[TR] Morning Star - Beyond Redlining 08/07/2022

[underscore_child]

Trip: Morning Star - Beyond Redlining

Trip Date: 08/07/2022

Trip Report:

The Trevdog and I climbed @Rad's route Beyond Redlining 10+ 11p last Sunday, real sunny beautiful day. Pretty stunning the amount of work that went into this and, honestly, the amount of quality pitches. Seriously good pluck Rad and Kurt. 

The story really starts in Mayish 2020 when Trevor climbed MHC with Rad to haul gear for this route, a tale related later to me as 'Rad was very confident it wasn't gonna rain. There was about 15 feet of snow at the base of the route. I did all the climbing in 15 minutes and fixed the rope for Rad to TR solo with a bucket of gear since he forgot climbing shoes. When we were on the summit, Rad was confident it wasn't gonna rain. I told him 'Rad look there's rain like right over there'. It dumped on us on the way out.' 

Trevor climbs one multipitch a year (a lifestyle known only to a rare few) and we picked Beyond Redlining as something that didn't involve a bunch of fucking annoying widgets and also that somewhat challenged us. Shawn and Kat joined in to do MHC on the same day and we started driving at 4ish. I blazed around an empty 405 for a while. Man, driving on an empty racetrack/highway at night is fun. We must've got to Sunrise Mine TH at 6:30 or 7? Shawn and Kat dawdled, as they like to do, Trevor and I started racing up the trail. I think we did the approach in like 2 hours even though Trevor led us directly off the trail for about 30 minutes. 

Some new friends on P1

We got to the base of the route at maybe 8ish behind some slow party (how the hell did they get there before us? For real, we were blasting all day long), watched them struggle on P1, eventually enjoyed the weird slab of the intro climbing. I linked P2-3 some classic cascadian choss (a phrase I've used about 13 times too many in the last week) but with shiny bolts! Trevor linked p4/5. We weren't too impressed with the climbing so far. 

Me on P2

Side o' Sperry and Baker in the horizon

I led P6 the first 10+ pitch which actually had a very engaging and unique crux sequence over a bulge, and very clean as well. P7 was an easy romp over another bulge, then we waited for the party in front to struggle their way through P8. It took some thrutch to onsight that thing, as I discovered, some damn cool steep 3d climbing that we'd be lucky to have at some crag in the exits! And honestly, I thought pitches 8 through 11 were all f'ing brilliant. A variety of steep exposed headwall climbing with a different style of crux each time: P9 a pumpy high step on an overhanging face, p10 a rad step around a bulge and some Mazama-esque crimps, p11 the 10d slab/fingerlock crux and a final juggy headwall..... sooooooo good. 

Me following P7 maybe?

Im guessing this is P9

We summited at 1 pm (5 hrs on route) to no sign of Shawn and Kat, who we then met at the last pitch anchor for MHC. We rapped with Trevor leading us to the wrong anchor and downclimbing a dirty ledge to the next ones, scrambled down, raced down the approach, got back to the car around 5ish. 

Some dumbass summit pics

Overall, that route's gonna change a lot with freeze thaw as so many of the jugs are gonna go. But right now it's awesomely fun with literal tufas to grab! And so much steep climbing! Great for a pair of sport climbers who hangdog 4 days a week in the steepest confines of the Exits.

MHC and descent gully

Sperry 

Gear Notes:
Buncha draws

Approach Notes:
Sunrise Mine TH

[underscore_child]

And the end of the story is Rad bailed on Trevor and my invitation to the Actual Cave the next day....

[wayne]

I’m becoming more familiar with the once a year multi pitch lifestyle myself unfortunately, good one guysAlso I’ve heard those pesky drytool guys are taking over the negative anyhow...

Edited August 14, 2022 by wayne

[underscore_child]

Heh, they can have the negative for now if they wanna slog up there, but I'd talk to Erich and Josh before they go too crazy...

[Rad]

Nice! Glad you enjoyed the route. Compared to most Cascade mountain routes, BR is quite solid and should hold up well over time. Time will tell.

I really appreciated Trevor's support to get the gear in place for me and Kurt to complete BR in 2020. The approach valley was all snow that day, and Trevor scampered up all of it in his tennis shoes and shorts. All I cared about was that it wasn't raining on the ascent. Rain at any other point wouldn't stop us. If I told Trevor it might rain would he have kept going? Now I know the answer is probably yes.

I was in the Olympics last week. Sorry to miss you at the crags. Hope to climb with you guys sometime soon.

Keep on sending! 

[underscore_child]

Time indeed will tell. Might be going up to Helms Deep next week, a place you might enjoy, I'll shoot ya a text