Star Chek
5.8+ YDS 5b French 16 Ewbanks VI- UIAA 15 ZA HVS 4c British
Avg: 3.5 from 397 votes
Type: | Sport, 400 ft (121 m), 3 pitches |
FA: | prepped: Ron Goldstone 1994-1995. FA stolen by Kevin Mclane and Sig Isaac 1995 |
Page Views: | 94,895 total · 602/month |
Shared By: | Drew Brayshaw on Apr 17, 2011 · Updates |
Admins: | Mark Roberts, Mauricio Herrera Cuadra, Kate Lynn, Braden Batsford |
Description
There are three to four pitches depending on how you split the route up. Generally done as a short pitch, long pitch and short pitch.
P1: 20m 5.7, 4 bolts. Start left of the toe of the arete, at a ledge above the high-water mark. Climb up and right to the crest of the arete and a belay ledge.
P2: 40m, 5.6, 9 bolts. Climb on and just left of the crest of the low-angle arete, past an intermediate station used mostly for single rope rappels with short ropes, to gain a big ledge and a 2 bolt anchor (no chains) at the base of a short clean dihedral.
P3: 25m, 5.8+/9-, 3 bolts. Climb the slab dihedral just right of a blank corner. The crux is immediately obvious past a short overlap and is done with a bolt at the waist; the rest of the pitch is 5.7. At the top, hook back left to the belay ledge and bolts in the trees.
A 5.10c variation to this last pitch climbs to the left, around the corner, to the same upper belay location.
Location
7/2019 Update: see the latest comment below. The rappel bolts are removed, and hike-in improved! Basically hiking to the base is mandatory now.
Instead, approaching from below is advised. To do so, continue driving north along Highway 99 until it’s possible to park in the large, paved pullout/picnic area near the bottom of the hill on the west side of the road. From here, hike south back along the highway until above a large talus slope. Descend it with caution before curving south through a gap in the forest. Pop out at a series of small crags where the buttress of Star Chek becomes visible directly ahead.
Carefully work across the scree and then down toward the base of the climb near the river. Fixed ropes provide protection to the base of the crag and should be visible before you start crossing the scree. There is a relatively solid trail higher up on the scree near the base of the crag leading down to the fixed ropes; if the terrain becomes too loose for comfort you're probably going down the hard way! Regardless of how you approach, be very mindful of the loose rock.
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