Author Topic: Starr Struck  (Read 22529 times)

mudworm

  • Head Mistress
  • *
  • Posts: 1723
    • http://www.mxi2000.net
Re: Starr Struck
« Reply #80 on: September 20, 2021, 08:22:11 PM »
Thanks for your objective opinion, Brad!
Inch by inch, I will get there.

mudworm

  • Head Mistress
  • *
  • Posts: 1723
    • http://www.mxi2000.net
Re: Starr Struck
« Reply #81 on: September 25, 2021, 04:13:14 PM »
https://photos.app.goo.gl/hMK4UMvZH8ruE7Mh6

(Edited to embed the image)


Live posting from Starr Struck. Now, that has to be a first, right? Yesterday, I told Mr. Mud I’d live text Brad for a laugh, but why not up the game? Here we are,
 two mudncruders - Chris Henry and mudworm - topping out on Starr Struck after 2 hrs 40 mins. It’s living up to its reputation. We are having a blast. Thank you, Brad and Jim.  Oh, zero shwacking to get here from the Mono Meadows trailhead. Whoohoo!
Inch by inch, I will get there.

Brad Young

  • Grand Master
  • ***
  • Posts: 6664
Re: Starr Struck
« Reply #82 on: September 25, 2021, 05:56:27 PM »
Wow, I'd never have pictured Mudworm as a Mount Starr King type! Nicely done.

I clicked on the link and, as far as I can tell, it shows just one photo of someone leading pitch one? Am I missing some of them?


mudworm

  • Head Mistress
  • *
  • Posts: 1723
    • http://www.mxi2000.net
Re: Starr Struck
« Reply #83 on: September 25, 2021, 07:50:50 PM »
Now you know, I’m not any type!

Yes, you are missing something. Pretty sure that was the head wall on pitch two. It took me almost the whole route to upload a few photos, type my live posting, and then actually post because I was constantly in action.  :)

We are camping on the summit, as planned.  Watched sunset. Pretty rad.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/sBZzQvHR9CQ5bAWf6

(Edited to embed the image)
Inch by inch, I will get there.

clink

  • Meanderthal
  • ****
  • Posts: 4004
Re: Starr Struck
« Reply #84 on: September 25, 2021, 08:52:52 PM »

 Cool apocalyptic sunset.
Causing trouble when not climbing.

Brad Young

  • Grand Master
  • ***
  • Posts: 6664
Re: Starr Struck
« Reply #85 on: September 26, 2021, 05:25:02 AM »

Now you know, I’m not any type!

Yes, you are missing something. Pretty sure that was the head wall on pitch two. It took me almost the whole route to upload a few photos, type my live posting, and then actually post because I was constantly in action.  :)

We are camping on the summit, as planned.  Watched sunset. Pretty rad.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/sBZzQvHR9CQ5bAWf6


Man, kids these days! Sounds like you made the very most of the weekend.


mudworm

  • Head Mistress
  • *
  • Posts: 1723
    • http://www.mxi2000.net
Re: Starr Struck
« Reply #86 on: September 26, 2021, 11:41:34 AM »
https://photos.app.goo.gl/swvx5jALHAkyU7GXA

(Edited to embed the image)



The sunrise from behind Mount Clark.

The weekend is not over just yet. I’m live posting from West Face. We are doing fix and follow and today is my fix, so I have time to goof around.

Brad, you were being humble. The rock/route quality of West Face can not compare with Starr Struck. Ok, it does have its history going for it. Also it has a bit more adventurous and alpine feel to it if that’s what one goes after.

Starr Struck is really like Snake Dike, only without the crowd.

P.S. I just finished leading Pitch 4 of West Face by way of the 10a face. We went off the description on MtnProj, which was a copy and paste of the “ modern beta from mtnyoung on supertopo”. Brad, I have an issue with your usage of word “well” as in “Three more well spaced bolts protect climbing”. When I hear “well”, I think of happy well-being; here, 20-35 feet apart with a possibility of hitting ledges below does not give me that warm fussy feeling. I kept my cool and channeled my cats and got through it. Only brought the Starr Struck rack, so with natural anchors, I really had to space out my gear and forego slings at places. Full value. 5.8R above me. Hmm…
Inch by inch, I will get there.

