The Starcastle Rock Climbing
Elevation: | 9,538 ft |
GPS: |
39.25819, -105.10033 Google Map · Climbing Area Map |
Page Views: | 14,309 total · 52/month |
Shared By: | Richard M. Wright on Dec 31, 2000 |
Admins: | Leo Paik, John McNamee, Frances Fierst, Monty, Monomaniac, Tyler KC |
March 1st-July 31st: Devil's Head Rock, Sin City, & Recovery Wall are closed for raptor protection. The vast majority of the other crags are unaffected by the closure. Please visit:
fs.usda.gov/alerts/psicc/al… for additional information and maps.
fs.usda.gov/alerts/psicc/al… for additional information and maps.
Description
The STARCASTLE is the highest crag on the hill in the Devil's Head climbing area, and the one sporting the most obvious turret-like crags that look from a distance like the spines on the Devil's head. Overall, it is a little less steep than The Red Wall and tends to run into a bit more moderate climbing. The Starcastle also presents several brilliant cracks that are largely done on trad gear, so don't forget to bring the trad rack. All of the routes can be done with a 60m rope, but most are right on at 90ft or so. The largely vertical face climbing is on good alligator edges, although some big corners and some small roofs, and overlaps await. Many of the FAs on the Starcastle are difficult or impossible to identify. Once again, the whole Head Crew was hard in action simultaneously on most of the routes. Tod Anderson, Tom Hanson, Richard Wright, and Rich Magill spun in most of the bolts, while Tom Hanson battled incrementally up the trad cracks, cleaning as he went.
Getting There
From the Zinn Overlook, take a faint trail to the right, through the woods for 100ft or so. Then head directly up hill by a very indistinct trail. You want to hit the main yellow wall above on the right side to avoid the large blocks in the talus field below. As you negotiate your way left (South) down the Starcastle, you will first encounter Scott Sill's "Pig's Nose" (a fine line) on a separate turret. Further down hill and on the next turret you come to Alan Nelson's trad crack "Silver Winds" (also good, but lacking a top anchor). Scramble over some large blocks and at one point down-climbing a fixed rope for 15 ft. The routes begin before the rope descent and continue Southward along the face and downhill. A rough map can be found in "The Devil Made Me Do It".
Classic Climbing Routes at The Starcastle
Mountain Project's determination of the classic, most popular, highest rated climbing routes in this area.
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