The Needles

Greetings, friends. Last time I wrote we were getting ready to say goodbye to Yosemite. After a rest day, for our last day of climbing in the Valley, we both tackled some harder lines that we had been eyeing for a few days.

Thomas on a steep, sandbagged, and inappropriately named 11b at the Cookie Cliff

Moby Dick (10a) at the base of El Cap

Happy with our efforts and having maxed out the time limits for camping in the Valley we were ready to move on to the Needles. We had been talking for days about the drive that would take us through Bishop, California. Other than its proximity to lots of good climbing, there is one reason to visit the town of Bishop itself--the bakery. I had been scheming about what I would get there for days so when Google maps suggested an alternate route to the Needles that would save us about an hour but not take us through Bishop, I had some internal struggle as to whether I should even mention this fact to Thomas. Fortunately, we were on the same page. One extra hour for a wonderland of carbohydrates? Totally worth it!

Appropriately stocked with bread and donuts, we headed for the Needles, where the sign told us we were in the right place. For our chosen pasttime, finding the "end of the road" is typically a good thing.

The quiet of the Needles was a welcome change from the Disneyland-like atmosphere of Yosemite Valley. For those of you who have never been to the Needles, I could not recommend the place more highly. After a week there, with the opportunity to sample a good bit of climbing, the place is definitely in my "top five" and there are plenty of good climbs to justify a return visit.

A three mile hike from the campground gets you out to the Needles proper, where a beautiful landscape of steep granite covered in brilliant yellow lichen awaits. There is an intimidating and mysterious air about the place. To reflect this, climbers who developed the area have given the various formations befitting names such as the Sorcerer, the Charlatan, and the Wizard.

Since Thomas had been to the Needles before, he was appointed tour guide. And so, for my first climb at the Needles, selected the Pit and the Pendulum which culminates in a 5.10+ offwidth pitch. Perfect.

Fortunately, we'd put in our time on wide cracks in Yosemite and had our technique dialed. Thomas climbed up; I pulled through the crux on the gear that he placed.

The next day, I had the opportunity to lead my first climb at the Needles--Igor Unchained (5.9).

The climb follows the crack system to the sky, and after a few days observing, we decided that it sees about 90 percent of the traffic at the Needles. But, all the attention is certainly justified. What a great line.

The good climbing here is too numerous to list, but we spent our first four days climbing loads of good 5.9 and 5.10. Most of the climbs are two or three pitches and most of these pitches are LONG.

Thomas on Fancy Free (5.10)

Me leading the uber-fun second pitch of Spooky (5.9)

Thomas on Love Potion #9 (5.10a)

It is truly a beautiful area with beautiful climbing and a week was the perfect amount of time to spend there. It gave us a chance to really settle into the rhythm of the place.

Once again, we each had our eye on a line that would be challenging for us and we tackled these at the end of our week of climbing there, after we felt accustomed to the place.

Thomas on the Don Juan Wall (11b)

Thin Ice (10b)

Two beautiful lines that provided a perfect end to our time at the Needles--following splitter crack systems straight up to the summit. What more could a climber ask for? (Other than perfect summits in a remote setting, of course.)

We are headed north again, and hope to spend our remaining time doing some things in the backcountry, depending on how much snow has melted off in the mountains. Stay tuned!