It's a well protected, 5.9, 3 pitch route on Lower Brother with a short approach (then you scramble up 2 pitches). It's in the Reid guide, on MP, and will be in Erik's new book. It even has a man eating bear story attached to it. Great! Got to check it out! 3 pitches on Sunday morning and home for dinner! or so we thought...
Rack = doubles to 3, plus single 4 and 5 (could take extra small gear for finger splitter and 2 #4s for other cracks if you want to sew it up)
First time seeing the Valley from this angle. Weather is so splitter!
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 View from base of AF Credit: Ed H |
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MP says go 100 yrds to Lower Brother toe
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 Lower Brother toe Credit: Ed H |
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Then walk up and right from toe
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 up and right Credit: Ed H |
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Take a left at first major ramp system. AF starts about 250 ft up with some 4th and 5th class scrambling. We lucked out and there was a team ahead of us. Route finding just got easier - at least for a while (they smoked us on P2!)
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 Credit: Ed H |
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 Credit: Mark Thomas |
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Looking down on P1 belay
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 Half way up P1. Locker resoles!! Credit: Ed H |
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Exiting the P1 chimney - 5.7
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 P1 = 5.7 chimney Credit: Ed H |
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Start of P2. This pitch is a rope stretcher - maybe 190 ft. Starts with 5.8 hands, goes to 5.9 fingers, and ends with more 5.8+. Awesome - we mini pitched it...
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 AF P2 start Credit: Ed H |
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So splitter!
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 So splitter! Credit: Ed H |
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Upper section of P2
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 Upper section of P2 Credit: Mark Thomas |
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 P2 finish Credit: Ed H |
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The 3rd pitch is the business. Maybe 130 ft. Starts with chimney moves, protected by large gear, then transitions back to jams/lie back/face - very 3 dimensional and wild. Woot!
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 starting P3 Credit: Ed H |
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 AF P3 Credit: Ed H |
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The crux up close
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 Pushing the #5 Credit: Mark Thomas |
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MP says: To descend, first climb up another 200-300 feet (some 4th or easy 5th class) to the base of the upper headwall, then descend climber's left down Michael's Ledge. There isn't much of a trail and almost no cairns, so use your best judgement as for when to get off the ledges.
We would add - stay close to the headwall. Budget an hour plus back to the car...
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 Descent Credit: Ed H |
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 Sentinel Credit: Ed H |
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 Skink or Lizard? Credit: Ed H |
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 near Eagle Creek Credit: Ed H |
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A great adventure route! Get on it! This time it was Absolutely (French) Free, but we'll be back to get it done in good style, and probably rap if no teams below.
Recommended reading - Absolutely Free to Hawkman's Escape TR
http://www.supertopo.com/tr/Absolutely-Free-to-Hawkmans-Escape/t322n.html