Brad Young

  • Grand Master
  • ***
  • Posts: 6664
Re: Starr Struck
« Reply #87 on: September 26, 2021, 05:25:45 PM »
^^^

That shot of the sun coming up behind Mount Clark is 10/10. When you can you should post it here, and not just by way of a link.

Sorry you misread the phrase "well-spaced" bolts. But "well-spaced" does have a pretty distinct meaning and it's not the same as pleasantly spaced. Are those bolts still old, rusty quarter inchers like they were when I did the route? How did the rest of my description work?

mudworm

  • Head Mistress
  • *
  • Posts: 1723
    • http://www.mxi2000.net
Re: Starr Struck
« Reply #88 on: September 27, 2021, 11:35:23 AM »
Sorry you misread the phrase "well-spaced" bolts. But "well-spaced" does have a pretty distinct meaning and it's not the same as pleasantly spaced. Are those bolts still old, rusty quarter inchers like they were when. I did the route? How did the rest of my description work?

I can't quite decide if my reading comprehension deficiency this time was actually blessing in disguise or not. Not sure if I had correctly interpreted the phrase "well-spaced", I would have gone that way. Can't say I was blindsided by the runout nature of that pitch variation because I did read, before our ascent, an MP comment specifically calling it 5.10aR, but I still did not expect the wide spacing down lower with a potential ledge fall or the 30'+ spacing between the 3rd and 4th bolts. To be honest, I think I did know what you meant by calling it "well-spaced", but I twisted my mind to misinterpret it just so that I would not be intimidated by it. It all worked out.

The scarce bolts on the route -- 2 belay bolts on the top of Pitch 1 and 4 on Pitch 4 10a variation -- are all in good shape, the result of the 2012 bolt replacement effort.

I was a bit disappointed in myself that the route took us way longer than I had expected before hand. Mind you, Starr Struck took us 2 hrs 40 minutes (Chris leading all pitches with me following on microtraxions), but West Face took us 6hrs 45 mins bottom to top. That said, an MP comment mentioned 11 hours on the climb, so maybe I shouldn't be too hard on myself. Chris followed the route on microtraxions (as in the "fix and follow" system) at a normal speed, so the slow down was all mine. I don't recall going ridiculously off route (like I did on Pitch 9 of My Favorite Things), but I did have to consult with your description in the middle of my lead a few times due to my doubts about the direction to go despite having studied the description at each belay. That said, most of the time sink probably happened in those slab sections (esp. on Pitch 4) when I would really study the blank, often poorly protected, slab face to devise a plan before executing moves. It's funny how time sinks when one is just "thinking".

The description of Pitches 1-4 did match up, for the most part, with what we followed, but I was sure that I did not set up my belay stations higher up according to your description because my stops were purely dictated by what 2-3 pieces of gear I had left on my harness and where the least hollow cracks could be found when I was getting close to the end of our 70m rope. Both Pitches 6 and 7 were almost full rope length for me. I must have picked a wrong direction to head up on Pitch 7 before topping out.  With the exfoliating rocks -- flakes, corners, roofs -- everywhere, it appears that many climbers found route finding challenging on West Face, a common theme in folks' MP comments, but I doubt you can really do much better in your description. So, thank you for your description, Brad. In the end, it did get us to the top safely whether or not I followed it correctly.

Chris took this photo of me leading out onto the 5.10a slab variation of Pitch 4 protected by the "well spaced" bolts.


