PRINT: Rock Climb Cleopatra's Needle, East Face, Northern Arizona

Cleopatra's Needle, East Face

5.9 C2, Trad, Aid, 275 ft (83 m), 3 pitches, Grade III,

Avg: 2.1 from 7 votes
FA: Mark Powell, Jerry Gallwas, Don Wilson,
Arizona > Northern Arizona > Navajolands > Cleopatra's Needle Area

Access Issue: Closed. Details

It is presently illegal to climb on the Navajo Indian Reservation. These climbs are listed here for historical purposes only.

Description

This climb is 3 pitches. The formation just sort of jets out of a flat field;..there are dirt roads directly to the base of the formation. The first pitch (climbs the pedestal) starts on the right side of the East Face and diagonals up and left to a ledge at the base of the actual steep "headwall" section. The first pitch is sort of loose, sort of junky, and about 5.8. Pitch two is where the "business" starts; make a 5.9 move to a ledge, traverse right to the main crack and start aid climbing (A2 on cams and wires) to a bolt ladder (about 5 bolts), then back to the crack (A1) to a sling belay from 3 bolts. The last pitch is wild, in that you are climbing a fin of rock that is probably only 6-10 feet thick to the other side!.....(It's wide enough and you don't even realize just how thin it is until you get to the top and straddle the summit.) The last pitch opens up a bit, to about 2 1/2 Friend size (many)...and ends up at bolts (and pins?) on the tiny summit. Rappel to the top of pitch one, then to the ground.

Location

East of the small town of Sawmill on dirt roads. There are ranches and cattle/sheep in this area;...If you are visiting to view these wonderful spires, close gates, be low key, park away from spires in pullouts on main dirt road, etc. Eric's Desert Rock has a detailed description of how to get to Cleo.

Protection

Cams (extra small/medium), wires, ...we used no pitons.

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

Cleopatra's Needle

The east face route on Cleo's.

Cleo. Photo; Todd Gordon

Probably the skinniest spire in the World. Photo: Todd Gordon

The east face route on Cleo's.

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

Todd Gordon
Joshua Tree, CA

5.9 A3

This climb is most outrageous and outstanding. It is a remarkable formation, and I doubt that on the whole planet earth there is another such spire. I climbed this spire with Brian Povolny in Nov. of 1982; we were both residents of the Reservation at the time. The last pitch is probably only 6-10 feet thick through the spire, but because it is sort of a wide fin, is has SOME structural integrity. Someday this formation will melt away, and that will be that. It is elegant and beautiful to look at, and the climbing is exciting and fun enough. The route climbs natural lines on good enough rock (It IS sandstone.) I did this climb back in Nov. of 1982, with Brian Povolny. We drove right to the base, racked up on the bumper of the truck, and went about our business. We saw no locals or others that day of our ascent. The ascent went without any problems. My heart skipped a beat when at the top, grabbing a wad of slings, one of the anchor pins (or bolts...can't remember which) pulled out;..that was sort of scary. Sitting on the top, straddling the summit fin, is a trip, and only then do you really realize just what you are on top of.....you really have no idea just how skinny and thin the whole thing is until you reach the top. As you near the top, you can start to see through the crack to the other side, and feel the wind blow through the whole formation, so you kind of have a hint as to the thinness of the spire as you get close to the summit. Cleopatra's Needle is fantastic. Bill Forrest and Kris Walker did a route on the West Face (5.10 A3) in 1971. The area around the spire is sort of half forest and half cattle country;...it's not in the stark barren desert area like Monument Valley. The town of Sawmill nearby ain't called Sawmill for nothing...there are pine trees all about, and it's rather cold here in the winter months. May 5, 2007

Steve Bartlett

Also goes in two pitches, via the central crack (line of the original ascent). 1: 5.choss and some easy aid to the big ledge. 2: 5.9 move to smaller ledge, clean aid (maybe C2) to top. Mostly 1/2" to 1" parallel crack with larger pods from old piton ascents. Bring LOTS of wires, larger sizes, ~BD 6-12, and selection of cams (2 each up to ~3", few extra around Yellow/Red Alien size). No hammer needed (though we used one to help clean a few of the wires that seemed to seat themselves real tight). Outrageous quality, both the tower itself and that amazing second pitch.

Anyone interested in climbing this should be experienced, competent and self-reliant both on the ground and up on the rock (this is a remote area with NO rescue facilities, limited services, some loose/soft rock) and should contact the local climbers of the Dine Climbers Coalition, who graciously showed us around, arranged agreement with the grazing-rights holders, made our stay on the rez a fun and inspiring experience.

facebook.com/groups/1362588…

You can contact (Quentin told me it was OK to put his email here) Quentin Tutt:
quentin.tutt@hotmail.com

Or send me a message via mountain project for more details.

Lastly, to the party from Colorado (one male, other a "tall" female) who recently climbed this and left lawn-lights on the summit: this was not appreciated by the local residents nor the local climbers. Access here is opening up just a bit, but the future is uncertain; a serious accident or thoughtless behavior might close it right down again. Please, this is one place to climb with respect for the rock and the locals, keep a low profile, and to follow Leave-no-trace ethics. Apr 2, 2014

Jason Haas
Broomfield, CO

5.8+ C2

for maximum adventure, ignore the following description describing how we did it in 2011.
P1: 5.8+ Jam up cracks and left-facing corners to bolted anchor on ledge. (110’)
P2: 5.8 C2 Walk to the right side of the ledge, offwidth up to another ledge, then continue right to the main left-facing corner. Aid the crack to a bolt ladder, and then follow it up and left into a right-facing corner. Follow this corner for a short ways to a hanging belay at a bolted anchor. (90’)
P3: C2 Aid up the crack overhead to the small summit. The last few placements are in soft, sugar rock. (60’)
Descent: There is a three bolt anchor at the summit notch, backed up by two pins on the true summit. All are a little suspect due to rock quality. Rappel to the anchor atop the first pitch, then a second rap to the ground.
Gear: Rack to #4, (3) 0.5-.75, (2) #1-#2 Camalots Dec 16, 2017