Climbs

References

[1] https://fanatic-climbing.com/il-etait-une-voie-once-upon-a-line-dreamcatcher/

Originally climbed as an easier variation of Salathé Wall, avoiding the hard crack pitches on the headwall, Freerider is now one of the most popular free routes on El Capitan.

There are two common variations that make up the crux of the route, The Boulder Problem at around 7c+ sport or 7B/+ boulder or The Teflon Corner at around 7c sport. The boulder problem is short, technical and crimpy while the teflon corner features extremely technical smearing. While the rest of the route is seldom easy the other notable hard pitches are The Monster Offwidth and The Enduro Corner.

Dan McManus on The Monster Offwidth:

Left side in! The first time I climbed this pitch I had been told that it was crucial to climb it with a specific side in the crack, but I couldn’t remember which side. I guessed right side, I was wrong, but I did miraculously manage to chicken-wing my way up by the skin of my teeth. In doing so I removed the skin on my tricep which oozed for the next few days and made further offwidths very painful. [1]

References

[1] https://danmcmanus.blogspot.com/2016/03/a-guide-to-freerider.html

The first 8c+ in the USA.

References

[1] https://open.spotify.com/episode/30qPube60E0HHtsSacKlHF?

One of the eight ‘last great problem’ projects listed in the Derwent Grit guide. [1]

Jerry Moffatt did all the moves, Johnny Dawes top roped it in a oner, Ron Fawcett was hovering, but it was Andy Pollitt who tied into the sharp end, jumped through the crux and wobbled through to the top – narrowly avoiding a disastrous fall when he slipped on the final sloping ledges.

The route was first climbed on the 2nd of March 1988 by Andy Pollitt and graded E9. The pre-clipped 'hand-held' peg used on the first ascent was later discovered to have actually been placed with a 'hand-held' hammer. [2]

The grade of a given ascent depends on the particular gear placements used. The first ascent and early repeats used a peg in a slot high on the left. Later repeats used a cam in a good slot at half height, that requires a traverse to access. Some people have combined the cam and the pegs, some people have used neither!

References

[1] The others were Dharma, Gaia, End of the Affair, Kaluza Klein, Soul Doubt, The Screaming Dream and The Groove.

[2] https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2010/10/ryan_pasquill_flashes_knockin_on_heavens_door-58563

Around 2019 some pebbles broke on the crux holds making the problem slightly harder.

Previously called the Black 90 project a reference to Jade which was called the Green 45 project before it was climbed.

Lou Ferrino in to Trigger Cut.

Previously considered 8B until new knee bar beta lowered the grade.