Intro
The Needles are a remote cluster of granite spires that stand watch atop a narrow ridge high above the Kern River in California’s Sequoia National Forest at nearly 7,500 feet. For climbers, it is paradise: perfect rock, beautiful scenery, pleasant summer temperatures thanks to the elevation, minimal crowds, and adventure in abundance. The climbing is famous for steep golden granite, giant roofs, exposed arêtes, splitter cracks, and improbable chickenheads that transform otherwise blank faces into wild adventure climbing. With formations and routes bearing names like The Warlock, The Witch, and The Sorcerer, the area carries an aura of mystery.
Developed largely during the 1970s and 1980s, the Needles became known for bold traditional climbing and futuristic steep face routes far ahead of their time. The climbing here has a reputation for being stout at the grade: there are relatively few easy routes and many hard ones. Classics range from moderate multi-pitch outings to legendary testpieces. Reaching the formations involves a winding mountain drive, a hike through the forest, and often a rappel into the climbs themselves, giving the area a true expedition feel despite being in California.
I first visited the Needles in 2017 and 2018, climbing many of the area's classic routes. By 2026, I was definitely itching to return. Somehow, though, I had never climbed Don Juan Wall (5.11, 5 pitches) or White Punks on Dope (5.8+, 6 pitches), and both had long been high on my list. I also wanted to revisit several classics from my earlier trips. On those visits I had not created route overlays, so one goal this time was to document the climbs and backfill the routes I had previously completed.
May 30&31, 2026
My friends Dan and Geoff—old climbing partners from my Washington days—were easily convinced to meet up for a weekend in late May, when all three of us happened to be in California for work or play. Neither had visited the Needles before, and both were eager to experience its legendary granite. On Saturday, we climbed White Punks on Dope (5.8+, 6 pitches), then added Airy Interlude (5.10a, 3 pitches) and a scramble up the ladders to the lookout atop The Magician for a three-summit day. Before hiking out, we stashed our gear at the main saddle so we could travel light on the approach the following morning. Sunday began with Thin Ice (5.10b, 3 pitches) and ended with Our Lady of the Needles (5.7, 1 pitch) on the Charlatan summit spire. Though short, it tops out on what may be the coolest summit boulder I know—a fitting finish to a fantastic weekend in the Needles.
June 21-26, 2026
Three weeks later I returned with my friend Sean, who had never been to the Needles. Our goal was to climb a bunch of the area’s classics, and since it had been years since I had climbed most of them, I was happy to revisit them. Temperatures were in the mid-70s, making the shade the place to be. We arrived to find that we had the area entirely to ourselves.
On our first day, we started with Igor Unchained (5.9+, 3 pitches)—perhaps my all-time favorite 5.9 route. Sean led it beautifully, and with no one else around and the route in the shade, conditions were perfect. We then followed the shade over to Thin Ice (5.10b, 3 pitches). I had climbed it just a few weeks earlier, but it is such a great line that I was happy to do it again. Unfortunately, Sean switched to a different pair of climbing shoes, only to discover they were uncomfortably tight. After he led the first pitch, I took over and led the final two pitches as one long pitch. Such a great line. We hiked out afterward, leaving our gear at the notch for the next day.
The second day we started with Airy Interlude (5.10a, 3 pitches) which Sean led flawlessly and which I have now climbed three times and still find memorable, especially for its excellent crack-traverse pitch. We then headed over to Fancy Free (5.10b, 3 pitches), which I led. The route has a somewhat vegetated start due to chronic seepage, but the climbing above is absolutely outstanding. Fancy Free tops out at the anchors for Spooky on the summit of the Charlatan, so we fixed a rope and both top-rope soloed Spooky (5.9, 2 pitches) as one long pitch. This route has a little bit of everything: hand cracks in a corner, an offwidth section, and wildly featured face climbing. We capped off the day with a climb to the top of the Charlatan summit spire via Our Lady of the Needles (5.7, 1 pitch). I make a point of climbing this route every time I visit the Needles, as I think it has the coolest summit block anywhere.
We tried to chase the shade as much as possible, but spent most of the latter half of the day in the sun. Fortunately, a steady breeze kept conditions tolerable. We were also buzzed by fighter jets multiple times throughout the day—likely Boeing F-18 Super Hornets—which is always a memorable part of climbing in the Needles. Despite the glorious day, there was one other party in the area—Jim Herson and John Scott, two California climbing legends who kinda know what they're doing in the Needles—sharing granite paradise with us.
The third day we climbed Spook Book (5.10d [5.10a R], 4 pitches) on The Witch. If you want a good introduction to Needles climbing, this is a great route to get on: technical, sustained, devious, and full of committing moves above fiddly gear placements. And stout for the grade (or at least it has felt that way both times I've climbed it). Welcome to the Needles. Some describe the route as The Witch's answer to The Sorcerer's Don Juan Wall: shorter and perhaps slightly easier, but even more intense and heart-pounding. The crux pitch follows an exceptional corner. I had climbed the route back in 2018, so Sean took the lead. From the comfort of a top rope, I thoroughly enjoyed the climbing and felt a little guilty that Sean was doing all the stressful work of figuring out the difficult sequences while placing marginal gear along the way. The route took longer than expected, and by the time we topped out we decided to call it a day rather than squeeze in a second climb. The heat helped make that decision. The piton before the 5.10a R runout on Pitch 1 is now missing, making the pitch feel even more R-rated. We managed to fiddle in a pretty decent #1 Ball Nut—probably the first time my blue Ball Nut has been placed.. Along the way, I cleaned a few fixed nuts and a #0.5 cam with a broken trigger wire, adding to my growing collection of booty from this trip. I like to think I'm doing my part to keep the Needles from becoming too much of a clip-up. =) We saw a few more F-15 (and F-18s?) over the course of the day. I managed to capture one as if flew behind the Sorcerer and Charlatan. On the hike out, we tagged the summit of The Magician via the old fire lookout ladders, adding one more summit to Sean's Needles list before heading back to camp.
