Juan Tabo Canyon is subject to annual access closures from March 1 to August 15. MORE INFO >>>
The USFS-imposed closure applies to UNM Spire, the Prow, the Ramp, and the Shield (but not the Knife Edge). The Needle, and its south and east approaches, are unaffected.
Longest route in the Sandias. Around 1300 vertical feet of climbing after a brutal 2+ hour approach. Plan for 10-15 hours car to car depending on your speed. Take a machete for your approach.
[Pitch-by-pitch descriptions below by G.Perkins; numbers coincide with Sandia Rock but I'd recommend linking or shortening pitches as I suggest below]
P1: Beginning at the very bottom of the ridge, climb easy cracks to reach a good ledge where the arete steepens. You can also get here by climbing cracks to the right of the arete (5.6 or 5.7). It's a long pitch (150').
P2: Climb up the arete for 20' or so, step left (airy), and continue up to a large cave/alcove. Belay at the left side of this cave alcove below a finger crack. 5.7, PG13.
P3: Up finger crack escaping the left side of the alcove passing ancient ring piton on the way (5.8 PG13); then difficulty eases. With a 50m rope you'll need to stop at a ledge and set belay; with a 60m rope- you can reach all the way to a tree, and 3rd class ledges- if you link these pitches (recommended), then just move the belay to the start of the 5.7 crack on p4.
P4: (If you didn't extend P3, continue up to the tree, 5.6?). Scramble over 3rd class ledges to a notch below another steep section. Reportedly, a double rope rappel to the west lets you escape from these ledges. Sandia Rock says to continue up a short 5.7 finger crack to another tree in this pitch, but I'd recommend you stop at the notch; then combine the finger crack portion of P4 with P5. If you start at the notch at the base of the steep finger crack- you can link the upper part of P4 and most/all of P5 in a 60m pitch.
P5: Follow a bushy gully, climbing finger cracks, passing a single well-protected 5.8 move over a bulge (which I think is the hardest move on the climb). Belay on a small ledge below a low-angle right facing corner. You might find a hard-to-see piton to your right, at this belay, but don't count on finding it.
This Photo shows Bill Isenhower at the desperate sandbag move previously mentioned. It can be avoided on not bad 5.7 climbing up finger cracks that pass about 8 feet to the right.
(2nd half of P4 + P5: Starting from the notch, these can be combined with a 70 meter rope with a couple meters to spare. – See notes from Bill Lawry below).
P6: Low-angle right-facing corner and continue to another tree. Short pitch, 5.5. Move belay to the notch at the base of the next steep section.
P7: A 50' steep step has two options. You can make slab moves while you hand traverse past 2 ancient ring-pitons to the left, or climb a crack in a left-facing corner with a crack for pro to the right of the piton face. 5.8 either way. I've done both. I suppose I'd recommend the left option, but both are reasonable. Belay at the end of difficult climbing.
Bill Lawry went straight up from the notch and then took the more obvious arching crack to the top. He did not find the two ring pitons on the steep face by the notch - assume they are on the upper part of the pitch.
P8: Scramble 3rd class to the start of the next steep section. Unroping is recommended. From the end of this scrambling section, you can escape on the 5th Avenue ledges to the North- no rappels required- if weather or time recommend you bail.
P9: A short 5.8 crack to a large ledge. Sandia Rock suggests you continue to the next tree, but I found belaying at the big ledge to be a good idea, since it'd create bad rope drag if you kept going. You can still reach the P10 belay from this ledge.
P10: Climb to the tree (if you haven't already done so). From this tree on the small ledge, go right following a line of large blocks. When those run out wander up roughly 25 additional meters to the large ledge with another tree on the left side. Long pitch. (5.7)
Bill Lawry notes: An obvious weakness trends up and left from the tree on the small ledge. Stay away. Near the end of the weakness waits some unprotectable loose-grained face climbing (5.9R?) - not recommended.
P11: From the right half of the large ledge, a long 5.7 pitch follows a weakness upwards, first passing a pin, then a tree, leading to an obvious stance on the arete, about 30' below the crux moves of the next pitch.
P12: Cruise up to the roof, clip fixed pins or place your own gear, traverse right out the roof. This is the crux of the route, and is really exposed, and tougher than it should be because of the 1000' you already climbed (5.8+). 10' of finger crack lead to blocky and easier ground. Keep going up following the path of least resistance until you run out of rope. Supposedly, you can avoid this lead by escaping to the left side of the ridge blocky 5.4.
A couple hundred feet of easy scrambling (you'll want the rope coiled) lead to the Needle's summit.
