The Needles

There's nothing quite like the feeling at the beginning of a climbing trip. You're excited about the upcoming adventure, hopeful that the weather will be favorable, and perhaps a little apprehensive about how you'll do in the face of adversity, which is sure to present itself.

Joe and I left the oppressive Phoenix heat the last week in July for a climbing trip in California's high country. He had received a two week pass from Jenny and we were off to do as much climbing as possible. Our exact destination was, as yet, unknown but it didn't matter. We were going climbing!

We planned to spend the second week of our trip in Tuolumne Meadows but the first week was up for grabs. We had several hours of driving before we needed to hone in on a specific destination. Should we go to Tahquitz, Whitney Portal, the High Sierra's, the Lake Tahoe area or some combination thereof? So many places to consider! I'd heard some good things about The Needles in the southern Sierras and made mention of this to Joe the week prior. We did a little research on the area during the first hour of the drive and decided to give it a go. The rock looked amazing and the weather looked good for the next few days.

My climbing gear contribution for the trip

The drive from Phoenix took us about 10 hours. Normally we would have gone west on I-10 to San Bernadino and north to Hwy 395. However, a flash flood in the desert west of Blythe had damaged some bridges on I-10 and we weren't sure how bad the traffic delay would be. The detour north to I-40 added about 30 minutes to the drive. We lost another 30 minutes or so when I missed the turn north on the Western Divide Highway just after Johnsondale. The signage was a little hard to see with dusk coming on and we were talking when we should have been looking. We finally found Forest Road 21S05 just a few miles after Ponderosa and followed this dirt road to a small camping area in a grove of tall pine trees. There was only one other party at the camping area. Score!

The Needles are a series of large granite spires on top of a narrow ridge that overlooks the Kern River in Sequoia National Forest. The elevation is approximately 8,200 feet. This is an ideal place from a trad climber's perspective; perfect rock, beautiful scenery, and no crowds.

The Needles from Dome Rock

The Needles - close up from Dome Rock

From Needles Lookout

The camping area was rather small and would be considered primitive by some. There were fire rings and picnic tables but no water. A pit toilet was located down the road a few hundred yards at the trailhead. Many of the climbing areas in Arizona have primitive camping so we felt right at home. The pit toilet was a major bonus!

The next morning we got up early, had a quick breakfast, and started the 3 mile hike to the climbing area. Mountain Project describes the hike as "a quick, scenic 3 mile hike along the ridge..." Perhaps. At 8,200 feet with a pack full of climbing gear it didn't seem all that quick. It was a nice hike though. The trail was in good shape and there wasn't a lot of elevation gain until just before the Needles Lookout. At that point the trail dropped down into a saddle and climbed back up to the base of the Needles Lookout. It was a bit of a slog but was tolerable.

Joe at the trailhead

A monster pinecone

The Needles Lookout is a Forest Service fire watch station. Apparently Marge, who used to man (er, woman?) the station, baked cookies for climbers. Unfortunately the lookout structure burned down a few years ago. Oh, the irony! No cookies for us. A faint climber's trail, located just beyond the base of the stairs at the Needles Lookout, leads to the rock formations. This trail was fairly well marked with cairns and wasn't too difficult to follow. We wandered around a little on our first day but it went pretty smoothly after that.

Joe at the stairs for the Needles Lookout

Needles Lookout - stairway to nowhere

We arrived at a small saddle between the Charlatan and Witch rock formations about an hour after leaving the trailhead. I was pleased that we had the place to ourselves. Our first order of business was to get our bearings and decide what to climb first. The rock formations were steep and intimidating. Getting on the wrong route here could mean leaving gear behind, as there are some really hard climbs and few bolts to bail from.

We chose one of the classic climbs on the Witch for our first climb. Igor Unchained is touted to be "one of the best 5.9's in the galaxy." Since I've only climbed on planet earth I don't feel fully qualified to comment on that assertion, but I do concur that it is a great climb. It's hard to believe that a climb this steep could go at 5.9+ but it does. Keep in mind that the ratings at The Needles are old school trad ratings similar to Tahquitz. If you're not solid at 5.9 trad climbing you're going to want to bring a lot of gear. This climb was physical!  It was a great introduction to The Needles.

With a 70 meter rope Joe and I were able to do this three pitch climb in two rope-stretching pitches. Joe led the first pitch and I led the second. It was helpful to have plenty of gear when combining pitches. We had doubles of BD camalots through #3 and one #4, a full set of BD C3's, aliens up through red, a set of stoppers and a set of offset nuts. We didn't use all of it but we would have been in good shape if we had to bail because of weather.

Igor Unchained with belays and anchor shown

Igor Unchained, 5.9+. It's steep!

Joe on the summit of the Witch
The Sorcerer (left) and Charlatan (right) are in the background

Brian on the summit of the Witch

The descent was pretty easy. A two bolt anchor at the top of the climb enables a single rope rappel down the north side of the formation. From there some easy down-climbing gets you to the ground.