P.S. my recap of the weekend that I shared with others (mostly non-climbers):
This past weekend was my first backpacking climbing trip in 16 years. The destination was a hidden gem in the Sierra -- Mount Starr King. Had the dome/area to ourselves for the entire weekend even though the dome offers great scenery and excellent climbing. We drove out of the Bay Area on Saturday morning, backpacked in with water, dropped our pack at the saddle after going up and over the middle dome to avoid bushwhacking, and blasted up a new -- established in 2018 -- excellent climb called "Starr Struck" (5.8 8 pitches). We then carried our packs back up to the summit via "SE Face" (5.2, 3 pitches) just in time to watch the gorgeous sunset, almost apocalyptic due to the haze. Sunday morning, I got to witness a dramatic sunrise from behind Mount Clark from our camp on the summit. We went down and around the dome and climbed a historic old-school route called "West Face" (5.10a R variation, 7 pitches). The sun set during our long hike out and we made it back to the Bay Area early Monday morning, tired but content.
Inch by inch, I will get there.

clink

  • Meanderthal
  • ****
  • Posts: 4004
Re: Starr Struck
« Reply #89 on: November 21, 2021, 01:10:02 PM »


 Geoff Norris on Starr Struck. So good!
Causing trouble when not climbing.

clink

  • Meanderthal
  • ****
  • Posts: 4004
Re: Starr Struck
« Reply #90 on: November 25, 2021, 11:01:09 AM »




Geoff Norris on Starr Struck. So good!
Causing trouble when not climbing.

mynameismud

  • unworthy
  • Posts: 5972
    • Mudncrud
Re: Starr Struck
« Reply #91 on: November 25, 2021, 11:04:38 AM »
nice shot
Here's to sweat in your eye

clink

  • Meanderthal
  • ****
  • Posts: 4004
Re: Starr Struck
« Reply #92 on: November 25, 2021, 11:26:20 AM »
 
 Thanks, glad you can see it.

 I'm going to go back and try to get some of pics posted. I should have been posting up. If you all don't mind. Figure it will lessen the amount of time I will have to spend in climber's purgatory.
Causing trouble when not climbing.

Brad Young

  • Grand Master
  • ***
  • Posts: 6664
Re: Starr Struck
« Reply #93 on: November 25, 2021, 11:53:07 AM »
^^^

I can see that shot!!!

But about lessened time... can infinity be reduced?

Keep up the good work and we'll see what we can work out.

clink

  • Meanderthal
  • ****
  • Posts: 4004
Re: Starr Struck
« Reply #94 on: November 30, 2021, 07:02:49 AM »
 ^^^Haha, I just read your post Brad.
You know that when the snake disappears in the grass, it's not gone, but keeps eating things silently and in the future will appear again, only bigger. Might save that one for when things go derogatory on a friend.

 I modified the pic of Geoff and it is back. Ended up using Flicker, instead of Google f'ng Photo's

 
Causing trouble when not climbing.

clink

  • Meanderthal
  • ****
  • Posts: 4004
Re: Starr Struck
« Reply #95 on: November 30, 2021, 07:07:34 AM »


 More pleasure
Causing trouble when not climbing.

mynameismud

  • unworthy
  • Posts: 5972
    • Mudncrud
Re: Starr Struck
« Reply #96 on: November 30, 2021, 08:59:19 AM »
Nice
Here's to sweat in your eye

F4?

  • unworthy
  • Posts: 6172
Re: Starr Struck
« Reply #97 on: November 30, 2021, 09:38:59 AM »
Love the exposure!
I'm not worthy.

mungeclimber

  • PermaBan
  • ***
  • Posts: 6665
    • http://www.sonorapassclimbing.com
Re: Starr Struck
« Reply #98 on: November 30, 2021, 10:24:48 AM »
Plaisir climbing!
On Aid at Pinns... It's all A1 til it crumbles. - Munge

mudworm

  • Head Mistress
  • *
  • Posts: 1723
    • http://www.mxi2000.net
Re: Starr Struck
« Reply #99 on: November 30, 2021, 01:42:45 PM »
Brought back fond memories. Great route, great setting!
Inch by inch, I will get there.