This climb is 3 pitches.  The formation just sort of jets out of a flat field;..there are dirt roads directly to the base of the formation.  The first pitch (climbs the pedestal) starts on the right side of the East Face and diagonals up and left to a ledge at the base of the actual steep "headwall" section. The first pitch is sort of loose, sort of junky, and about 5.8.  Pitch two is where the "business" starts;  make a 5.9 move to a ledge, traverse right to the main crack and start aid climbing (A2 on cams and wires) to a bolt ladder (about 5 bolts), then back to the crack (A1) to a sling belay from 3 bolts.  The last pitch is wild, in that you are climbing a fin of rock that is probably only 6-10 feet thick to the other side!.....(It's wide enough and you don't even realize just how thin it is until you get to the top and straddle the summit.)  The last pitch opens up a bit, to about 2 1/2 Friend size (many)...and ends up at bolts (and pins?) on the tiny summit. Rappel to the top of pitch one, then to the ground.

Cleopatra's Needle, East Face

Angel Wing

Venus Needle, West Face

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Venus Needle, East Face ("Putterman's Corner")

This climb is very close to the road, and the route faces the road.  The route follows an obvious crack system on the south edge.  This spire is very elegant, beautiful , and stunning.  The first pitch climbs lumpy and broken rock to a ledge.  Pitch 2 goes up a small splitter crack. Don't know anything about pitch 3;...looks like a very short pitch to the summit.

Pitch one;  5.9 and 5.10 chimney and crack climbing, ending with a squeeze chimney to a ledge.  There is a rest on the left , just before the crux section.  Pitch two;  5.9 chimney to 5.10 hands ,some aid, and 4 bolts for protection too along the way to another ledge.  A short manky looking bolt ladder to the summit.

p1 (lead by Andy Dannerbeck) was very soft and had loose blocks with 1 piece of pro. All free @ 5.7 and ends at two drilled angles.   p2 climb C.1+ crack past fixed pin to double drilled pin anchor.  

  hole count: 1 on p2, 4 belay total = 5

This route climbs a crack system on the East Face of Venus.

This area in on the border of Arizona and New Mexico, about 17 miles north of Fort Defiance, (Which is north of Gallup, New Mexico).  There are 4 major spires in the area;  Cleopatra's Needle (Which could very well be the skinnest spire in the world), Venus Needle, Navajo Needle, and Angel Wing.

Description

Location

Protection

Routes in Cleopatra's Needle Area