The Starlight Dihedral

1. Scramble to the base, snowy in the early season and start on the left side of an obvious double dihedral - the right facing one with a hand crack. On the opposite side is a cool looking thin crack. Step up and through the pod and climb the dihedral to a nice belay ledge, below another awesome left facing dihedral. 35 5.10

2. Climb the left facing dihedral with cool face holds, crimps and occasional jugs on the left side (dark rock). After a small overhang at the end continue climbing up slabby thin cracks to a ledge where you can sling a big block and belay (right of the big OW, below a thin crack). 45 5.10-

3. Climb towards the OW and cut left around the arete towards the obvious flake. Up that crack system towards the left facing stacked flake system which seem to overhang at the top. 45m 5.10-

4. Step off the nice belay ledge onto the slabby face (left). Reachy left foot to a knob. There is pro and easier climbing up slabby cracks/flakes which will take you above the system and you will see the big slab on your left. The slab guards the giant dihedral that you were aiming for in the first place. You may choose to belay up there, or climb across the slab into the corner. 5.9+ (one move wonder) with 5.7 RX slab into the dihedral. 60 M.

5. Climb the obvious right facing corner. First pitch pulled a small overhang and went up. Save a #4s for a belay somewhere, or a #5. Walk them or w/e it is easy. 45 M 5.7

6. Continue in the same dihedral. The difficulty increases a bit. 45 M 5.8-9

7. SICK pitch of varied jamming from fists to hands, fingers, more hands, features on the face etc. Belay before the short overhang. AWESOME 60 M pitch. 5.10+ maybe.

8. One of the wildest pitches you may do in the mountains. The route finding is obvious, continue up the dihedral, pulling multiple overhangs. Belay on top of the gnar on the great ledge. To the right of you is an OW. 5.11 35 M

9. Climb 5.9R OW (it is not R if you bring a #6 cam, but do you want to?!), than either straight up the handcrack that becomes thin (5.11ish) or left over an overhang. Continue up another wide crack in the middle of the arete to a nice belay ledge, if rope drag doesn't F*** you. 50 M 5.10 or 11

10. Climb straight up good corner cracks and systems, mostly keeping on the left side of the arete. 5.10 40M

11. Do some 5th class climbing to the place where you feel ok unroping. Scramble off to the right, before the last tower. Or climb the tower! The rock looked like shit to us so we did not. The summit is a long walk from here...

NE Face of Mt. Hitchcock. The buttress with a giant dihedral that looks intriguing. One of the first ones if looked at from Guitar Lake.

Doubles from small to BD #4. Single #5. Or bring a bolt kit and make bolted belay stations in the dihedral where big cams are needed for an anchor...