The fourth day, Sean and I climbed Atlantis (5.11c, 4p) on The Sorcerer. I had first climbed this route in 2018, and it remains perhaps my favorite route in the Needles. It's hard, too. The Sorcerer is one of the most impressive spires in the Needles, its east face a beautiful golden wall. Atlantis follows a striking system of thin cracks and flakes up this steep face and is widely regarded as one of the area's premier hard crack climbs. The route is defined by punchy cruxes and technical crack climbing. Atlantis was first freed in 1981 by Tony Yaniro and Randy Leavitt, quickly earning recognition as one of the premier hard crack climbs in the Needles. At the time, Yaniro was among the strongest free climbers in the country, helping to push standards on both crack climbs and the emerging style of sport climbing. Leavitt was pioneering new crack-climbing techniques and would later become known for routes that inspired the “Leavittation” offwidth method. I have to admit that today both Sean and I were a bit humbled by the powerful lieback that starts Pitch 3, fortunately a short-lived affair. We climbed in fix and follow, with me leading the first block and Sean the second. From the top of the route, we rapped the fixed line and climbed the bonus pitch Lost At Sea (5.10d), which follows a wild flake shooting up above the Pitch 3 belay of Atlantis. This also allowed us to top-rope the 5.11 corner finish of Pitch 4 of Atlantis. We had opted for the easier 5.10a finish out left on the lead, but the corner proved excellent, even if the gear looked rather thin (ballnuts might be helpful!). Throughout the day, we enjoyed watching Jim and John cruise up Spook Book (5.10d, 4p) and Fancy Free (5.10b, 3p), routes we had climbed ourselves over the previous couple of days. There was also another party climbing, and we spotted them on top of The Warlock.
The fifth day, Sean and I started with The Howling (5.10a PG13, 2p) on The Warlock. The Howling is a great two-pitch climb up the NW shoulder of The Warlock and is probably the easiest passage to the summit. Another summit—and probably the coolest summit in the Needles. Then we headed over to Don Juan Wall (5.11b, 5p) on The Sorcerer. The Sorcerer is one of the most impressive spires in the Needles, its soaring east face a beautiful sweep of golden granite. Don Juan Wall follows a nearly continuous crack system up this face to the summit and is widely regarded as one of the area's premier hard crack climbs. The route delivers five pitches of sustained crack and corner climbing with few rests, yet somehow never feels unfair—just relentlessly good. Don Juan Wall was also a landmark ascent in the history of Needles climbing. The route was first climbed by Ed Ehrenfeldt and Mike Pope in July 1976. Five years later, in 1981, Mike Waugh, Tony Yaniro, and Randy Leavitt completed the first free ascent. At the time, it was one of the first sustained hard free climbs in the Needles and helped establish the area as a world-class destination for difficult traditional climbing.
I had built Don Juan Wall up in my mind as something that was going to be a complete thrashing, but instead it climbed surprisingly well. The protection was consistently good, and although the climbing was sustained, it felt reasonable throughout. The entire route went free for me (I did lower and toprope Pitch 3 as it had not gone entirely free on lead) except for a 4 foot undercling section at the start of Pitch 5 (which Sean freed on follow). Sean led the first two pitches, and I took the final three. I have a new favorite route in the Needles.
The sixth and final day, Sean and I climbed Yellow Brick Road (5.9, 3 pitches), reaching our sixth summit of the trip: The Witch, The Sorcerer, The Charlatan, The Warlock, The Magician, and finally, The Wizard. It was incredibly windy, but as we neared the top of the route an inverted F-18 screamed past us. Yet again, I missed the chance for an incredible photo or video. The "mackerel sky" clouds were also very cool. From the summit we rappelled into the Wizard–Sorcerer notch, climbed up low 5th to the summit of The Sorcerer, and descended via the Sorcerer raps. On a whim, we decided to finish the trip with another lap of Thin Ice (5.10b, 3 pitches). I led the first pitch, and Sean linked the second and third into one long lead. What a fantastic route—and a fitting way to end six straight days of climbing. We hiked out that afternoon, tired and satisfied. It was a little sad to leave, but I know I'll be back.
An amazing six-day trip to the Needles with Sean, ticking off a dozen of the area's classic routes—a baker's dozen if you count our second lap on Thin Ice. Thanks, Sean, for putting up with my "Rest days? What are those? Just take some vitamin I." regime. I think we definitely made the most of all six days!
This page provides route overlays and pitch-by-pitch photos for the climbs we completed during my two spring 2026 trips to the Needles. Granite paradise. I'll be back.
