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LV
Trad climber
NV
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Thanks for the reminder of what a great area this is. Now I need to get back there.
Can't remember the name of this climb, but it was a great one!
[img]http://i378.photobucket.com/albums/oo224/southwestclingon/Needles018.jpg[img]
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rincon
Trad climber
SoCal
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That's "White Punks On Dope" on Voodoo Dome. Yep, it's good!
Here's your picture...
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TGT
Social climber
So Cal
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Doesn't the first pitch go up the splitter in the center of the alcove to a sling belay?
Seems that's what we did, and is what the Vernon guide shows.
On another note, When I did Igor the first pitch dihedral didn't look all that classic so we did the splitter just to the right. This involved some rather though provoking moves at its end to get back left. Still 9+ or so. Has anyone else done it that way?
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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TGT,
> Doesn't the first pitch go up the splitter in the center of the alcove to a sling belay?
>
> Seems that's what we did, and is what the Vernon guide shows.
It's certainly what the Vernon/Moser/Paul topo shows, but the Joe/Leversee topo shows it in the LFC to the right, and since EC did the first ascent,
plus the climbing in that corner is really nice, I'm goin' with that as the "official" line! :-)
> On another note, When I did Igor the first pitch dihedral didn't look all that classic so we did the splitter just to the right. This involved some rather though provoking moves at its end to get back left. Still 9+ or so. Has anyone else done it that way?
Wow, did you do that thin crack between Igor Unchainged p1 and Vanishing Point? I have never tried it. Was it hard?
Maybe you can verify your line in the photo below?
climbers visible on Airy Interlude p1; Igor p1 is the shadowed LFC in the center.
climber also visible on Igor p1 above the third roof.
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Patrick Sawyer
climber
Originally California now Ireland
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So I click into this from Chris's e-newsletter. But first I look at Ed and Zanders exploits on the Five Books, then this.
The only thing I can say is: arrrghhhh.
I am so jealous of you all. I have to get back to California.
I have never been to the Needles but it has always been on my tick list.
Nice TR gentlemen.
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TGT
Social climber
So Cal
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Clint,
It was a long time ago, but the crack is amazingly consistent in size and I used everything I had between 3/4" and 1-1/4" and wished I'd had more. Probably continuous 7+ 8 and marvelously good.
At the top the crack curves around under the shadow and it undercuts sharply to the left so continuing to climb with hands in the crack looked impossible. I don't think you could hand traverse at that point. Long pondering lead to a couple of face moves up on some small knobs and a balancy step around into the crack again. I was above gear but not crazy run out.
Hard to say how hard it is. 9+ if you figure it out, if you don't???
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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TGT,
Cool, I will have to try that one. Hopefully I will figure it out! :-)
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Jingy
Social climber
Flatland, Ca
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Those are some really great photos.
I'm gonna have to go there specifically for picture taking... Love the long lines, gold and silver, black and tan.... Magical!
Thanks for the TR.
Jaybro, tell me when, I'll be there with the camera.
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rincon
Trad climber
SoCal
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Needles Bump, 4 good pics and road info, etc, etc..
I called the Tule River ranger station today, and confirmed the upper road (21S05)to the Needles is still CLOSED. They don't expected to have it open until after Memorial day weekend.
The lower road (22S82) IS open! Good time to climb on Voodoo, before it gets too hot. Also Demon Dome and Merlin Dome are climbable now.
The main Needles can be reach from 22S82. Though it requires a strenuous approach. East and south facing climbs on Warlock, like Imaginary Voyage, Bird of Prey, and The South Face are doable now, and no crowds!
I have some pics from last weekend, already posted on another Needles thread a few pages back. These are taken from the end of road 22S82, at the Lloyd Meadow trailhead, and show the snow still lingering along the ridge on the backside of the Needles. The south side is completely dry and balmy.
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Fat Dad
Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
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Hmm. There was a post on Mountain Project that 21S05 was open, along with the rest of Hwy. 190. To be honest, it seems a tad early.
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hooblie
climber
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thanks for dredging this one up, i was very sceptical. that snow does linger and i don't know if any gov't snowplow people are in any particular hurry to open up the road this time of year. i've seen the gate unlocked with road closed and had some hair raising crossings of the pass. you don't know if your out of the woods till you've found the other gate open, assuming you don't get stuck. even then the man could drop the hammer. been turned back by locked gates more often, and doubted the word from nfs when i inquired. such is the plight of the off season climber. access into the topside is a whole other question.
that stealing of the notebook is sickening. most of the gold i created in montana went down the same stinky drain. i'm pretty ambivelent about guidebooks, but destruction of grassroots communiques ranks with the scurge of the nazi bookburnings. heads up scumbag note thief, cutting lines of communication strikes right at the core of a community and even goofy has beens will defend the nest. very selfish act. if you have any regard for the hearts and souls invested in such a document you will reappear that book and restore man's faith in man.
sorry, compadres, i got some cordwood to split, topped with a hat i can spare
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hooblie
climber
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ok, i'm back. kind of hot out there and my stove won't go in till fall anyway. black moment indeed.
well that post about the f-16 pass got me back on the bright side. happened to us out there too. and also city of rocks. the best buzzing was on a rig working the overthrust belt on the utah-wyo border. noise of the rig masked the sneek up. we were the only obvious target on the featureless terrain and i was in the derrick. i'm saying he was supersonic. i've been startled before but this was a bomb without the debris and i was in the derrick. the stockholm syndrome kicked in and my initial mindset was about bargaining for mercy. i usually come up cross eyed when chumped like that but in the quarter second it took me to figure out what happened was all it took to love every little thing on the side of the living. that pilot taught me a lesson in awe slash gratitude in a very short timeframe, i only regretted the lack of a chance to buy him a beer
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Porkchop_express
Trad climber
the base of the Shawangunk Ridge
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Jun 12, 2009 - 04:59pm PT
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outstanding thread. I believe I must go there.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Jun 12, 2009 - 05:06pm PT
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Sweet! The Needles is the "must go" area of places I haven't been. This Summer!
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Porkchop_express
Trad climber
the base of the Shawangunk Ridge
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Jun 12, 2009 - 05:09pm PT
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when? early or late summer?
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 12, 2009 - 05:15pm PT
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Sweet! The Needles is the "must go" area of places I haven't been. This Summer!
Yeah! I've got some unfinished business there, so I think I'll be back. Maybe September.
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steelmnkey
climber
Vision man...ya gotta have vision...
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Jun 12, 2009 - 05:52pm PT
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Gimme a holler David - Never been...like to go!!
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 12, 2009 - 06:12pm PT
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Hi Greg
Probably third week of September (19 - 26). Can you & Felicia get that time off?
D
ps: Are you sure you want to climb with me? I mean now that you're officially one of "Arizona's Manliest Men" and all, don't you only climb with superheros?
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steelmnkey
climber
Vision man...ya gotta have vision...
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Jun 12, 2009 - 06:37pm PT
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Dang... it's getting rougher by the day around here! Thank God I skipped that photo shoot, or it would be worse. :-)
I really want to get over there!! Send me a heads up when you're ready to get serious about plans!
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