Avg: 3.8 from 58
votes
Admin note: This route was originally named "Mountain Momma" and was known by that name for decades. In late 2022, the first ascensionist, Denis Udall, decided to rename the route to Estrellada. In his words, "I’d like to rename the route Estrellada, which means starlit in Spanish, in honor of the fact that we summited under a star lit sky. It’s a more dignified and appropriate name that acknowledges the Hispanic roots of the mountain range."
Claimed to be one of the best 5.10 routes in the Sandias. Most of the climb is on clean rock, with a few loose sections, as goes the Sandias. See attached topo for more detailed climbing beta.
Pitch 1 (5.10a): Climb up to a ledge to the right of the dihedral. From atop the ledge, clip the bolt, and move left into the dihedral. Follow the dihedral up, eventually following a protectable crack to the left. Follow to a hanging belay.
Pitch 2 (5.10a): Some face climbing to a bolt leads to a right facing dihedral. After finishing the dihedral, climb up and to the left through some ledgy sections, eventually gaining the anchors on a nice belay ledge.
Pitch 3 (5.10c): This is the pitch that makes this climb what it is! Climb up and slightly right, and through the bulge. You can clip a fixed pin below the bulge and add a 0.4 or 0.5 Camalot just before pulling through it. After the bulge, continue up some ledges to a nice hand crack. Follow the hand crack and pull through a roof section. Clip the anchors. There are two crux sections on this pitch, over the overhang and going up through the crack. Some believe the overhang is more difficult, others believe the crack is more difficult. Take your pick!
Pitch 4 (5.9+ or 5.9): I thought this was the worst pitch on the climb, mostly because I really like cracks and not disconnected and run-out face climbing. There are two variations, both of which I have done, and the first is the one I would recommend the most.
Variation 1: (highly recommended): Traverse low and left from the anchor, continue directly through a shallow alcove and underneath a small roof. There is a small detached block that rests between you and the crack. The feet are minimal and the hands can be difficult. Felt pretty awkward but solid. At the end of the roof is a crack that can be followed straight up. I placed a nut to pull the move then reached down to remove it after I placed some pro. This helps to eliminate rope drag. Continue up, clipping two fixed pins, and continue through meagerly protected climbing and route finding. You'll angle slightly to the right before moving left again and up to the anchors. A note of caution: from the belay station to the crack and solid pro is about 6 feet. There are no places to place pro while you traverse. This could cause the leader and/or follower to pendulum in case of a fall.
Variation 2: (not recommended): Though the initial climbing is probably more fun this way, you end up with rope drag from hell in combination with run out climbing. Climb straight up from the anchors through some fun 5.9+ climbing. Clip a fixed cam with a fixed nut not so far above that. After the fixed nut traverse left. You'll see a fixed pin below your feet but going down to clip it would result in impossible rope drag. You'll also see places to place meager pro (much of which I did not use because of fear of rope drag). After climbing high enough I did get some pro in. Move slightly right through a crack then back left to the anchors. If you really enjoy run-outs and heinous rope drag you should consider going this way!
Pitch 5 (5.9): Short, move up and right from the anchors, clipping a pin (the first time I did this route I clipped a pin, did not see it the second time; however, the pro is more than adequate) then gaining a nice ledge. Continue up and right from the ledge to a very large ledge. Build an anchor here.
Pitch 6 (5.7 or optional 5.10b): We did the 5.7 section. Climb up and right of a huge dihedral, continuing right up poor quality rock to the summit. Anchor from a tree. Although we considered the variation, we were not sure exactly where to go.
DESCENT: From the summit, looking down to the northeast face you'll see a half dead tree with some slings wrapped around it. Rap from this tree while angling north as much as possible. Once down, traverse north on grassy ledges to get to the first obvious couloir. Scramble up this, using a fixed line about 2/3s up. This gully ends west of the log structure you saw on your way in.
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The Dungeon, NM
Pitch 4 is not as bad (5.9PG13?), if you traverse left at the start (Var. 1). Typical Sandia face climbing, not as tough as Warpy Moople's p5. The route finding on this pitch is a little confusing, and don't pass up the gear placements you find or you might find yourself a bit runout. (edit 2018: with the fixed pin gone, you can get a small cam about the same place to protect the traverse, but shorties might have trouble placing it. I was tempted to do the straight-up variation of p4, but it's currently filled with birds and bird shit.)
With a 60m rope you can combine pitches 5&6.
The 5.10 finish variation for p6 is often missed, but is better if you still have energy. To get to it: on p5, after you make the airy move right (30' from the belay), angle left as much as reasonable, over top of the p4 belay, moving left of a prow, and look for a stance to belay. Look to climb through a small roof with a crack splitting it on p6. Aug 7, 2007
Los Alamos, NM
We pulled off a very large and loose flake right off the belay on P2. The flake was up and right about 6 feet from the bolted belay. It was dangerously loose. I don't think it changes the character of the route as it seems the way to leave the belay is up/leftish on nice finger cracks anyway.
