Route: Liberty Bell - Beckey Route / SW Face (North Cascades)
Mountain Information:
- Name: Liberty Bell
- Region: North Cascades
- Summit Elevation: 7,720 ft / 2,353 m
- SummitPost:
- Peakbagger:
- WTA Link:
- Mountaineers Link:
- Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest
Driving Directions:
- Trailhead:
- Address: N Cascades Hwy, Winthrop, WA 98862
- Elevation: 5,200 ft
- Pass: Northwest Forest Pass
- Directions:
- WTA:
"Approaching from the west, drive 42.1 miles from Newhalem on Highway 20 and find the trailhead on the right. If you pass the Washington Pass Overlook, you have gone too far. A privy is available at the trailhead."
- Food
- Road condition
- Weather forecast
- Avalanche danger forecast:
Route Information: Beckey Route / SW Face
- Approach from Mountaineers:
- Follow the Blue Lake Trail about 1.5 miles to a small meadow. Locate the climbers path left, just after a small stream. Follow path up through slabs, talus and meadow to below the gully descending from between Liberty Bell and Concord Tower. The path splits. Keep left, heading up to the Liberty Bell Concord Tower notch, 7,300 ft. The gully is usually snow filled and can be icy until late June. Rockfall is high after snow melt.
- Ascend from Mountaineers:
- From the tree about 30 feet below the notch between Liberty Bell and Concord Tower the first pitch begins. Traverse left and up a low fifth class gully, chimney past ledges and small trees to a belay at the base of a steeper chimney.
- The second pitch climbs a 5.5 chimney to large ledge. A excellent variation for the second pitch avoids the chimney and takes face climbing (5.6) left and then up to rejoin the standard route at the start of Pitch 3.
- The third pitch climbs low angle rock to a small roof where a finger tip traverse to the left (5.6) leads around the roof. Continue up and right on friction and a lay back crack around the corner to a ledge and good belay station.
- The final pitch begins with a 20-foot friction slab, 5.5. A short scramble leads to the summit.
- Descend from Mountaineers:
- From the summit, down climb and/or rappel the route until about 200 feet below the summit. Turn left (east) and downclimb through trees and loose rocks about 100 feet. Bear right, looking right across an exposed sloping ledge, two rappel bolts can be located on the steep wall. One double rope rappel or two single rope rappels reach the Liberty Bell-Concord notch.
- Summary
- Trailhead to Notch 2 hrs 2,100ft
- Notch to Summit 2-4 hrs 420ft
- Summit to Trailhead 3 hrs
Misc
- Videos:
- Trip Reports:
- Mountaineers trip reports
- CascadeClimbers trip reports
- Nwhikers.net trip reports
- Notes:
- “The Beckey Route” (also called South West Face) on Liberty Bell is the
most famous climb in the Liberty Bell Group and a alpine classic. It is a
well sustained 5.7 climb and, as the name suggests, pioneered by
climber Fred Beckey.
- Lots of traffic on the approach and on the route. Be careful of loose material in the gully.
- SummitPost route Description:
- Pitch #1: Ascend up an easy chimney (5.3) or to the left on a face with several spots for good protection (5.5). At the top of this, ascend some 5.0 slabs just past a small tree to the base of a harder chimney on your left. 80 feet.
- pitch #2: Climb up the 50 foot high 5.6 chimney then ascend up some 4th class slabs until you run out of rope. Establish a gear belay below the section with the chockstone. 130 feet.
- Pitch #3: Climb up to below the chockstone then traverse to your left by moving your fingers as far over as you can in a horizontal hand crack. Now make a long step over unto good foot holds (avoids the 5.6 move). If you smear and grab it is 5.6. Continue up and to your right on an easy 5.4 crack. Establish a belay below the crackless slab. 110 feet.
- Pitch #4 - Climb up the 12 foot high 5.6 friction slab moving up and to the left. There is a pocket in the bottom right hand corner for a bomber pink #.5 tricam placement. Belay your partner up. 40 feet.
- Scramble 4th class slabs up to the summit. The rap route is directly down to the high point of the notch. It can be done in 2 sections with 2 60 meter ropes. There is some 3rd class downclimbing between the stations. Move down and to the west to find the second set of rap slings. There are also intermediate rap stations, so only 1 rope can be used.
- With a single 60m rope: To get to the first rappel station down climb a short section from the summit towards west and on your left you will see slings on a tree. From here you can rappel to the second station. This rappel avoids the class 3 down climb described in Beckey's CAG. The second rappel station has two good bolts on solid rock. From here rappel to the third station. There are actually two trees with slings, the higher one being the better one. From here you can rappel somewhat diagonally to the notch between Concord Tower and Liberty Bell.
- Essential gears: Cams .4 to 3 inches, Set of nuts, 6-8 24" slings, 2 48" slings for natural pro, 50 or 60 meter rope.
- To reach the climb (~2.5mi), hike up the Blue Lake trail until it breaks into a small meadow and begins to curl east toward the lake. Branch off left on a climbers trail that ascends boulder strewn terrain to the base of the gully between Liberty Bell and Concord tower. Ascend the gully to the prominent notch between Liberty Bell and Concord. This gully is loose and unpleasant; be extremely careful of parties above and below you and wear a helmet if you are ascending beneath someone. The start of the Beckey route is about 30' below the notch. Look for a small ledge leading left and traverse it to the base of a blocky chimney. This is the start of the first pitch.
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