About the Needles
The Needles of South Dakota are a classic, traditional climbing area full of legend and lore. Herb and Jan Conn, Bob Kamps and Dave Rearick, John Gill, Royal Robbins, Chuck Pratt and Steve Roper were among the most prolific pioneering first ascentionists. Their routes climb to the summits of the hundreds of spires which give the area its name. The Conn’s, in their 1940’s guidebook, summarized the area quite well: “Being a climber in the Needles is like being a cat in a fish store”. The summits are exciting, with incredible vistas. The rock, a very hard granite and pegmatite, is “festooned with an astonishing number of holds” and the cracks are well-suited to nuts and cams. The frequent blank areas are sparingly protected with bolts. There is strong historical emphasis on free climbing with limited protection, using natural pro, nuts, and minimal bolts. Climbers today continue to abide by this time-honored ethic.