Dark Star  5.10+

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Type:  Trad, 11 pitches, Grade IV Consensus:  5.10+ [details] FA:  Zeilman & Rees, October 2011 Submitted By:  Vic on Oct 22, 2011 You & This Route  |  Other Opinions (2) Your todo list: Your stars: Your rating: -none- [change] Your ticklist: [add new tick]

Pitch 6.

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2013 Raptor Closures MORE INFO >>> Serpent Point and the adjacent walls within one-half mile are closed to public use from March 15 through July 15. This includes the landscape portions above the walls extending 50 feet from the rim edge. This pertains to the following areas: North Rim areas - The Alpine Aretes, Porcelain Arete, and Painted Wall. These climbing routes are closed: Alpine Route, Porcelain Arete, On the Border, Broken Porcelain, Northern Arete, Beyer Route, The Dragon, The Serpent, Forrest-Walker, Stratosfear, Journey Through Mirkwood, and Southern Arete. South Rim areas - Dragon Point and Dragon Point Buttress. These climbing routes are closed: Pilgrimage, Crumb Blunder, Magic Dragon, Black Adder, Black Snake, Black Heathen, Black Dragon Rider, and Silent Rage. This information is a public crowdsourcing effort between the Access Fund, and Mountain Project. You should confirm closures, restrictions, and/or related dates. Keeping climbing areas open and conserving the climbing environment

Description 

Dark Star is a quality climb that stays relatively sustained in the 5.10 range. With some beautiful pitches of face climbing, some fun cracks and amazing views of the Painted Wall, it is really worth checking out. The lower part of the route gets quite a bit of shade.

From the large terrace, locate the pillar leaning against the wall that leads up to a ledge with a large pine tree. This marks the start of the route.

P1 (40m, 5.8) Climb the OW on the right side of the pillar to the ledge above. Climb up to a stance and belay on a large block below the ominous looking peg groove.

P2 (40m, 5.10) This is wild pitch! Get a high piece up and left of the belay, then move back down and right. Bust some bouldery moves to gain the good feet along the bottom lip of the groove. Follow the peg up and right, past a bolt, to a short crack and a small ledge above.

Locate the large right-facing corner a couple hundred feet above. The next two pitches head towards the base of this big corner with a dark streaks to the left.

P3 (45m, 5.10) Climb wandering face and thin cracks which lead to a bulge. Stem through this bulge and belay at a stance below a large flake/ear feature.

P4 (30m, 5.10-) Climb the right-facing ear feature, which is wide at the bottom, to great face climbing above. Trend right and belay at a stance below the large right-facing corner.

P5 (25m, 5.10+) Climb the hands bulge into the thin, steep corner. When it starts to get really thin, move left to belay at a stance with a pin.

P6 (35m, 5.10+) Move up and left to gain the obvious hands/OW crack. Climb this towards the pegmatite above, then move back right onto the face through some hard moves to gain a long, narrow, granite ledge.

P7 (45m, 5.10) Climb the hands corner that leaves from the far end of the granite ledge. When the crack terminates in pegmatite above, move up and left to locate the large peg flake/crack. Climb this beast to a short finger crack and belay on a small stance with a bush.

P8 (25m, 5.10) This could be an easy pitch to get confused on. From the belay, resist the urge to move up and right on what looks like an easier groove/ramp. Climb the broken, thin cracks in pegish rock, leading up towards a large, left-leaning arch.

Start climbing up towards the arch, get a high piece and move hard left, traversing out onto the face until a thin crack is located. Use this thin crack for gear and face climb up until the crack turns to fingers. Belay at the first available stance or continue into the 9th pitch for a little ways.

P9 (70m, 5.7) Climb through easier terrain past a huge roof on your left. Run the rope out to the end and belay on top of the massive pillar.

From the top of the pillar, make an 80’ rappel to the terrace below. Pull the rope, and tie in again. Lead up some easier 5th terrain that leads to a knife-edge ridge. Straddle this thing and scoot across until you reach the terrace on the other side. From here, there are two long pitches up the headwall to the rim.

P10 (65m, 5.10) Climb the large, obvious crack corner/ramp leading up and right. Near the top of this ramp, take the left-leaning hand/finger crack. When the crack ends, face climb up and left to another crack system. Follow this to a steep hand crack and belay at the ledge above.

P11 (60m, 5.9) From the ledge, move hard left and slightly down, traversing across the peg band until some crack systems can be reached. Climb the series of bushy cracks to the rim.

Walk 20’ to the Dragon Point trail, out to the road and back to your car at Cedar Point.

Location 

Dark Star is located on the buttress directly below Dragon Point Overlook, facing northish towards the Painted Wall. To access the base of this route, park at Cedar Point Overlook, walk about 100 yards up the road and enter the oak brush on your right. Walk towards the mouth of the gully that is marked with a cairn. Descend through bushes and scree until it makes a sharp turn to skiers right. Scramble down slabs to where the gully turns sharp left. Continue to a short downclimb and a fixed rap over a chockstone, followed by more gully and a longer rappel (fixed or 2 ropes) After the last rappel, continue about 200 yards further to where a giant terrace with big pine trees moves up and left. Scramble up this terrace for a couple hundred yards until it flattens out and look for the pillar that marks the start of the climb.

Protection 

Standard double rack to #3, some tiny TCUs and RPs helpful, (1) #4.

Photos of Dark Star Slideshow

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Dark Star topo.	Dark Star buttress.	Cedar Point Gully approach.
Final pitches.	Looking towards the base of the Painted Wall.