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The Infinite Bliss is supposed to be the longest "sport" route in North America. It's 23 pitches long rated IV, 5.10c and climb roughly 2600 ft.This web site has good description and the TOPO we used.

Tom and I started climbing from the base at 7am. We simul-climbed the first 6 slab pitches and pitches 15 though 17 (5.0-5.2). These easy pitches posses route finding problems but I don’t think it cost us more than half an hour. They were also most time consuming on the way down. All the more technical pitches (one of each 10a, 10b and 10c) are very well bolted and except the 10a provided fun climbing for me. Tom did enjoy the 10a which climbs a steep gully so it might have been just me being tired. The 10c was not harder than the 10b except one move probably the crux of the route.

By the time we both reached the top it was 3:30pm. It took us 8.5 hours to climb the route. I think we were pretty efficient and had only minor route finding problems.

We started heading down after only a brief break and 3.5 hours later we were standing where we started in the morning. Again we had some problems locating the anchors for the low 5^th pitches especially pitch #15 but other than that everything went pretty smooth and kudos to Tom for heading down first on most of the pitches and dealing with the rope tangles.

 

Gear: 2 ropes, 20 quickdraws, some anchor gear, 2 liter of water (I should have brought a bit more), food

 

Pitch #4 - 5.6 slab

Pitch #8 - 5.5

 

Starting up pitch #9 - 5.9

 Pitch #10 - 5.7

 

Approaching pitch #11 - 5.10b 

 

 Long way down - pitch #19 - 5.10c

 Delicate balancing on pitch#19 - 5.10c

 Belaying at the top of pitch #20 - 5.7

 The top of pitch #21 - 5.10a gully

 Tom and a cloud on pitch #22 - 5.8 that felt much harder

 

 Uncliping the last bolt on pitch #23 - 5.9 that felt much harder

 

 New rappel technique for the 5.0 pitches - it worked ok.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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"to share your love for climbing is a gift - write down your events" Alex Lowe

and now the magic question:

would you climb it a second time?

Good job guys and nice photos!

Sweet climb guys. Nice work!  :)

We talked about the climb on the way home and agreed that we didn't feel like the climbing was so awesome that we'd like to do it again. So most likely not.

Have you climbed it? Did you feel the same way?

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"to share your love for climbing is a gift - write down your events" Alex Lowe

Unfortunately, the clear cover over my camera lens cracked, so my pics are a little fuzzy.  But Jiri *was* on the climb.

The climb had pretty much one crux move on the 10c pitch which Jiri lead.  I cheated and stepped on a bolt and pulled on a draw to follow the move, indicating that it was well protected.  The rest of that pitch and the 10b pitch were thin face climbing.  Jiri was pretty happy to reach the top.

I could be talked into doing it again, but it wouldn't be my first choice.  I enjoyed Dreamer and Ultimate Everything more.

 

 

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It's your lead. Chop, chop.

jiri:

We talked about the climb on the way home and agreed that we didn't feel like the climbing was so awesome that we'd like to do it again. So most likely not.

Have you climbed it? Did you feel the same way?

 

Everyone I know who has climbed it (a lot of people) felt that way about it too.

Partially due to this feedback, I haven't climbed it.  Though I did participate in a practice rescue from 8 pitches up.

Wow! Thanks for the great pics!

-Sam
 

can't believe i missed this the first time:

New rappel technique for the 5.0 pitches - it worked ok.

 Way to use your bigwall technique, Tom!

 I think it beats tossing the ropes out, only to have them fall flat in a tangle 30 feet out and below...