Heading to Needles/Rushmore SD for a week - recommendations?

Hi,

My wife and I are heading to the Needles/Rushmore SD for a week of climbing - woot!

First time there for us....

We have the beautiful new Rushmore guide. Is there any guide for Custer State Park (the "Needles"?)

And any must do recommendations? No scare fests - it'll be our first time there. Anything from 5.7 to 10+ sport or trad is good.

Cheers
Andy

mountainproject.com/v/cerbe…

must do!

I like the Sylvan Lake Campground if you can find a spot. Walking distance to climbing.

Haven't seen the new guides. The old skinny guide by ?John Page? (can't remember the name exactly) had a good selection of reasonably protected Needles moderates.

The Black Hills Playhouse is a nice diversion one night.
blackhillsplayhouse.weebly.…

I am not a local but been going annually since 2004. If I had just a few days this is what I'd do as a newcomer.

In the cathedral spires, do spire 2 - 5.6 and spire 4 - 5.4. If you have time, eyetooth (amazing summit) - 5.8. On the way there or back you can do Cerberus - 5.8. God's own drunk - 5.8 is also in the spires and is very cool with a cool summit. Spire 1 - 5.7? has an awesome summit as well.

At Rushmore, baba cool 5.9+ is an amazing intro to crystal climbing. Stardancer 5.8, weird water 5.7, and pointy little devil 5.8 are all really close together. Gossamer 5.7 is very cool and close as well. Weird water has amazing exposure. All these should be considered mandatory classics. All are single pitch bolted climbs.

Also at Rushmore, Garfield goes to Washington (3 pitches @ 5.8) was really enjoyable with awesome views from the top.

I wanted to link to each climb but my computer is fried and iPad sucks for this type of thing.

If you can find a copy, the old paul piana guide, "touch the sky", is great for the needles. The other 2 mentioned above are pretty good. I really like the Conn "adventure climbs" guide.

You should also consider going to spearfish canyon for a day or two. Get the Cronin guide to black hills limestone.

I'll put in additional votes for Four Little Fishes, Star Dancer and Tricouni Nail (Cerberus).

Curt

VC!!

Some recommendations for the Custer State Park (no scarefests, as requested). In the maps, I've tried to have the label arrows point to the approximate start of the route (for those routes I specifically recommended). If you enlarge the maps you'll get excellent detail.

Sylvan Lake:
Aquarium Rock, from Aquarium-Icehouse notch, 5.3, mountainproject.com/v/conn-…,
Southeast corner, Four Little Fishies, 5.9, mountainproject.com/v/four-….

Outlets:
Outer Outlet, Conn Route Northwest Face, 5.6, a classic, mountainproject.com/v/conn-….
Nick of Time, 5.10-, mountainproject.com/v/nick-….

Rob Knob's Spire, Kamps Route, 5.8, John Bragg leading

Needle's Eye:
Sore Thumb, 5.9, one of the best at this grade in the park. Upper part shown below. The obvious crack below the climbers is reached via a layback flake to the left.


Bell Tower, Kamps Crack, 5.10, mountainproject.com/v/kamps….



Switchbacks:
Phallus, 5.8, mountainproject.com/v/phall….
Moby Dick, Nantucket Sleighride, 5.10, mountainproject.com/v/moby-…. Piana says, "This may be the best climb of its grade in the Needles." Labeled "NSL" on the map.

Ten Pins:
Tent Peg, 5.7, mountainproject.com/v/tent-…,
Cerberus (Tricouni Nail), 5.8, mountainproject.com/v/cerbe…, view from Queenpin:

End Pin, 5.10+, mountainproject.com/v/end-p…



Cathedral Spires:
Spire One, Conn Route, 5.5, mountainproject.com/v/spire…,
South Tower of Spire 4, 5.7, mountainproject.com/v/south…,
East Gruesome, 5.8+, (Combining the East Gruesome with the South Tower of Spire 4 is one of the best outings in the Cathedral Spires),
Freak's Fright South Ridge, 5.10, mountainproject.com/v/freak…,
Freak's Foot, 5.8,
Eyetooth, 5.8, mountainproject.com/v/eyeto…,
Empire State Building, Wavy Crack, 5.9.

Picket Fence:
Wicked Picket, SW Ridge/W Face, 5.7, mountainproject.com/v/wicke….

Daryl Stisser & Cheryl Mayer (Sylvan Lake Climbing School & Guide Service) just printed a guide book, Needles, A Mini Guide to Custer State Park - Black Hills. Available at Granite Rock in Hill City or from the van at Sylvan Lake.

Great stuff everyone, thanks!