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chrisnickjoy
Trad climber
Bakersfield, CA
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Topic Author's Original Post - Aug 20, 2014 - 07:32am PT
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I'm finally climbing White Punks On Dope (The Needles) next month, and I'm looking for a TOPO of the route. I have the Needles Guidebook, but it more or less sucks when it comes to details, and Mountain Project doesn't have much useful info. Anything would help. A group of 6 of us are going.
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chrisnickjoy
Trad climber
Bakersfield, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 20, 2014 - 07:39am PT
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Any info would help to be honest. I more or less have studied the mess out of this route. The Needles is in my backyard (only 1.5 hours away), and I'm always out there climbing in Kernville, Dome Rock, etc. But we've never attempted the Needles until next month.
Here's what I have in my Needles Guidebook.
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surfstar
climber
Santa Barbara, CA
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Aug 20, 2014 - 08:05am PT
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Lucky for you: http://slatervision.com/www.slatervision.com/Guidebooks_files/BonusToposVol1.pdf
Follow the "main-est" trail on the approach and you can't go wrong. Descent to climbers' right of Dome...SUCKS! I've heard left is shorter and you can pass back by the start, if you want to leave packs, plus you'll end up on the better trail again.
Seriously, the rightward descent sucks.
Found my misc beta notes:
//Park 2.8 mi past Lower Peppermint Campground, then the trailhead start is 50y back the way you came.
Rappel (2 ropes) or descend to climber's left next time!
Rack: 1.5-2 sets of nuts, X4s .2-.75, MCs 1-3, C4s: .75-3 (x2 #1, #2)
Slab - traverse R from 3rd and 4th bolts, then up
Plenty of sun on route, even in Nov.//
A group of 6 of us are going. Let others start ahead/pass if it seems prudent.
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chrisnickjoy
Trad climber
Bakersfield, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 20, 2014 - 08:30am PT
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Thanks a lot surfstar! And as always on new climbs I will let others go before us if they're there.
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guyman
Social climber
Moorpark, CA.
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Aug 20, 2014 - 08:32am PT
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Plenty of sun..... hold off till it cools down.....
Best advise:
At the start, send someone up about 40/60 feet... set up a quick belay, at a stance with a good piece. Next lead on through and go way way up passing the belay in the alcove, do the 5.8 moves out left and you end up on a nice ledge. Belay here. Move the belay through a class 4 chimney... to the ledge at the start of the left facing corner. Climb this corner... a big piece helps up close to the undercling... layback to the top of left facing corner, go a bit to the right to some bolts/belay. Next is the face pitch... some body retro bolted (GV???) an unnessary bolt to hi. After 3 bolts, look to your right you will see a water streak, traverse to that...somemore 5.8... the water streak has holds that get better and better the higher you go... belay up on a big ledge by a crack. Climb this crack to the start of the summit slab that is way ez.
The obvious crack is pretty EZ, done it once just to say I did it... I normally Rap from the top of the face climbing pitch, straight down using two 60 m cords tied together. One of these raps is very short but it sets you up for a huge rap that gets you down to the alcove to the "right" of the start of WPOD. (note: you do not rap down WPOD, you go down VoodoChile.... a much better climb IMHO.
Have fun, bring water.
Edit to add: bring some 1 inch webing if your going to rap... you will find tat that needs to be replaced at the stances.
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chrisnickjoy
Trad climber
Bakersfield, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 20, 2014 - 08:44am PT
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Thanks a lot guyman. We're all meeting together tomorrow at the climbing gym to discuss all route options. I'll bring up surfstar and your suggestions.
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guyman
Social climber
Moorpark, CA.
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Aug 20, 2014 - 09:10am PT
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NP.... So you climb around Kernville?
Tons of cragging around those parts.
Also east of the lake.
Church Dome is really nice, take your buds to that place.
The best climbing south of the needles.
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Aug 20, 2014 - 09:13am PT
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even with a scrap of beta from the FA team, I still did the 5.8 move on the second pitch the 5.10a way...
otherwise, I found it straight forward and a great climb.
the most useful beta was on how to descend without rapping... which was quicker than the party who started about the time we left the summit and returned 2 hours after we had.
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mike m
Trad climber
black hills
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Aug 20, 2014 - 09:16am PT
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We need pictures.