For the hand crack section on P3 I kept bumping up the #3 camalot as I went. Some may want a second #3 rather than bumping up. But the crack is very secure so it's not super necessary.
There is no sling on the pin that protects the traverse out left to start P4. It's a reachy clip to get to it but not bad.
The pin to start P5 is still there (as Anthony mentions in the above description.) Although, good pro options exist around the pin anyway. Also, we linked P5 and P6 all the way to the top with a 60m rope and no serious rope drag (10' of rope to spare). We looked for the alt. 5.10 finish but couldn't find it. I ended up leading up a large corner system that is pretty much directly above the belay atop P4. Not sure if this is the original finish but it was fun and fine. Jun 9, 2008
Utah
Albuquerque, NM
We did the described rap from the half dead tree. But for less than stellar reasons, we scrambled up to the middle of the saddle that is north of Torreon. We then made a NW'ly ~80 foot rap from a ~one foot diameter tree on the saddle. After the rap and with some drop in elevation, we returned to the approach gully via an exposed but easy traverse (class 2 max?). I'm guessing this way took at least an additional hour to return to the log structure compared to going up the described gully. Please tell me we avoided a death-scramble up the gully. ;-) Aug 4, 2008
Austin, TX
Maybe I forgot to mention to Matt that after the rappel you are supposed to head somewhat right to get into the gulley. There is no bowling going on in the proper gulley unless maybe it is raining really hard or you have someone yelling epitaths at you and throwning stuff down the gulley at you all while questioning your manhood (competely different story). Though you may have avoided the boulder problem with the fixed rope?
I'm not sure of the saddle you ended up in but John K says that there is a good pitch or two of 5.9/5.10 that goes directly up to the log structure on the wall that sits above and slightly left of the top of the Torreon. Aug 5, 2008
Albuquerque, NM
Albuquerque, NM
I much prefer to traverse left just above the crux overhang. Much cleaner and aesthetic. Dec 12, 2009
Albuquerque, NM
Aurora, CO
Upon topping out, I walked to the true summit and found a well-slung boulder which allowed us to rap high into the notch and traverse into the gully about 50 ft. below the new fixed line. May 31, 2011
Traveling
Fort Collins, CO
Having never done the route before, we saw the shiny new bolt and got suckered this way. Is this someones new project or just someones folly. The bolt looks really new and bomber, which we found perplexing. Apr 29, 2012
The 505
Sounds like you just got off-route on Bitches Brew. That has happened to lots of folks.
W Apr 30, 2012
Albuquerque, NM
Albuquerque, NM
Albuquerque
The beginning of pitch 4 is exciting but not too bad (used a cam right next to the belay to not fall directly on it). I brought some micro gear in the hopes of placing it where the pin used to be but could not find any suitable spot (I also didn't know where it used to be).
Pitch 6 (the 5.7) was worse than I expected (worse than Warpy Moople's last). Twice almost pulled off a trunk sized boulder. The descent was pretty scary too with its loose dirt slopes ending in cliffs.
All in all this is a great route but next time I'll rap after p4 and hike out the 3rd class gully. This is probably faster (for me anyways), definitely safer and you wouldn't miss any of the good climbing. Jun 9, 2013
Austin, TX
I have always climbed the large left facing dihedral and that is really not that bad, not really sure what is out to the right of that but the rock is reasonably good in the corner and there are ample opportunities for protection.
When in the corner the 5.10 variation is pretty obvious about 20' out to the left on the face going over a small roof. Though I did not like it as much as the corner. Jun 9, 2013
Albuquerque
Eric: Don't think I'm at that level yet. But then again one could do a single pitch of Voodoo Child reducing the commitment.
Which of the two pitches is the better protected one?
Lee: That sound like a good idea as the left looked less loose. Do you know if one can still link the last 2 pitches going left, or does that make the rope drag to bad. Jun 12, 2013
The Dungeon, NM
Mtn Momma Pitch lengths:
P1: 100’ (anchor currently 5/2018 has no chains or tat. Voodoo Child p1 anchor is about this level).
P2: 140’ (rapping Voodoo p2 would be slightly shorter but still likely needs 2 ropes). Shared anchor has chains.
P3: 110’
P4: I wasn’t paying attention, but I’d put it at about 100’, with the Voodoo p3 anchor being slightly closer and more directly underneath the p4 anchor. (Edit 2018). Jun 12, 2013
Austin, TX
As far as rapping from the 4th. I've done MM with John K in 3 pitches, I want to say that we took a 70m and had to do a little simu-climbing to link the first 2, just up onto the ledge before you move left to the main line, not sure which pitch this means that you would come up short on though, if it was the 1, i.e.: getting to the ground it probably would not be that big a deal. Jun 12, 2013
Utah
If you are worried about the exit pitches on MM, you are not ready to lead Voodoo Child. But you could easily TR the second pitch from the nice ledge on MM. Jun 12, 2013
The Earth, Our Mother
Norwich, VT
Just did this route for the first time yesterday--ten stars, absolutely fantastic climbing in a beautiful setting. Conditions right now (late March 2017) are pretty perfect. A bit of snow on the "aspen-covered ridge" but nothing horrible, and all the gully scrambling was fine.