After devouring a late lunch of PB&J sandwiches we did some scouting to figure out what climbs to do in the days that followed. On the hike out we ran into a big, fat rattle snake. It sounded off as we came to a bend in the trail. We had to leave the trail to stay safely out of striking distance.

There was still plenty of daylight left when we arrived back in camp so we drove a few miles down the road to Ponderosa. There's not much there. Just one building with a restaurant and a bar. The restaurant serves campers from nearby campgrounds, fire fighting crews, and the occasional climber. There's nothing better than real food after a day of climbing and this place didn't disappoint. Some people really enjoy cooking their own meals while camping. I'm not one of them. I'll do it if I have to but I'd much rather pay someone else to do the cooking. My focus on a climbing trip is climbing!

The next day we did another classic climb called Airy Interlude, which is just to the left of Igor Unchained on the Witch formation. Even though the rating is harder it didn't feel any harder than Igor Unchained. There was one tricky move on the second pitch but if you're paying attention you'll see what to do. Joe led the first pitch, which was a rope-stretcher. I got the second pitch, which ascended a right facing dihedral and then traversed right out an angling crack, which joins with the last pitch of Igor Unchained. It was an amazing pitch! Joe led the third pitch, which was the upper section of Igor Unchained.

Airy Interlude, 5.10a

Joe leading pitch 1 of Airy Interlude

Looking up pitch 1

Joe following pitch 2 of Airy Interlude

Joe on the traverse

Finishing pitch 2

Joe leading pitch 3

Joe finishing pitch 3

When we reached the summit we were welcomed by a few drops of rain. We decided that it was best to call it a day and save the epic for later in the trip. Many climbers stash their gear at the saddle between the Witch and the Charlatan to make the three mile hike in and out easier. We chose not to do so because we wanted to be able to pack up camp and leave if rain set in. We probably should have taken the risk and stashed our gear because it would have saved us a lot of energy. But we didn't and we're in better shape now because of it. That's the theory anyway, and it helps to rationalize our decision.  

We had plenty of daylight remaining so we explored the Needles Lookout on the hike out. As mentioned previously, it had burned down a few years ago. The stairway frame was made of steel so it survived. The building structure and steps were wood and didn't fare so well. The steps for the upper section had burned but we were able to transition from the last stair to the rock dome without any trouble. We got a few good photos from the top and could see the beginning of a forest fire to the north and west of us. Poor Marge was missing out!

Joe where the structure used to be

Looking eastward from Needles Lookout

Joe living on the edge

Forest fire to the north and west of Needles Lookout 

Smoke from the forest fire fills the valleys

We went in to Ponderosa for dinner again that night. The food proved to be good the day before so why not? When we got back to the campground we met our neighbors. They were a friendly family from Truckee and were celebrating their daughter's birthday. They had climbed a 5.11 route the day before so we knew they climbed hard. We joined them for a card game and enjoyed getting acquainted with them.

Rain was forecast for the following day so we decided to take a rest day. We drove down to see what the Trail of 100 Giants was all about. The trail wandered through a grove of huge Sequoia trees, the largest of which was 20 feet in diameter and over 200 feet tall. Amazing!

Brian next to a big Sequoia

One big tree

From there we drove down the mountain to Kernville, enjoying a refreshing dip in the Kern river on the way down. It had been pretty hot the previous two days and we were pretty grubby. It felt great to get cleaned up. We poked around Kernville and grabbed lunch there. It had a mountain town feel to it, with too many tourists. The temperature was in the 90's, and the river was packed with people. We were glad that we had cleaned up upstream. Based on the number of kids playing in the water my guess is that the concentration of urine was significantly higher downstream.

It rained pretty hard up in the mountains that afternoon. I love it when it rains on a rest day. It makes me feel like I haven't wasted a good climbing day. The ground was wet when we got back to camp but the important things, like sleeping bags, were dry. It was Friday and the campground population was growing. Three additional parties arrived that evening and the population rose to 13. We had another card game that night with our campground companions; John, Sidney and Elizabeth. They had climbed that day but had to battle rain in the afternoon.

The following morning we got a decent start but we weren't the first party to leave the campground. I was a little concerned that we might have competition for our climbs that day. When we arrived at the staging area between the Charlatan and the Witch there were two parties there already and a third party was right behind us. The climb that we wanted to do was a classic on the east face of the Sorcerer called Thin Ice. This three pitch climb is a compelling, physical route up the center of the Sorcerer.

The Sorcerer

Thin Ice, 5.10b

Since it is east facing this climb gets morning sun. We were warned by our friends from Truckee that it was much too hot to climb in the sun. We weren't too concerned about it. The temperatures here at 8,200 feet seemed pretty cool to us Arizona desert rats. We figured we'd climb fast enough to be done well before we ran out of water. It turned out that the temperature was perfect for us.

I led the first pitch, which is a steep, sustained finger crack. About halfway up the pitch forearm fatigue reared its ugly head. I was about 10 feet above my last piece of pro and had a decision to make; stop to put in a piece of pro and risk burning out my forearms or press on with the hope of getting the pitch clean. The latter meant risking a 20 foot fall. I was feeling pretty good mentally and the climb was steep enough that I knew I wasn't going to hit anything if I fell. I decided to go for it.

