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Aerili
climber
SLC, Utah
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May 29, 2013 - 02:42pm PT
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I think it's a pretty useful guide. Gets you to the crags, shows you where the routes are; what more do you need?
That's great. I just found beta hunted down on the web more useful. It's been a while, but I don't remember the approach or route-locating info to even be that exact or helpful in that book. Maybe I'm just a noob.
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Ksolem
Trad climber
Monrovia, California
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May 29, 2013 - 03:20pm PT
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The first Needles guide was published in 1983 by local pioneers EC Joe and Richard Leversee. This book is a classic, and I believe it is still available in digital form on EC Joes' website (vertical20.com)
This book contains not a single photo. Rather it has beautiful hand drawn topos and typed written route descriptions. Of course due to it's age it does not include any of the newer routes. My copy, which led me to many adventures during the 1980s is a treasured item in my library.
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ec
climber
ca
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May 29, 2013 - 04:39pm PT
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Thx for da props, Kris!
The site has been down. If any of ya want a digital version, I have sh#tloads of them. PM me from the Taco...
 ec
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Ksolem
Trad climber
Monrovia, California
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May 29, 2013 - 04:45pm PT
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EC, it is I who thanks you, and Richard, for the beautiful foreword for the new book. Your words are thought provoking and you capture the spirit of the place.
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craig mo
Trad climber
L.A. Ca.
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May 29, 2013 - 05:49pm PT
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yep
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Ksolem
Trad climber
Monrovia, California
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May 29, 2013 - 06:46pm PT
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Yo Craig, what's up Doc?
That shot taken from Inner Sanctum?
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gonzo chemist
climber
Fort Collins, CO
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May 29, 2013 - 06:50pm PT
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with any luck, I'll be there in two weeks! SO PSYCHED!
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DaveyTree
Trad climber
Fresno
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May 29, 2013 - 11:42pm PT
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Pumpes on new guide. Thanks for the work. Labor of love for sure but a lot of work. Gracias
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Vulcan
Sport climber
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May 30, 2013 - 12:29am PT
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i sent you a email about the book you want.
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ec
climber
ca
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May 30, 2013 - 10:44am PT
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Thx for the PMs. Check your email for mail from vertical20.
ec
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Radish
Trad climber
SeKi, California
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May 30, 2013 - 11:02am PT
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Curious about the Needles access. Will the Magician be open for climbing and is the upper road open??
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Josh Higgins
Trad climber
San Diego
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May 30, 2013 - 11:23am PT
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The road is open, but requires high clearance. I just went out there last weekend, and it was COLD! Still managed to get in some great climbing though!
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Ksolem
Trad climber
Monrovia, California
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May 30, 2013 - 01:38pm PT
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Hi Rene, Magician is open. The lookout is gone and the old site is "cleaned up." The stairs are still there, and are off limits. No climbing restrictions though. The road took a real beating last fall due to a couple of freak intense localized thunderstorms. I was camped at the trail-head area for the second, and it took me several hours to get out driving a high clearance Tacoma 2WD with a locking rear diff. (its a 4 door cab long bed, so less than ideal for rugged terrain.)
I've talked to a few people who've been up there this year and the word seems to be that if you are in a regular car you better take some shovels.
Yeah Josh, I was at Church Domes (across the Kern and a bit south same elevation less exposed) and it was cold and windy. The Needles must have been wild.
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Radish
Trad climber
SeKi, California
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May 30, 2013 - 02:14pm PT
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Thanks Kris! Would love to head up there soon. Also debating selling one of the few Needles Guides I have....maybe 500 bucks...Ha!
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craig mo
Trad climber
L.A. Ca.
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May 30, 2013 - 06:07pm PT
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I want one Kris
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Fat Dad
Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
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May 30, 2013 - 07:25pm PT
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^^^
Let's see, I've done Airy Interlude, Igor, Innersanctum. I need to get my act together and go do Spook Book.
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Ksolem
Trad climber
Monrovia, California
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May 30, 2013 - 09:45pm PT
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A great route on that face, rarely climbed, is The Entity, first done by Herb Laeger and Vaino Kodas in 1986. P1 climbs past a couple bolts and then follows a funky crack to a belay on gear. P2 passes the overhangs (more like flaps) to a left facing corner which is less sustained but has a harder move than Spook Book, solid .10d. P3 is great fun at about 5.10a. From there you can go up and do the wild tunnel through finish on Shazam (5.8) or go right and finish on Spook Book.
This route requires good skills with traditional gear. The comment in the old guide about taking a thin pin is irrelevant with modern gear, just be aware it is a bit heads up. A Needles classic for sure.
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willm
Social climber
Oakland
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Hello! We're trying to spend a week at The Needles in two weeks but we travel in a small Subaru. Above posts make it seem as if we're going to have a tough time getting back there without high clearance or some serious trail work. Any advice on alternatives? or how to rock crawl in an Impreza ;) ?
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Ksolem
Trad climber
Monrovia, California
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A recent post on Mountain Project by a Subie driver (scroll down to the last comments..):
http://www.mountainproject.com/v/the-needles/105851693
I would take a good shovel and a couple 4' pieces of 2x6 or 2x8 and go for it...
The damage to the road occurred late last fall during two unusually intense localized T-Storms. Erosion in a couple of sections caused deep ruts running along the track. The entire dirt rd is three miles, most of it is okay but the damaged sections were rough last fall.
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willm
Social climber
Oakland
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I reached out to the gent who posted on MP and he had this to say:
We were in a 1998 Outback, so I think you should be fine. There was just one tricky part where AWD came in handy, but with some skillful driving you could probably even make it through without it. It was a big diagonal water runoff trench on an uphill section of the road-- some people had layered a bunch of rocks in it for traction and it wasn't an issue for us. Worst-case is that you'd need to put in a few more rocks and shovel some dirt around for 15 minutes.
Sorry for the thread drift and thanks for the info!
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