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Yosemite’s Liberty Cap Goes Free

The Southwest Face of Liberty Cap in Yosemite National Park saw it’s first free ascent May 31st, when Cedar Wright and Lucho Rivera established a new route, tentatively named Mahtah (5.13a)

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Rivera and Wright during their free ascent of <em>Liberty Cap</em>. Photo courtesy of Cedar Wright ” />The Southwest Face of Liberty Cap in Yosemite National Park saw its first free ascent May 31st, when Cedar Wright and Lucho Rivera established a new route, tentatively named <em>Mahtah</em>. Wright and Rivera’s new line is a free link-up of the established aid routes <em>Original Southwest Face</em> (5.9 C3), <em>Direct Southwest Face</em> (5.10+ A3+) and <em>Bad Moon Rising</em> (5.8 A2). The route is reported to be 16 pitches and Wright and Rivera have described it as “borderline 5.13a.” </p>
<p>Liberty Cap is located south of Half Dome adjacent to the Merced River and the 594-foot Nevada Falls. The formation was first climbed via the <em>Original Southwest Face</em> in 1969 by Warren Harding, Galen Rowell and Joe Faint. <em>Mahtah</em> begins on the first two pitches of the <em>Original Southwest Face</em> and then traverses over to <em>Bad Moon Rising</em>, an aid line established last October by Josh Mucci, Steve Boque and Ezra Allee. Wright and Rivera’s new line then joins the <em>Direct Southwest Face</em> for a roof pitch, re-joins <em>Bad Moon Rising</em> and ultimately finishes on the <em>Original Southwest Face</em> to the summit.</p>
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