Trout on Dec 28, 2002 You & This Route  |  Other Opinions (8) Your todo list: Your stars: Your rating: -none- [change] Your ticklist: [add new tick]

Matching the left hand next to the right on the ho...

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Description 

After crossing the foot bridge go left about 100 feet, look for two bolts in overhanging rock. These two points from a line angling up right. If you get to the Monument Cave, then you've gone a bit too far.

Below and left of the first bolt is the Spoof ring-pin, kinda hard to see. (Spoof is the 5.8+, nicely river polished, strata traverse that Free Speech crosses)

From below the pin, climb 10 to 15 feet straight up to a slippery, unprotected, 5.10 undercling up onto a smeary left foot.

It is easier to start on Spoof. The downside is slightly increased rope drag. The upside is you get to clip another soft iron, lost arrow sized, fixed pin just ten feet up.

Getting to the second bolt is the sloper-crux-dyno to a pistol grip that is both comfortable and secure for the next clip. My feet always cut loose after grabbing the pistol grip. Because the dyno is sideways, the resetting of the right foot is a bit high impact and feels awsome as control is regained for the clip. I agree with the guide rating. It feels like an example of climbing that is harder than 5.11.

After clipping the second bolt, left hand goes into an sharply incut finger-bucket. Get the feet up AHAP. Paw at the lip with the right hand, then dyno (about 15 degree right of vertical) to a totally hidden mini-hueco that ends the business.

It used to be a single bolt anchor. I went through the permit process to get the second bolt in. The rangers told us no chains and use the least metal possible, so they are camo'd goldshuts. Please DO NOT FEEL OBLIGATED TO DO A DANGEROUS RAPPEL CLEAN. Just thread and lower. I'll take care of any worn metal.

Protection 

If you have a mega stick, then this can be the best protected twelve in Eldo or anywhere maybe. A crash pad could be used to "protect" the polished slab moves up to the ring-angle pin under the roof. The pin can be backed up with a #1.5 Friend. However, leave room for the fingers just left of the pin. Double bolt anchor.