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guyman
Social climber
Moorpark, CA.
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Aug 20, 2014 - 09:21am PT
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Ed... the way I rap down is very quick... it took a few times to get it right.
Lots of folks get way turned around on voodo...
Im still trying to find the 5.8 way on the corner pitch... LOL
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Aug 20, 2014 - 09:25am PT
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E.C. said "head for the two 'boobs' out to your left" I went up instead... but I'm a leg man, go figure...
I think they're "70's" boobs though...
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guyman
Social climber
Moorpark, CA.
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Aug 20, 2014 - 09:41am PT
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I think they're "70's" boobs though...
100% natural....
RINCON has some pics... maybe he will show em.
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bran_daid
Trad climber
la, ca
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Aug 20, 2014 - 10:06am PT
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wpod rules! here's some beta:
pitch #1: (splitter) i would recommend bringing doubles of hand sizes, and trying not to place them too early on the pitch. it can be a bit runout if you place those pieces too early.
pitch #4: (dihedral) i didn't/wouldn't bring any big gear (> #3) but yymv. lots of good rests in the corner. so sick!
pitch #5: (slab) take your time and find good features (lots of little dishes and edges). its all there, just be patient and cool with it.
the decent and approach were surprisingly straightforward. they were both thoroughly marked with cairns. doing a single rope rap off the north of the dome is chill (the rap station is easy to find, lots of slings on a constriction near the summit).
have fun!
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curt wohlgemuth
Social climber
Bay Area, California
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Aug 20, 2014 - 10:12am PT
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The crux on this route for me was getting to the base. Took probably 2hr getting there after crawling around the base of Voodoo forever. Took ~30min back to car after finding the correct trail :-)
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Ksolem
Trad climber
Monrovia, California
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Aug 20, 2014 - 10:47am PT
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It's easy to get screwed up on the approach. The trail starts at the obvious cairn about 100 yds up the road from the Needlerock creek parking. About another 100 yds or so wandering through the woods you come to a spot where the trail to Voodoo punches through a bunch of bushy trees and into a sandy gully. At the same spot, just before the White Punks trail goes through the bushes, a trail goes right (often has some sticks across it to direct WPOD climbers to go straight). This trail goes up to the dihedrals area, Emperor Crack etc. It is also the very bottom of the descent hiking down from the summit.
Once you punch through the bushes (not obvious) and into the gully the trail is well marked.
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steelmnkey
climber
Vision man...ya gotta have vision...
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Aug 20, 2014 - 12:47pm PT
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A new updated guidebook might help... :-)
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tornado
climber
lawrence kansas
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Aug 20, 2014 - 01:02pm PT
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^^^ I guess so if you call "help" increasing the amount noobs at the needles 10 fold. Between Clint's site and what is on Mountain Project all the bases are covered about WPOD. If you really need a detailed topo buy Fred Beckey's top 100 climbs book or just check it out and take some notes or photos.
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Ksolem
Trad climber
Monrovia, California
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Aug 20, 2014 - 02:30pm PT
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Tornado, that's what everyone who climbed there said, including myself (quite vocally) when the word got around that the old green book was on the way. What actually happened was that a few more climbers showed up for a while. Most of them got their bags blown off by the hike, let alone the climbing. Pretty soon it was back to the regular crew. Also as you say there is enough info on the web out there to suffice for people to find the classics for sure. What the web info does not provide is recommendations for the many great routes which are not well known. Also even the most basic background info is not there.
What a new guide will provide is an accurate historical record of who did what when, and who they were as people. It will also shine the light of day on many first rate climbs at all levels of difficulty which are ignored - have become obscure. This will spread folks out so that everyone doesn't jam up for the normal dozen routes or so.
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Fat Dad
Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
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Aug 20, 2014 - 02:38pm PT
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I agree with Kris. I feel kind of personally invested in the area since we have a little vacation home near there (though actually getting out climbing is pretty infrequent). At first I was concerned that a new guide would bring the hordes, but every time I make that hike in and get totally intimidated looking at something that's only a 5.9, I have to agree with him. In this age of convenience anchors and people who want everything laid out for them, the Needles won't be a recurring gig. They'll check it out. They'll be blown away, but then they'll go someplace that requires a lot less effort.
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