Yes...it's as good as it looks
We arrived late at night on Saturday and so anticipation was high along the approach in the morning.
An ominous fire looms in the valley below
[img]https://fbcdn_sphotos_b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/537475_10150826209452757_1405917714_n.jpg[/img]
Fortunately the wind was favorable and blew the fire up and over the ridge to the north....
[img]https://fbcdn_sphotos_c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/179959_10150826227142757_908076586_n.jpg[/img]
After 2 1/2 miles you come to your first view of the needles and the site of the former lookout that burned down last summer...ironic, no?
[img]https://fbcdn_sphotos_h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/208939_10150826232962757_1697396433_n.jpg[/img]
stairs to nowhere
[img]https://fbcdn_sphotos_c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/526907_10150826233667757_1652398574_n.jpg[/img]
anyhow...on to the climbing. Trish has only been climbing since last August, but she is gung ho to try just about anything, and so was stoked to hop on Airy Interlude, a super classic 5.10 on the Witch.
Trish pointing to the namesake airy traverse between splitter crack systems
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Up pitch 1
Start of p2
[img]https://fbcdn_sphotos_b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/526736_10150826226312757_850015180_n.jpg[/img]
Out on the traverse
[img]https://fbcdn_sphotos_d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/598426_10150826226607757_2105353207_n.jpg[/img]
The traverse is a sweet thin hands/fingers and big exposure and super fun!
Trish following the traverse
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The climb finishes up a nice corner to the summit.
Afterwards we hiked over to the summit of the Charlatan and after a couple of double rope raps were at the base of Fancy Free, another splitter needles classic! 3 pitches, 10b
Looking up the E face of Charlatan...Fancy Free goes basically straight up the center of the photo to the top
p1
Trish following
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Trish on the perfect fingers corner on p2
[img]https://fbcdn_sphotos_a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/538659_10150826237117757_461964524_n.jpg[/img]
Our Lady of the Needles with the fire burning away in the distance
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Satisfied with our introduction to the Needles to say the least! Under normal circumstances one would stash their gear so as to not have to carry it back and forth to camp every day, but with a large wildfire looming fairly close and with heavy winds daily in the Needles we figured the prudent thing to do would be to carry our gear out to camp...just in case.
Fortunately the winds stayed favorable, as far as we were concerned anyhow, and the fire continued to burn to the north.
We had a lazy, cold morning at camp on our second day before mosying back up the trail, this time to the intimidating E face of the Sorcerer and the plumb line straight from bottom to top Thin Ice, 3 pitches 10b.
Sorry if this is the same pic as above...but it's just too beautiful
Up p1...a 55m splitter straight up the vertical face
[img]https://fbcdn_sphotos_e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/382372_10150826783372757_1326907210_n.jpg[/img]
P2 climbs this intense v-slot....fun but uber strenuous
[img]https://fbcdn_sphotos_g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/295029_10150826240042757_803739296_n.jpg[/img]
Trish happily out of the v-slot, and near the summit
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Climbers directly across the cirque on Igor Unchained
[img]https://fbcdn_sphotos_f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/581083_10150826240422757_481790154_n.jpg[/img]
Trish finishing p2
[img]https://fbcdn_sphotos_b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/553467_10150826240792757_2145688050_n.jpg[/img]
Climber on Airy Interlude
[img]https://fbcdn_sphotos_h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/601251_10150826241267757_629765684_n.jpg[/img]
This gal was gettin funky on the airy traverse
[img]https://fbcdn_sphotos_b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/547087_10150826241402757_1096937035_n.jpg[/img]
Witch from across the cirque formed by Sorcerer, Charlatan and Witch
[img]https://fbcdn_sphotos_e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/545766_10150826235337757_184050357_n.jpg[/img]
The weather was moving in so after topping out on Thin Ice, we decided to head back to camp. Fierce winds and a bit of rain overnight had us apprehensive of our prospects for the morning, but fortunately the day dawned calm and clear. We decided to hop on The Entity, another Needles classic and a heady lead for sure
4 pitches, 10d R.Spicy, delicate climbing way above tiny gear, and at one point and ancient rusty old 1/4"er
Up p1
[img]https://fbcdn_sphotos_a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/523493_10150826242507757_1604756046_n.jpg[/img]
Just another insane needles splitter fingers corner to an arching finger crack up the steep face on p2
[img]https://fbcdn_sphotos_b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/224897_10150826244832757_224592008_n.jpg[/img]
Back to back thin steep finger crack pitches are the meat of this climb....so good! The climb finishes on an airy but juggy roof with huge air!
For our last day we opted for something quick and mellow, so we chose Spooky, a super fun 5.9 up the se corner of the Charlatan. Spooky comes complete with...ho hum....another splitter corner crack, a spicy offwidth, and some fun jug hauling up a steep face to the summit.
Looking up Spooky
Very satisfied after a first introduction to The Needles...and thirsty for more!
[img]https://fbcdn_sphotos_h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/576565_10150826247977757_1257025069_n.jpg[/img]
