We had a great day and the weather held. Subjective what people enjoy and what scares people. Main issue for us was route finding, but we did our homework. It's challenging and the crux is short and fun. Hiking down the Needle was no picnic.
MissH - Aug 21, 2017 12:13 am Date Climbed: Aug 20, 2017
Fun day
Just under 2 hours. I followed on two short pitches - the 5.2 at the gendarme and the 2-move knife edge. Everything else was climbed free. Wore rock climbing shoes at gendarme to summit.
Woodie Hopper - Sep 20, 2015 12:37 am Date Climbed: Sep 19, 2015
Sensational!
Solo. Easy route finding with plenty of conspicuous cairns. Don't do this route if you are uncomfortable with MASSIVE exposure and steep class 4/5. If you slip on the summit pitch, you're likely toast.
1:35 time for the traverse
DanielL - Oct 13, 2013 3:45 pm Date Climbed: Sep 1, 2011
Fun climb
Got this done on a great September morning - not a true ridge traverse most of the time but lots of great rock to climb around on!
Pete Castricone - May 31, 2012 3:21 pm Date Climbed: May 30, 2012
Peak to Needle
From S. Colony TH in a day. This is a horrible route and not really a "traverse" at all. I would not recommend it to anyone.
actually by far the worst of the CO classic 14er traverses. go for blanca traverse. TR at http://zoomloco.xanga.com/732717261/purple-mountain-majesties/
Brian C - Apr 27, 2010 8:27 am Date Climbed: Sep 2, 2009
cool
This is great. One of the easier of the "4 traverses". Go do it!
It's 10:00 am, you are at the summit of the needle in a total whiteout, and a group is rapelling onto the traverse from the top. Why not keep going? Only got stuck in one sketchy section mid-way through the traverse that was hard to protect.
benners - Dec 9, 2008 8:44 pm Date Climbed: Aug 8, 2007
Classic
We came up and over the final pitch to summit the Needle, the top was sticking out of the clouds, maybe my most memorable moment on a mountain.
Dropmo40 - Oct 31, 2008 2:14 am Date Climbed: Jul 27, 2008
add the n buttress
for a "classic" tour
ClimbandMine - Jan 14, 2008 6:08 pm Date Climbed: Sep 15, 2007
peak to needle
fun hike and scramble. route finding and climbing aren't bad at all.
chicagotransplant - Sep 17, 2007 10:29 am Date Climbed: Sep 16, 2007
Peak to Needle
Great scrambling all along this traverse, with the best at the end. Nice steep face climbing on good knobby rock right below the Needle's summit.
shanahan96 - Feb 2, 2007 6:04 pm Date Climbed: Jun 10, 2006
peak to needle
my second great fourteener traverse. it wasn't really hard like expected, but the scrambling on the needle side was pretty cool. 2:08 for the traverse.
jamie
Brad Snider - Aug 7, 2006 4:13 pm Date Climbed: Jul 24, 2005
Peak to Needle
My first of Colorado's 4 great 14er traverses, w/ bc44caesar. Thoroughly enjoyed it!
xDoogiex - Aug 19, 2020 5:35 am Date Climbed: Aug 20, 2020
My first of the four great 14er traversesI don't normally sign route logs here but this one was a ton of fun. 3 of us going solo and a group of 2 met on crestone peak and helped each other
heymcgraw - Jul 15, 2020 7:38 pm Date Climbed: Jul 14, 2020
Great TraverseWe had a great day and the weather held. Subjective what people enjoy and what scares people. Main issue for us was route finding, but we did our homework. It's challenging and the crux is short and fun. Hiking down the Needle was no picnic.
MissH - Aug 21, 2017 12:13 am Date Climbed: Aug 20, 2017
Fun dayJust under 2 hours. I followed on two short pitches - the 5.2 at the gendarme and the 2-move knife edge. Everything else was climbed free. Wore rock climbing shoes at gendarme to summit.
Woodie Hopper - Sep 20, 2015 12:37 am Date Climbed: Sep 19, 2015
Sensational!Solo. Easy route finding with plenty of conspicuous cairns. Don't do this route if you are uncomfortable with MASSIVE exposure and steep class 4/5. If you slip on the summit pitch, you're likely toast.
1:35 time for the traverse
DanielL - Oct 13, 2013 3:45 pm Date Climbed: Sep 1, 2011
Fun climbGot this done on a great September morning - not a true ridge traverse most of the time but lots of great rock to climb around on!
Pete Castricone - May 31, 2012 3:21 pm Date Climbed: May 30, 2012
Peak to NeedleFrom S. Colony TH in a day. This is a horrible route and not really a "traverse" at all. I would not recommend it to anyone.
zoomloco - Jul 16, 2011 4:36 pm
ellingwood arete direct to traverseactually by far the worst of the CO classic 14er traverses. go for blanca traverse. TR at http://zoomloco.xanga.com/732717261/purple-mountain-majesties/
Brian C - Apr 27, 2010 8:27 am Date Climbed: Sep 2, 2009
coolThis is great. One of the easier of the "4 traverses". Go do it!
Trip Report
pyerger - Jun 9, 2009 5:09 pm Date Climbed: Aug 18, 2007
peak to needleNice traverse, the last pitch was nice and airy.
Ted Eliason - Jan 17, 2009 11:47 am
A short day into longIt's 10:00 am, you are at the summit of the needle in a total whiteout, and a group is rapelling onto the traverse from the top. Why not keep going? Only got stuck in one sketchy section mid-way through the traverse that was hard to protect.
benners - Dec 9, 2008 8:44 pm Date Climbed: Aug 8, 2007
ClassicWe came up and over the final pitch to summit the Needle, the top was sticking out of the clouds, maybe my most memorable moment on a mountain.
Dropmo40 - Oct 31, 2008 2:14 am Date Climbed: Jul 27, 2008
add the n buttressfor a "classic" tour
ClimbandMine - Jan 14, 2008 6:08 pm Date Climbed: Sep 15, 2007
peak to needlefun hike and scramble. route finding and climbing aren't bad at all.
chicagotransplant - Sep 17, 2007 10:29 am Date Climbed: Sep 16, 2007
Peak to NeedleGreat scrambling all along this traverse, with the best at the end. Nice steep face climbing on good knobby rock right below the Needle's summit.
shanahan96 - Feb 2, 2007 6:04 pm Date Climbed: Jun 10, 2006
peak to needlemy second great fourteener traverse. it wasn't really hard like expected, but the scrambling on the needle side was pretty cool. 2:08 for the traverse.
jamie
Brad Snider - Aug 7, 2006 4:13 pm Date Climbed: Jul 24, 2005
Peak to NeedleMy first of Colorado's 4 great 14er traverses, w/ bc44caesar. Thoroughly enjoyed it!