Nodes in The Needle

The Needle is readily identified from the Grand High Tops as the rocky spire E of Belougery Spire. This is the smallest of the four major spires in the park, being about 60 m high. Although Eric Dark, Dot English and party attempted this peak in 1936, they were unsuccessful and the first recorded ascent was by members of the University of New England Mountaineering Club in 1959.

Climbs are described anticlockwise from SW Arete.

Short and pleasant. The original descent route. Start at the left hand end of the east face. Scramble up onto large ledge.

1. 9m Up corner at right hand end of ledge to obvious stance.

2. 30m There are two ribs to choose from, the left being trickier.

Start just L of middle of E Face, L of tree and 2 m L of abseil gully. Overlapping crack for 15m, then R to vegetated crack. Up.

The next major line R is quite vegetated. This is the E Face abseil descent route.

Small pillar just R of abseil gully, then L side of loose-looking arete.

Start at crack 1 m L of Optical Illusion. Crack in ramp for 12 m, then R and up vegetated crack on R of loose-looking arete/prow. Poor rock.

Crack 1 m L of Deception; loose rock and grass.

Start on east face, 1.5 m left of arete. Thin, twin cracks.

Pleasant and well protected. Start at clean arete on N side. This is the first climb reached when approaching from sealed road to TV tower. Overhanging start, then past bolt to ledge. Continue up arete past three bolts to bolt belay on L.

Crack in ramp on W side of N arete, to join Northern LIghts at three-quarters height.

Groove in middle of clean W Face. Bolts. Two rests.

Sustained and beautiful; best line on cliff. Crack between two bolted routes on W Face.

Line 1 m R of Eugowra. Bolts.

Wide crack L of The Kiruna Crooner with large chockstone at one-third height.

Start 40m R of Northern Lights, in middle of W Face below wide crack on R of overhanging face split by three cracks. Up R to bolt, then wall and arete to top of pillar (six bolts; small wires and cams on R side of arete at half-height and at top). Over boulder, then step across wide crack. Up to ledge, bolt belay.

Broken line on NW corner.

Start in middle of W Face, just R of small arete. Up 5 m, then L to arete. Arete (poor rock), then L into crack/corner.

Start at old bolt at base of roof-capped corner a few m round L of Ramshead South.

1-2) The line.

Start at crack on lowest rib of SW Face.

1. 15m Up crack then through squeeze hole.

2. 21m The crack on the righthand side of gully past bolts. Bolt belay.

3. 21m Scramble up right.

Start at R corner at base of S Buttress.

1-3) Corner to chockstone, then up nose. Regain corner after 10 m, then up to stance. L to nose, then face to loose ground (poor rock).