Mount Bute 1986 Foweraker-Serl Line Free Climbed

Blake Herrington and Madaleine Sorkin have free-climbed the original route up the 600 metre granite wall in BC’s Coast Mountains. The west face of Mount Bute was first climbed in 1986, Foweraker-Serl, 5.10, A2. “The West Face was first climbed in 1986, just a few months after I was born. In a week of high-alpine drama, the BC-based team of Don Serl and Greg Foweraker claimed the FA of the line (2,000′ 5.10 A2) while the Washington-based Fred Beckey and Jim Nelson arrived literally the same week to vie for the FA, and settled for the 2nd ascent. In the intervening decades, the line had seen a single repeat, as another Canadian team had tried to free the line, but suffered a big July snow storm on route which left the wall soaking. Nevertheless they described the West Face as better than Half Dome or Lotus Flower Tower,” said Herrington.

Herrington and Sorkin graded the route 5.12, with most pitches being 5.10 and 5.11.

Check out Herrington’s photos and trip report here: http://blakeclimbs.blogspot.ca/

http://aaj.americanalpineclub.org/2010/07/canada-mt-bute-school-of-rock/