The Needles / Kern River 

"There is a God, and, obviously, he climbs." - Sam Lightner Jr.

He said this about a route in Thailand, but I can't think of a better way to describe the Needles. I could give 4 stars to pretty much every route we did there. Far and away the best climbing area I hit on my CA road trip and in my top three locals of all time.

Igor Unchained
Airy Interlude
Fancy Free
Thin Ice
Spooky
The Howling
Lost at Sea
Atlantis

ALL CLASSIC!

How early in the spring can you start climbing here?

Elephant Knob is not worth the hike, for those who are considering it. The cliff got burnt up in a wildfire a few years back and it is DONE. Started up a couple of the "classics" but it's all kitty litter rock now and the hardware has been cooked and isn't trustworthy either.

Anyone know when the earliest the needles area is climbable in the spring? Trying to plan a mid May trip.

This year, with snow levels as low as they are, it is entirely possible that the trail could open in May or even later this month. Up-to-date conditions at the Ponderosa down the road can be found at www.ponderosaca.com/wx.htm if you want to try and time it.

The area itself is climbable year round, but the main approach is gated and the hike in becomes about twice as long when the road from 190 to the campground is blocked by snow. Expect 60-90 minutes then.

You could always camp at Peppermint Springs and climb on Voodoo Dome if nothing else seems to be workable. Unless it's pissing down rain, there's almost always *something* climbable up there.