Also, I dropped a green C4 on the 4th pitch. Should be at the base somewhere. I'd definitely take you out to dinner in ABQ if you picked it up for me!!! Or just keep it, because I shouldn't be dropping gear.
Now onto the beta:
The Torreon approach beta is absolutely fantastic. We took the "lower" (alternate) way to avoid the down-scramble down the limestone ridge. It was super easy to follow, with minimal bushwhacking. Note, that trail heads north at the THIRD switchback, not the second (which makes sense, because heading straight at the second would be heading south). We dropped our packs at the cabin ruins (just a jumble of old, cut logs). The scramble down the gully is a bit loose and involved--took us a while but not really horrible.
First pitch--I found the top of the first pitch a bit heads-up and a little run-out to the bolts. Be prepared. Two of the three belay bolts are sorta old, and the left one's a spinner. I'd donate $$$ to replace.
Second pitch--DO NOT go straight up when you exit the corner system. There is bail webbing/tat and old pins above you when you pull through the roof to exit the shallow corner you've been climbing for the last pitch-and-a-half. This is NOT the anchor, and the rock around there sucks. Instead, definitely head up and LEFT (past a protection bolt) to reach the nice ledge with two bolts (can't see 'em until you're right under 'em). It looks harder than it is--climbing up and left is quite easy.
Third pitch--amazing climbing, and definitely memorable. I thought the roof was harder than the bulge, but my partner disagreed. Both amazing, fun, airy moves! No bat shit in the crack when we did it. Go get it!!
Fourth pitch--the traverse left is not that bad, but I accidentally started it a bit high. The "roof" in the description is at the level of the belay, not above it, and so you almost step down to begin the traverse. Stay low and you will be rewarded. Rest of the pitch is great. I almost went too far right at the top because of the description above, but just keep an eye out for the bolted belay.
We broke up pitches 5 and 6, mostly so we could chill out on the amazing ledge below the last pitch. Would be easy to run them together, but only if you're pressed for time, because that ledge is awesome. I thought the rock on the last pitch (5.7 var) is fine--a bit decomposing but nothing horrible; just your typical alpine top-out. The 5.10 variation looked sweet.
Current descent beta: Go all the way to the top of the formation. There is a slung block under a small pine tree (hard to see the slings, and slings could be replaced soon--we didn't have spare cord, stupidly). Slither under the branches to a good stance to set up the rap. Rap down into the gully below you, and then when you can, sorta tension traverse across the gully to the other side, by a large tree. (This will be obvious on your way down--you're just trying to end the rap without going ALL the way down that gully.) Collect your rope, and then step up onto easy ledges and traverse east-ish (there is a small cairn) to the big gully leading back to the log cabin ruins. First move in the gully is a bit heads-up, but easy. The fixed line move is HARD after a long day!!!
This was our first real Sandias climb. 10c is a very real grade here. Don't underestimate it. But it's amazing, so go do it! Mar 20, 2017
Albuquerque, NM
Also, I question the wisdom of renaming a classic route 45 years after the first ascent. Jul 3, 2023
Both Mike Roybal & Peter Prandoni were good friends of mine (what happened to them?). I climbed with Mike in the Valley. We did the Direct North Buttress on Middle Cathedral in the mid-1970s. He was one of the most awesomely talented and graceful climbers I've ever known. Concerning Mountain Mama, I was completely unaware that they were working on the route. I went up to Torreon to climb a shorter route, saw the bolts, and thought, "This looks cool. Why don't we try this instead?" I had no idea what I was getting us into. Some hours later after sunset we summited. It was a remarkably beautiful, clear, starlit night. Peter and Mike weren't too pissed at us for doing the FA, especially when I told them we had just lucked out. In a good-natured way Peter gave me hard time for evoking John Denver to name the climb. Of course, they had intended to finish the climb themselves, but there were no hard feelings. Those two were incredible climbers and I count myself lucky to have known and climbed with them.
"In supplement to both Dave Baltz's & Kevin Jaramillo's historical notes, it should be mentioned that Mike Roybal & Peter Prandoni did extensive reconnaissance work on Mountain Momma (at least to the top of P3) prior to Udall & VanWinkel's FA. In fact there was a sense at the time that they had more or less poached the route from this team, although to my knowledge no hard feelings ever attached to the deed ... (possibly because it was just so fortuitous?)." Mar 25, 2024