Descent: Hike east back to the saddle from the summit and make 1-5 rappels depending on your rope, routefinding, and willingness to 3rd class, dropping back into the loose gully you originally descended. One can also downclimb this descent (listed as 4th class, feels like 5.4), but rappelling is easier and recommended. Details are found on Needle Main Page
Location
Very prominent on the Sandia Crest, the SW Ridge of the Needle is self-described.
In the late afternoons/early evenings, from Albuquerque, this climbs defines the sun/shade line on the Needle.
Protection
A questionable fixed pin on the third pitch and a solid one protecting the crux on the last pitch are the only fixed pieces I can remember. Bring a full rack up to 3.5 with doubles in .75-2 camalots.
5.9 or 5.10 climbers will likely be fine with smaller racks and/or be ok with simulclimbing much or all of the route.
By John Kear From: Albuquerque, NM Dec 10, 2007 rating: 5.8
This is a classic outing in the Sandias. The rock quality itself isn't exactly classic but the climb and the experience are top notch for sure. Highly recommended adventure climb.
caught a bowling ball while a a belay lucky it was slow mover
By Daniel Trugman From: Los Alamos, NM May 20, 2009 rating: 5.8+
Unless you do some weird intermediate pitches out of the alcove (belay stance at the top of pitch 2), the fourth pitch will have the hardest move on the climb and is a desperate sandbag at 5.8 IMO. It is, however, well protected and is the only move on the climb that I thought was harder than 5.8.
The approach really isn't that bad. The variety of moves, length of the climb, and incredible views more than make SW ridge a classic. The rock is a little dubious and it is neccessary to tread lightly and test holds.
By George Perkins Administrator From: Los Alamos, NM May 21, 2009 rating: 5.8+
Daniel Trugman wrote:
...is a desperate sandbag at 5.8 IMO
Sorry, Trug. Did not intend to sandbag you guys. Welcome to the Sandias. =)
Glad you and J enjoyed it; I agree that the approach is made out to be a bigger deal than it is and this classic is well worth the effort to get there.
By Daniel Trugman From: Los Alamos, NM May 21, 2009 rating: 5.8+
No problems George - old school ratings are fun! I think it might be possible to avoid that move by moving right and climbing over some dubious-looking but juggy blocks, but I didn' try it.
Notes on the approach - descend into the gully that is adjacent to the Needle (to it's south). Thrash down the ravine, passing the incredible looking Hidden Wall. Find an extremely wide looking ridge/face with an obvious cave about 250 feet up. This is the SW ridge, start near the right arete of this wall, and have fun.
Notes on the descent - find a steep, loose gully that has trees with slings around them. You will not be able to reach the bottom of the steep stuff from the first or second highest tree with a rappel off a single 60m. Either downclimb to the third tree (off to your left) or do a short rappel off the first tree to reach it. You will be able to reach a flatter area from a rappel off this tree, and a third-class downclimb will bring you to the ravine you descended on your approach.
By Daniel Trugman From: Los Alamos, NM Jun 23, 2009 rating: 5.8+
Bill Lawry said: "P10: An obvious weakness trends up and left from the tree on the small ledge. Stay away. Near the end of the weakness waits some unprotectable loose-grained face climbing (5.9R?) - not recommended."
We took this line. I followed it and it felt like 5.8 (R) but it looked like a terrifying lead. The mantle onto a giant block that doesn't look attached to the wall was very exciting! Best avoid is right!
By Bill Lawry From: New Mexico Jun 23, 2009 rating: 5.8 PG13
Daniel, My son led the P10 left-trending weakness and beyond; his partner followed with a hang or two. I then led to the end of that weakness ... and promplty down climbed back to the tree with my tail tucked between my legs - then followed the more reasonable line going rightward. Anyway, my hat is off to your and Jason's car-to-car time which was about half of ours! Bill
P.S. I deleted the route beta I posted earlier as it has been captured well enough in the description. Thanks!
My son Charlie hauled me up this on 8 September 2009 as a 50th anniversary climb. Dave Hammack (79 years)had hoped to watch us do it but he had hip operation planned for following Tuesday. Charlie spent 5 weeks getting me in shape. Hadn't done the climb since 1971. I wasn't much help in route finding (he led every pitch) and we wound up in 5.8 and higher when we didn't want to and had 10 hours on the rock.Gave up on trying to find the 3rd class descent and followed cairns down rappel gully. Got off the last down climb in time to turn on headlamps (15 1/2 hours car-to-car). Sure was a lot harder and longer than I remember at 19 (1959) and 30 pounds lighter.
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