One of the Needles classics, you can't leave here without climbing it. But, it is serious and if you are not very comfortable leading 5.9, you might want to wait. 

  P1: Start down the hill from the parking lot in the eye. Chimney up to the right and face climb to the arete. You might be able to get a stopper in for protection before you start face climbing. Wrap a runner around the knob and belay.  

  P2: Head straight up on knobs, using the left edge to counter-balance. There is no pro for 25' until you reach a horizontal crack. Clip the piton, traverse right to another piton (a TCU will fit in the crack), then stem up the gully (crux) to the chains. A 

  Rap: a single rope gets you down to the parking lot.

Needle's Eye

Harris-Emery Aid Route

Threading the Needle

Renn Fenton Direct Route

This is the route of first ascent of the Needle's Eye and must have been an arduous undertaking, drilling 14 (*) 1/2 inch bolt holes by hand. Today the route goes free at about 5.11 (5.11- according to Paul Piana's guidebook "Touch the Sky"), but, as he points out, you pretty much have to climb the route on aid to do it free, since none of the bolt casings have a bolt in it.

 The year was 1974 when I was there with two friends and aid climbing was just starting to become "passe' ".  Certainly, "in those days"  it was much more acceptable to aid climb, especially repeat an establish climb.  The only other route up the formation was known to be "seriously run out 5.8 - 5.9" ( modern translation "X", and a bit above our "Pay grade") but it just seemed such a neat summit to reach.

 After finding the route (no easy feat), a couple of moves up to the first bolt casing provided the info needed for bolts.  Then off to Custer and the local hardware store, then back with a dozen+ bolts of, I think, 2 sizes. (...The nice man at the store said: "Sure you can return them if they don't fit.")

 Then, up we went.  As Paul Piana describes: "...the climb is actually quite enjoyable; some of the clip-ins are as exciting as the moves themselves." I am taller than my partners that day, and recollection is that they had quite the reach at times. I do remember a "good time was had by all" and much beer flowed that evening. I'm almost sure that the storekeeper at the hardware store even let us return the bolts, at least the ones we didn't use. (We bought 2 "sets", each a slightly different size.)

 "D" walked around taking pictures while Steve belayed (or were those rolls reversed?) who knows!?  Steve lugged his camera up to the top for the summit photo with the s--t-eating grin and "Aussy" hat.

 The route photos (including the close up of a bolt) were taken in 2018 on a return trip (my first return since 1974 to the Black Hills )

Start by the sign next to the Needles Eye. Climb up into the needle, set gear where needed in the chimney. Stem, and climb up on the right side, there's two bolts. After the second bolt climb left to the top anchors on top of the shoulder to the right of the summit of the needles eye formation. 

  Variation: Instead of traversing left after coming out of the eye, climb straight up to the top of the higher summit. This variation brings the climbing into the 5.9 range and causes lots of rope drag. However, it is still a very good climb. A 30 meter rappel lands you on the trash can. 

Note:

Climb route when low amount of noise in the parking lot is available (not Sturgis week) because climber traverses where belayer can't see climber. Use a third person to spot if needed.

Want to climb the Needle's Eye runout when you are pumped?  Then this is your route...   Start down and right of the traditional start of the Needle's Eye, climbing over a bulge via an undercling and a thin crack, to and end, to a bolt, then past a seam up and right to a groove and then left to a flake and gear.  The runout above the bolt is noteworthy, but the crux is down low. Small but good stoppers are available through the crux up to the bolt, but are pumpy to place.

This rock has a highway named after it, and it is paved right to the base.  Every route on this formation is extremely bold with massive ground fall potential.  Do not plan on climbing this during the day in tourist season.  Hordes of tourists will swarm the base.  Although, maybe a ground fall might land you on top of a tourist bus.  Climb this in the spring or fall and early or late in the day.   

  Many famous photos show people stemming up the middle of the eye.  However, the most popular route now seems to be a 5.10 route that starts directly from the parking lot.  To descend, rappel from fixed anchors using two ropes to the ground.

Description

Protection

Routes in Needle's Eye