From Sylvan Lake, walk through the narrow gap to the back side of the first rocks. Turn left (California Boys is to the right) and go roughly 150 feet to a section of cliff just off the right side of the trail.Climb an obvious crack/flake to the top of the formation. In 1983, two ropes were used to do a Needles rappel off the top. There are now a number of bolted lines here, so an anchor atop one of those routes can probably now be used.

California Girl

California Boys

Pool and Pie

All That Glitters is Gold (AKA For A Snickers)

M & M's

Bagpiper

Better Than Beer and Pretzels

Nugget and a Biscuit

Pieces of Eight

Evarete

East Dam Gully (?)

Juicer

Wild Rib

A somewhat interesting gully with a few shorter sections of "real" climbing. 

  Getting into the thing requires some stemming. Then travel up the gully to a quartzy off-vertical bit-- climb that and angle up and right* in a trough. Finish at a short face and top out. 

  Alternately, you can head up the left wall of the gully and your chances of finding a walk-off are higher.

Incredible route that is usually top-roped.  Beginning moves require balance and great feet.  At about the 20 ft. point, the jugs appear and you can cruise.  Anchors are shared with Pieces of Eight. 

  You can TR this by leading the much easier Better Than Beer and Pretzels and walking over to these anchors.

This is the line that starts about 15-18 ft right of the 5.5 (The 5.5 is called "Better Than Pool & Pie" here in Mountain Project and which is called "Beer & Pretzels" in the 'mini-guide book' by  Mayer & Stisser)

Recommended as a top rope after leading the 5.5.  With the 2 old 1/4-inch bolts now (2019) replaced it's certainly safer to lead than it had been, but my recollection is the bolts are pretty far apart and the first is, like, 25 ft up. 

 Start on a large flat stone at/near the base of the large crack system and climb up the face.  Crux about 25 ft up; then continue on to the anchors of "Better Than Pool & Pie".

Next Rock over from Pieces of Eight.  Starts in the middle of the face following the bolts up and right and then back up and left.   

  This route starts steep and stays fairly sustained but the stances are good for clipping the bolts. It is a full grade harder than Pieces of Eight but just as fun. 

  Follow the first 3 bolts up and slightly right.  There may be a fourth bolt higher up right but I usually move up and left to the next bolt.  You can move up and left to the tree and sling it and I think you can get some pieces in the horizontal crack.  The last bolt is up and left, then climb to the top and belay.   

  Anchors have been added to the top but in the past we have gone down the gully to the south slightly towards the lake and around to the anchors on Pieces of Eight. 

  You can TR this by leading the much easier Better Than Beer and Pretzels and walking over to these anchors.

In all my years of climbing in the Needles, I have never seen anyone climb this route.  Too bad... 'cause it's beautiful.  Even though it's "just a 7", the opening moves have a bit of a bouldery flavor.  After topping the small "pinnacle", clip the first old bolt and make a couple delicate moves to the first of several jugs.  Clip the second old bolt and move through the crux up and right through a few sloping holds. Keep your EYES OPEN for the third, relatively new BEEFY bolt that appears just as your nerves begin to rattle.  Two options exist to finish.  Either rappel from the first set of old 1/4 anchors with weathered slings, or continue past the bulge through unprotected knobs to a newer set of bolts and slings.  A single 60m rope will reach the ground from the first anchors... but I'm not sure about the upper rappel station. (Thunder and lightning forced an early retreat...)

Crux moves right off the deck.  Clipping bolts one and two call for delicate and precise feet.  After the initial moves, work up and left thru easier ground to anchors that are shared with M & M's.

Better than Beer and Pretzels ascends a fairly low angle slab with big holds just left of the dam. To reach it, take a right after walking under the chockstone. The route is a few hundred feet down the trail, and is the most obvious, least runout, and easiest looking line of bolts.The best part of the route is topping out and looking down at the lake. This is a beautiful spot, and a great safe moderate climb.

This appeared to be an unfinished route, just left of 'For a Snickers'. Hence the single 1/4" buttonhead next to the first bolt. Now finished up with two bolts added above. Crux is getting to the second bolt. Then trend right past third bolt and horizontals for gear. Merge into 'For a Snicker's' finish. Shares anchors.

This is a great route with a hard start and good protection.  Go through the damn and right down to the open area.  It is on the North Corner of the rock which is the next rock over from Better than Pool & Pie. 

  The route starts right on the corner which is very steep on some smaller holds to the first bolt.  It stays hard until somewhere between the second and third bolt where it eases off.  The rest of the rout is fun easier climbing on bigger holds.  There are 4 bolts in all.  The anchor is solid.This and the other routes on the back of the damn are a great way to finish off a day. 

  You can TR this by leading the much easier Better Than Beer and Pretzels and walking over to these anchors.

Go through the damn tunnel and head left.  When you get to the end of the buttress on your left, follow the path up to the left (between the rocks and the old road).  Evarete is the second spire/rock.   

  The route starts on the Northwest corner, you should be able to see some of the bolts that follow the Arete up to the top.  The climbing is right on the corner, fun and slightly exposed with a good summit. Rap down to the start from the anchor.

Just squeeze the boulder as if you were juicing it until you are on the top!  Great landing - fun to do if you're alone with the height/landing

This route is pretty good, but the descent is enough of a hassle to make it hardly worth doing.  Find this route by walking through the tunnel on the north side of Sylvan Lake, and then take a left.  The Wild Rib formation is up the hill a little ways.  It is located up a tight squeeze gully between the first and second major formations uphill from the tunnel.  Belay at the top of the obvious gully.  Look for 3 bolts on a short arete.   

  Climb these and make an anchor.  My memory is a little shaky on this, but I know that I had to downclimb to the last bolt, and then somehow downclimbed a different way (to the left?) from there to get off.

The back side of the rocks near the dam have many quality routes.  Many summits run from east to west here.  Since most summits are not named, any routes along the lake could be included here.  The back side of the rocks that hold the lake in to the east of the dam hold good routes such as Better Than Pool & Pie and All That Glitters is Gold.  To the west of the dam are some interesting routes such as Lonesome Stepchild, Blockhead, Wild Rib, and Evarete, each of which goes to a separate summit. 

  Most routes in this area go to fixed anchors - but don't count on it.  I have been on some weird formations here that require some interesting and intuitive descents.

Description

Location

Protection

Routes in Dam - Back Side