Crestone Needle

This climb is without a doubt the best easy rock climb on any of Colorado's "Gang of 54 (fourteeners)." Not surprisingly, you'll see it appear in both rock climbing guides and mountaineering guides for Colorado. It's airy, interesting, and remote.

The route follows a faint prow comprised of strange yet comforting horizontal ledges to a short rock wall that requires one move of 5.7 to negotiate. Then it's solid rock to the spectacular 14,197-foot summit.

So which is it really? A rock route or a mountain climb? As one climber put it recently: "a great combination of both."

Just the Facts First ascent: Albert Ellingwood, F. Frissel, E. Davis, S. Hart, M. Warner, 1925 Time required: 1/2 day from South Colony Lakes, below the mountain Technical grade: III, 5.7 References: Rock Climbing: Colorado by Stewart Green

Check out San Isabel National Forest, home of the
Sangre de Cristo Range
South-central Colorado Resources

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