Liberty Bell - Beckey Route
A dazzed Steve with Liberty Bell in the backround
This awesome day trip from Washington Pass provides about three pitches of enjoyable rock climbing. Start at the Blue Lake trail head at Washington Pass. Take the Trail through the woods up the basin towards Liberty Bell and ascend the gully on the left side of Concord Tower. At the notch descend across an obvious path towards a belay tree. This chimney, inside or outside of the chockstone is the first pitch (5.4). Climb until the dead white tree and ledge to begin the second pitch. You can either climb the crack right off of the ledge and up the flarring chimneys, or go around right through a blocky chimney. Both routes are about 5.6 and well protectable. Follow lower angle rock up to a big flat belay ledge with a tree. The third pitch (see picture) also has some options all ranging around 5.6. Climb easily through the blocky stuff and do the 6 ft finger traverse with out clipping the fixed pin! This pin needs about a tripple sling for it not to add to the already bad rope drag of the pitch. Now either continue to climb leftward under the triangular slab and turn a foot free corner up onto the open book slab. Beware of clipping the pin just past this crux move because the rope tends to get stuck and drag in the corner crack. Move over easy terrain to a large ledge with a c. 10 foot slab. This unexposed move is 5.5-5.7 depending on your height and is real fun move to finish the route off. Above that just scramble to the summit!
Descend via the class 3-4 ledge system with trees just below the 5.7 slab move to rapp bolts. From here it is simple two single rope rappells back to the notch.
The first pitch
The third pitch