I committed to a cruxy layback move and had just about reached a good hold when my foot slipped. As I fell I my body started to rotate counterclockwise, heels over head. Not good! The fall was long enough that I had time to think...if I extend my arms over my head I can push out from the wall, protecting my head and speeding up the rotation so I can get my feet underneath me. It worked out perfectly. I did a full cartwheel in the air, pushing off the wall with arms extended when my feet were directly above my head, and was falling feet first by the time the rope became taught. I've never experienced anything like it. It was spectacular!

I rested for a few minutes and then re-climbed the 20 foot section to get back to the crux move. I knew exactly what I had done wrong and was able to execute the move without difficulty the second time. I did put in a piece of pro before pulling the move this time. No sense in having to re-climb that 20 feet again. The rest of the pitch was pretty straightforward. I reached the bolted anchor at the top of the first pitch and brought Joe up.

Thin Ice pitch 1

Joe following pitch 1 of Thin Ice

Joe at traverse on pitch 1

Joe finishing pitch 1

The second pitch has a reputation (on Mountain Project) of being awkward and difficult. It is a flaring corner system with a finger to hand sized crack in the back of it. Joe did an excellent job of leading this pitch and made it look pretty easy. The crux turned out to be getting into the corner system from the belay. Although it wasn't a cakewalk, we both felt that this pitch was really nice and doesn't warrant the negative comments it receives. It was pretty standard fare for a flaring corner. Put your right side into the corner, use your back against the corner, your left knee against the flaring wall to the left, and squirm your way up. It helps to have experience with "full body" climbing like offwidth cracks or awkward chimneys. Some people avoid this type of climbing but I enjoy the challenge. If you want to be a well rounded climber you've got to practice it.

Joe leading pitch 2

Joe displays excellent flaring crack technique

Joe gets a good rest stance

When Joe was about halfway up this pitch a climber from the party behind us arrived at the belay. This belay station was small, with a flake barely large enough for one person to stand on. I had to move over so he could clip into the anchor, which forced both of us to be in a hanging belay situation. The only way I could stay put was to push my left foot out against the wall and keep constant pressure on it. It required a significant amount of effort, with my core engaged, to stay in a position where we weren't on top of each other. I was pretty annoyed. It's common courtesy, at least where I'm from, to defer to the climbers above you and to give them room to breathe. He could have easily set up a belay in the crack below us. The whole situation just wasn't necessary. Lesson learned; next time I will be more direct and ask those following to set up a belay in an alternate location.

With a 70 meter rope Joe was able to combine the last two pitches into one long pitch. It was a rope-stretcher though. For a minute or two I thought I was going to have to move the belay up a few feet but Joe managed to tie off on a large pine tree with absolutely no rope left over. There was an option for a lower belay at a small tree but it was crawling with ants. It would have been another unnecessary discomfort so I was glad that he continued upward. I suffered through the discomfort of my crowded, hanging belay until Joe reached the top of the climb. Then I followed, cleaning this wonderful long pitch.

Joe resting at the summit of the Sorcerer

Brian relaxing after climbing Thin Ice

We took some time to rest and eat a PB&J sandwich at the summit. A double rope rappel landed us at the base of the Charlatan formation. There was still plenty of daylight left so we decided to do Fancy Free on the Charlatan.

I led the first pitch, which started on a water polished slab that led to a right leaning crack. The right leaning crack then transitioned to a nice vertical crack. This pitch ended on a small ledge. The description on Mountain Project says that the belay is bolted but it wasn't. There are plenty of good pro placements for a gear anchor though. This was a great post-lunch pitch because it was just hard enough to keep my attention but not hard enough to upset my full stomach.

Joe got the second pitch, which was the money pitch. It was a beautiful finger crack that took great pro. It was short but sustained. Joe did an excellent job of leading it and got the pitch clean. I followed, removing the gear and enjoying the amazing finger locks. There was one more pitch to get to the summit but we decided to rappel from the bolted anchors at the top of pitch 2. We had done the best two pitches of the climb and rappelling from here would get us to our packs more quickly.

The Charlatan

Fancy Free, 5.10b

Joe points out Fancy Free

 

Looking down pitch 1 of Fancy Free

Joe leading pitch 2 of Fancy Free, 5.10b

We were pretty well spent at this point so we decided to call it a day. This was our last day of climbing at the Needles and it had been the best so far.

Back at the campground that night there was plenty of activity. An old guy named Guy showed up. He was celebrating his 70th birthday and planned on spending the entire month of August there. He had the look of an old school climber. He wandered over to our camp site and asked to hear some climbing stories. I told him about my spectacular fall without elaborating on any of the details. He confirmed that he had plenty of climbing experience when he described, correctly, exactly how it had happened. We spent several hours listening to him tell stories of climbing at The Needles and Yosemite back in the 70's.

The following day we said goodbye to our new climbing friends and The Needles. It's a great place and I'd definitely go back. We drove out of camp and set our course for Tuolumne Meadows

Stay tuned for the next adventure...a week in Tuolumne Meadows!