Discussion Topic |
|
This thread has been locked |
Wayno
Big Wall climber
Seattle, WA
|
|
The Needles is such a cool place, and there is some good climbing there too. I happened to be there one summer years ago and can remember hitch-hiking into the park and camping out stealthily(I think it was no camping?) and eating berries and some warm beer and stale bread but still marveling at what a magical place it seemed like.
|
|
steelmnkey
climber
Vision man...ya gotta have vision...
|
|
BrassNuts has great ones, but he is currently in Arizona climbing with some other tacos.
He's actually in Arizona watching it rain at the moment...
|
|
Crimpergirl
Sport climber
Boulder, Colorado!
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Mar 8, 2010 - 09:57am PT
|
Hahahaha! Yeah, I got the tragic news of the rain there. Meanwhile, for the first time in months, it was sunny and 60 in Boulder. Tell him to post his cool Needles photos!
|
|
Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
|
|
I remember great times in the Needles.
Not all of them warm.
|
|
andy@climbingmoab
Big Wall climber
Denver, CO
|
|
The Needles is where I learned to climb - I grew up in Rapid City. The Black Hills have weird micro-climates, so you can basically always find somewhere pleasant to climb. I've climbed at Rushmore in a t-shirt on New Years Day, and in the Cathedral Spires in a sweater on the 4th of July.
The Black Hills Needles and the Gunks are by far and away my two favorite cragging areas anywhere, though the Needles would win if I had to choose one. The climbing is so varied there. Rushmore has tons of great sport climbing from 5.4 to 5.14 and the huge bouldering area at Old Baldy on really interested smooth granite. The Needles have a good mix of sport and trad routes on much coarser grained granite with enormous weird quartz crystals - in addition to the many famous death routes there are new good sport areas, well protected trad climbs, and iconic bouldering. There is also so much adventure climbing and new route potential if you hike into the boonies at places like the Playground, Elkhorn Mountain, Calamity Ridge, etc.
Aside from the granite, there is a lot of wonderful limestone sport climbing in the central and northern hills, and even some good sandstone bouldering in the central hills. With Devils Tower an hour away, The Rapid City area has some of the best and most varied cragging you'll find anywhere.
|
|
BrassNuts
Trad climber
Boulder Colorado
|
|
Greetings from soggy Phoenix... so far, I've been here for 14% of their annual rainfall in the last two days...
Here's a sunny day shot of Superpin in the Needles. Very cool no anchor summit, pretty spicy climbing, but not as spicy as the Hairy Pin - yikes, that puppy is a real brain melter....
|
|
Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
|
|
For crystal-face thrills at a much softer grade, there's Cerberus:
|
|
L
climber
Hangin' by a thread and lookin' for my wings
|
|
Great photo, Chiloe. Those formations look like a blast!
|
|
Zander
Trad climber
Berkeley
|
|
All those needles look cool. Thanks all for posting.
Zander
|
|
golsen
Social climber
kennewick, wa
|
|
Nice shot Brass.
I remember being much more scared on Superpinn than Hairy, hehe. Its all in the mind set I guess. Rapping off of Superpin is way gnarly, there were not slings when I did it just that little notch in the top.
Really cool and historical place.
|
|
SteveW
Trad climber
The state of confusion
|
|
Bump for another great Crimpster climbing TR!!!!
(no funnies)? Bwaaahhhh!!!
|
|
Mungeclimber
Trad climber
sorry, just posting out loud.
|
|
Top 15 areas I've climbed at.
Walking around near Rushmore and out walks this pure white billy goat from the forest. I mean, I seriously expected a gnome or some woodland nymph to dart from tree to tree next.
Tent Peg
Cerberus
Outlet areas
Rushmore areas
just like a tourist, only see the obvious stuff. Next time I want to go hiking and spire tagging.
|
|
TKingsbury
Trad climber
MT
|
|
|
Mar 10, 2010 - 09:59am PT
|
Nice!
While I have yet to climb there, my earliest memory of climbing is watching someone freesolo the Needle's Eye, I was probably 5 or 6...
A couple from the brotherman's adventures there
Hairy Pin
John's Jump
|
|
andy@climbingmoab
Big Wall climber
Denver, CO
|
|
|
Mar 10, 2010 - 10:01am PT
|
John's Jump is one of the most intimidating parlor tricks you'll ever do. How the hell do you rate something like that?
|
|
TKingsbury
Trad climber
MT
|
|
|
Mar 10, 2010 - 10:03am PT
|
Yeah, Pat tells a pretty funny story about that one...though it sounds like a 'must do'
|
|
Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
|
|
|
Mar 10, 2010 - 10:03am PT
|
The last time I was in the Needles I did a 'vision quest' run up Harney peak.
"harney peak is the center of the universe. Though, everywhere is the center of the universe." -Black Elk.
|
|
Crimpergirl
Sport climber
Boulder, Colorado!
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Mar 10, 2010 - 10:26am PT
|
Blargh. The jump makes me queasy just looking at it. If my life depended on that jump,I'd surely die.
|
|
TKingsbury
Trad climber
MT
|
|
|
Mar 10, 2010 - 01:51pm PT
|
Pat said it took a bit of convincing...
Bump for more photos...don't let me kill another thread!
|
|
L
climber
Yeah it's a furball...I TOLD you I was a cat!
|
|
|
Mar 10, 2010 - 02:01pm PT
|
Gotta bump this again because it's about CLIMBING and has awesome photos and peeps in it!
And that jump made my stomach hurt!
|
|
homemade salsa
Trad climber
west tetons
|
|
|
Mar 10, 2010 - 09:37pm PT
|
I think it is Spire 3- with a 3-pitch really easy route. but there is a huge rose quartz window at the top of the second pitch. You belay right below it, and it is translucent.
And I got thoroughly scared one day on, ahem, 5.8+ corner stemming on Khayyam Spire- a route called God's Own Drunk.
A truly magnificent and magic place. Thanks for the photos.
|
|
|
SuperTopo on the Web
|
Let us know!