Freedom or Death, Liberty Bell III or V 5.12a

Washington Pass, Washington, USA

Currently 5.0/5

Avg time to climb route: 2-4 hours(4 into LibertyCrack)

Approach time: 1-2 hours

Descent time: 1-2 hours

Number of pitches: 14

Height of route: 400' or 1,200'

Overview

Freedom or Death is a four-pitch bolted route; the pitches are rated 5.10b, 5.11c, 5.12a and 5.10. It provides an alternate start to Liberty Crack, and can be a great way to free climb Liberty Crack as it skips the 5.13 sections of that climb. Freedom or Death involves difficult but well-protected technical face-climbing. The going gets
a little spicier when you traverse back to Liberty Crack.

Photos - View all 1 photos of Freedom or Death as: Thumbnails | Slideshow

Climber Beta on Freedom or Death

There are currently there are no beta messages posted for this route. Be the first!

Find other routes like Freedom or Death

Route History

Majka Burhardt and Eli Helmuth made a repeat of Thin Red Line (TRL) in September 1996. When fixing the first few pitches, Burhardt and Helmuth found one pre-existing bolt on the direct line and great climbing straight up to the Pitch 1 anchors they had just replaced. They returned to replace the crux bolt, added a couple more on the pitch, and then redpointed the regular/direct 5.10c start to TRL. This route bypassed the terrible traverse pitch described in Beckey’s book. Then in August 1997, American Alpine Institute assigned Helmuth to a one-week aid climbing course with a client who was looking to expand his big wall and aid skill set. After a day of aid practice at Fun Rock in Mazama, they began climbing TRL with Helmuth leading and the client top roping the aid pitches. Helmuth rebolted Pitch 2 anchors on TRL and left their lines fixed to the top of Pitch 4 of TRL.

After spending a few days up there, hanging out and checking out the slab to the left where Freedom or Death (FOD) goes up, Helmuth decided to free-climb through that section of the wall. They created the first two pitches of what would become Freedom or Death, which were equipped at 30m and 60m in length. Helmuth redpointed Pitch 1 after it was equipped and came within one fall on a couple of tries at redpointing the second (crux) pitch. He completed the traverse pitch under the roof and into the end of the thin crack on Liberty Crack. After fixing ropes to the ground again, they returned, jugged back to above the Lithuanian, and free-climbed the rest of the way up Liberty Crack for an 5.11+ & A0 first ascent of Freedom or Death.

Helmuth returned in September 1998 to lead Pitch 2 free with Paul Butler and Larry Goldie. Helmuth recalls that “they were tired after the crazy enduro 5.12 slab,” and so opted out of finishing via... [full history for SuperTopo members only!]

Sign In or Join SuperTopo (it's FREE!) to read the complete route history, the recommended strategy for climbing this route, and useful tips should you need to retreat.

Everything You Need to Know About Washington Pass