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Needle Boulder Climbing

Climbing Area Map

Routes in Needle Boulder

	Cloverleaf V0+ 4+
	Frontage Road V0 4
	On-Ramp V1 5

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Elevation:	1,204 ft
GPS:	33.43776, -111.93258 Google Map · Climbing Area Map
Page Views:	2,578 total · 47/month
Shared By:	Jayson Smith on Oct 14, 2019 · Updates
Admins:	Greg Opland, Brian Boyd, JJ Schlick, Kemper Brightman, Luke Bertelsen Page Updates (admin only)

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Description

Located just west of the Hobo House routes in the funky little Papago Park island formed by the 202 and Curry Road, the Needle Boulder is a ~12 foot tall freestanding lump of chossy conglomerate. Sharp slick holds abound but there's also some fun moves formed by a variety of cobbles, pockets, and edges in the rock matrix. Test your holds before you commit though, as some areas aren't great. The western and southern faces of the boulder are the most promising, while the north side is slabby and where the downclimb is located.

Based on the time of day, the entire boulder (or just individual sides) can be in the sun. Early morning - say before 8am in the summer - is the best time to go, as it's still relatively cool and the boulder is completely shaded by the bulk of the Hobo House formation.

ALSO: Just as Hobo House's dirt is littered with broken glass, this area is no different. Discarded needles can also be found in the area (hence the name). Be careful!

Getting There

Park in the parking lot for the park on the Southwest corner of College and Curry. Head south across the playground to the west side of the Hobo House formation. The Needle Boulder is the largest of the three freestanding boulders ~30 yards to the west (the two other boulders are really small...).