[TR] Needle, Sandia Mountains, Albuquerque, NM - Southwest Ridge 4/4/2007

[devinejohnny]

Trip: Needle, Sandia Mountains, Albuquerque, NM - Southwest Ridge

 

Date: 4/4/2007

 

Trip Report:

Meet up with an old housemate/climbing partner and fellow teacher in New Mexico. He was teaching on the Navajo Indian Reservation and out spring breaks happened to line up. I flew to Albuquerque and Bill picked me up in his pick up. We used the Whole Foods parking lot as our base of operations, camping in the bed of the truck.

 

One of the better routes we got on was the classic Southwest Ridge of the Needle (p.s. the Needle looks more like a thumb and the Thumb looks more like a Needle, but I didn't do the naming). The history of the route is interesting. First ascents were made before 1944 via the east saddle and it is legend that Edward Abbey, the famous environmentalist author graced the summit in 1951.

 

 

In terms of the southwest ridge, "n June of 1959, David and Reed set out for the southwest ridge of the Needle. They hiked up into the valley below the formation, and camped in order to make an early start the next day. The following morning the two made quick work of the difficult initial pitches, finished the route, and descended the east saddle. They still had plenty of time and energy to retrieve their camp and return to Albuquerque the same day. The Southwest Ridge is a landmark climb in the Sandias, and considering the relative ease in which the first ascent was achieved, is a real testament to the talent of these two climbers. ... This translated to the first routes in the Sandias at the 5.8 grade. To this day the Southwest Ridge of the Needle remains a serious endeavor for some Sandia climbers, and has been the site of manyepics, both major and minor." From Sandia Rock by Mick Schein

 

The above guide book describes the route as a 15 p. 5.8 IV, but I've seen it elsewhere described as a 10 p. 5.8 III. If anything, I would have to agree with the latter. The approach is as bad as they say, the rock questionable, and the commitment moderate, but it can still be done car to car in a short day.

 

The route is best approached from the top of the Sandia Crest. You can drive all the way up to a visitor center near a bunch of radio towers. You park here and hike along the crest for a few miles, then drop down gullies to the base of the route.

 

Here is the top of the Needle from the crest.

 

We camped up at the visitor center on the Sandia Crest the night before our climb. We endured sub zero temps and drunk yahoos, but felt rested when we woke up at 4 the next morning. The approach was mostly on untracked snow, so we had spent the previous afternoon scoping the route to the east saddle. We quickly retraced our prints then descended the steep, thorn choked south gully to the toe of the route. We were going off a sketched topo and short paragraph description, so it took us a few minutes to agree on what the start was. Not a lot of signs of traffic: no climber's paths, flagging tape, or cairns.

 

Bill at the base of the route with the opposite side of the canyon behind him. We weren't really sure we were on the right route until three pitches up when we passed a fixed ring piton.

 

This is us after the third pitch, which they call the crux. You leave a large ledge and climb a vertical right facing corner through poor protection and kitty liter rock.

 

This is a ridge, so there are a number of "move the belay" spots.

 

Action shot

 

Looking down and up the route from half way.

 

Some more shots from higher up.

 

Summit shot

 

Looking at the Shield from the summit of the Needle

 

Walking back along the crest after the descent (no raps needed, just down climb the east saddle).

 

Gear Notes:

Standard rack, single 60m

 

Approach Notes:

I guess there is usually a game/climber trail when there is no snow that will take you from the crest down through the limestone bands. It's just a short hike along the ridge, so I would say scout it out before you do the climb. The final gully is an 800 foot elevation drop of pure, un-trailed brush. When the gully opens up, don't jump on the first ridge that sticks out, walk down the drainage some more until you get to the more subtle ridge on what feels like the front.

[kevbone]

Killer dude......