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Live Free or Die!™
Description
Live Free or Die!™ is an excellent boulder problem halfway up the east face of liberty bell, featuring a rather involved approach (3.5 warm up pitches) and a sustained 7-pitch cooldown, leading to an enjoyable topout (mantle optional) on the summit.
You may ask, "Why would you choose another route with "free" in the name, when there are already 2 of those on this wall?" But there are already 3 routes with the word "Liberty" in their names, and since this is 'Mericuh! and these colors don't run, you can't just be satisfied with only 2 "freedom" routes.
Live Free or Die!™ begins (and mostly climbs) shortly to the south/left of the Independence Route for 8 pitches up to M&M Ledge. , The final 3-4 pitches to the summit are best shared with the upper section of Thin Red Line or Dark Side. All LFoD belays are bolted.
P1-P3: 5.8, ,5.11, 5.11 Mostly on-your-feet bolted climbing past some overlaps in the V2-V3 range. A few cams will come in handy. Veer left at the top of P3.
P4: 5.11 V5 The #SidewaysDownclimbDyno crux of the route occurs about 30m into P4. Let's hope that the prior 300' of climbing were a good warmup. It is height dependent crimping but easy to pendulum through on a bolt if you forgot your crash pad. Finish via some excellent 5.10 and 5.11 face climbing which is shared with the original (aid and free versions of) Independence route's P4.
(Var. "The Alt. Right" - It's possible to avoid the crux and climb the whole wall via a steep plumb line no harder than .11+. Veer hard right to a ledge near the top of P3. This ledge is right of an early 90s-era bolt covered in silicon caulk(?) where LFoD & Independence converge. From this ledge, which was originally a belay on Independence, climb the runout quartz chimney above, then step right past 2 bolts to juggy flakes and a lieback. This is the Independence Route's easier free option for P4.)
P5: 5.11 Step right to a mostly bolted pitch, Where Independence climbs up/left via cracks. Finish with a few gear placements and pitons and a delicate v3 mantle shared with the Independence. The belay atop this pitch is a tiny stance. Best to link w/P6.
P6: 5.11c Step right (going high is easiest) to a flake, height-dependent v3, then continue directly up a thin crack system with small gear to a nice ledge below a huge roof.
P7: 5.11+ Climb left past a bolt to the weakness in the roof. Climb through the roof (V3?) , and follow 5.9 cracks to a bolted leftward traverse. Traverse left, then backclean and step back up and right to the belay.
P8: 5.10 Climb splitter hands to M&M Ledge.
P9-P11: Follow Thin Red Line (which has basically become the only way anyone finishes from M&M to the top). Rad easy V0 type climbing atop Liberty Bell! Extra style points if you climb the excellent splitter #3 camalot crack that starts 35m above M&M. Extra Extra style points if you climb the nice 5.11 crack pitch off M&M just right of where LFoD hits the ledge (P6 of "Dark Side of Liberty"). Subtract several dozen style
points if you bail from M&M ledge.
Location
Start up a bolted slab near the right side of the east face. Right of Thin Red Line, left of Independence.
Protection
Doubles tips to #.5
Singles #.75-#4
Small Wires
70m, numerous slings/draws
Routes in Liberty Bell
- 16Live Free or Die!™V5+Bouldering · Alpine · Trad