Gray Needle North Chimney

Locating the Gray Needle first climbed in 1953 was quite a project, introduced to me by Jim DiNapoli and Steve Gladbach in 2012 (Jim's report here). Notably, they identified the correct needle (which I'd since dubbed "The Bishop" based on their report) but sadly were not able to attempt it before they both passed away. Starting in 2018 I made several efforts with Kylie, culminating in a 2020 ascent with Grant Kleeves (my report here) of the point designated as Gray Needle by the USGS (BGN page here). In 2021, gore galore sparked a discussion (here) which eventually inspired further exploration by myself, Jonny Zaugg, and Amy (blazintoes) in 2022 and 2023 (my post here). Our failure to locate the 1953 route prompted Clint (Anima) and partner Elan to make an attempt on "The Bishop" in July 2024, on which they discovered the bolt ladder installed on the first ascent of Gray Needle 71 years prior (Clint's report here).

Much credit thus goes to Clint and Elan, whose efforts largely solved the mystery. The only thing left was to climb it to the summit. Though the FA route was alluring, I didn't like the prospects of aiding on 71-year-old bolts with no hangers, retrobolting or otherwise damaging the historic bolt ladder, or installing new hardware in parallel; much less schlepping any more gear than necessary. Instead I thought we should focus our efforts on a chimney on the north side, directly below the summit. Although photos kindly provided by Clint revealed it was probably quite wide, there still appeared to be usable cracks within its recesses.

Having used various approaches to this area--Noname Creek, Vallecito to Sunlight Basin, Chicago Basin to upper Noname via Twin Thumbs Pass, Kodiak High Route to upper Noname via Jagged Pass, Lime Mesa to Upper Noname (aborted in Chicago Basin due to weather)--I've grown to dread the prospect of transporting climbing gear to the Jagged vicinity. On our 2023 trip we tried another approach: Chicago Basin to the Windom-Sunlight saddle and on down to camp at 12700' above the unnamed lake south of Sunlight Lake. This takes full advantage of the Chicago Basin trail, which goes quick to 13200'. From there the ascent to the saddle is only 500 feet, followed by 900 feet of descent to camp, in a brutal 3/4 mile of boulder-hopping and shifting talus. Yet this seems to be the least of evils currently known to me.

En route, Jonny tagged Peak Eleven and Twin Thumbs while Amy and I side-tripped Peak Eighteen. With a casual start the next morning, we rambled northward over rolling alpine meadows and huge granite slabs, dipping depressingly far below the elevation of our campsite before beginning the stiff climb to the notch that forms the Peak Ten-Noname Needle saddle. Originally I'd planned on descending the gully to the west, which runs into the ledge system leading to Noname Ridge; however, the deep, shaded gully was still holding a fair amount of late September's snow, so instead we scrambled up a short class 4-5.0 weakness to the north, then contoured northwest across steep grassy slopes until we reached the sandy gully providing access to Noname Needle from the lower ledges, to which we descended.

We traversed the sloping grassy terrace beneath the intimidating south face of Gray Needle, wrapping around to the north side of the peak, where the precipitous ledges were covered with snow. From here it appeared we could get close to the summit without roping up. We scrambled up blocky terrain eastward until we reached a point just below and east of the notch between Gray Needle and Needle #4. With dry shoes we'd have 3rd classed a bit farther, but here we roped up and traversed an outsloping block west around a corner to a gap in the ridge. We made another descending traverse on precarious ledges with a 4th class step down, passing the notch, to reach a comfortable stance by the north side chimney, directly beneath the summit.

This chimney is 5 or 6 feet wide, on the whole afflicted with the worst case of razor-sharp, decomposing granite dandruff, with captive blocks forming two distinct overhangs, the first being more severe. The sides offer a fingers- to hands crack on the right and an offwidth (#4-#5) crack on left. With considerable effort, after ditching his pack, Jonny worked the offwidth through the overhangs to a ledge 30 feet up. Next I followed, preoccupied with the task of escorting my pack on the other rope, which was clipped to all the gear in the crack, and preventing its tearing open and dumping its contents into the abyss. I did enjoy a secure knee jam but otherwise French freed my way to the top. Jonny graded this pitch 5.9-5.9+.

While Amy followed, I explored our ledge 20 feet below the summit. This is clearly the site of the courte echelle (shoulder stand) employed by the 1953 party; a platform 7 or 8 feet up would be quickly reached by such a maneuver. Hand cracks are found on both sides, with the left being shorter but slightly overhung, the right leading past the shallow end of the platform to the summit. Once Amy arrived at the ledge, Jonny launched upward, battling his way 15 feet up the righthand crack before stepping delicately left, then beached-whaled onto the vanishing end of the platform and scrambled up to set a belay on the summit capstone. Since he was now directly above, we opted to follow the crack entirely. While this pitch would go at 3rd class with a shoulder stand, Jonny graded his route 5.10b, above my pay grade, and I happily aided it out on the cams and second rope. Amy followed suit (let's assume she did significantly more actual climbing than me), and we three stood on top of Gray Needle, 71 years after its first ascent!

After enjoying the thrilling position, we rappelled off the capstone 20 feet back down to our packs on the ledge, then reversed the 50 foot (horizontal) descent described in the FA account by a belayed traverse west across the top of our chimney and up a 4th class corner, squeezing up through an awkward 5th class wedge to reach the relatively broad south shoulder of the slab we knew hosted the FA bolt ladder. From here the true summit is in your face, while the pinnacles up-ridge fade into the periphery. We rappelled off a slung boulder 30 feet, past the 1953 bolts--which repurposed sawed-off pitons as hangers--and the already-tattered anchor left by Clint and Elan in July, and like the FA party "wedged ourselves between two giant blocks on the sharp summit ridge." Here we installed a final anchor and rappelled 55m, down the narrow seam led by Barry Bishop all those years ago (it only just struck me how apropos a nickname "The Bishop" is for this needle), replete with 6 pitons that we counted, to the north side ledges.

Amy and Jonny tagged Peak Ten while I moseyed back to camp and made my dinner, puzzling over a huge balloon floating in the western sky. Upon my partners' return we joked it was a Chinaballoon, but turns out it likely was a surveillance balloon (like these). Nursing work commitments and missing family, I hiked out the next morning, while Amy and Jonny stayed to work on an undisclosed project before tagging Knife Point and Sunlight Spire on their way out the following day.

It feels great to finish this project, and to finally complete with certainty the officially named 13ers. I could hardly have wrangled a better team for this particular challenge, Amy and Jonny both being tough, strong climbers, willing partners, and good company to boot.

The attached GPX includes our entire approach track from 2023 (I didn't GPS much of this trip), which CalTopo clocks at 10.8 mi. and +5500/-1000 ft. It also includes a composite of paths taken to the base of Peak Ten and the final route up to the roped pitches of Gray Needle, from our campsite 2.5 mi. and +1500/-950 ft.