Ellingwood Ledges

Got up at 4:30am to get a good start on the climb. We hiked up to the Upper South Colony Lake and then waited for a little light to start climbing.

The standard route ascends a 3rd class slab up to a ramp on the Needles' East face, then starts the 4th class arete. There is also a direct start, which adds two pitches of 5.6 climbing up to the 3rd class ramp. We ended up doing the direct direct start which started on the N side of the arete and added 6 pitches of 5.5/5.6 climbing up to the arete.

Once we got to the 4th class section, progress was faster, but we still stayed roped up which made it slow going. The headwall section is the crux, which we did in 4 pitches. The climbing here was really nice, and the last, crux pitch was 150 feet of 5.7 up a nice crack. There was another group in front of us already on the standard 5.7 crack, so I took one to the right, which angled up and right for a bit, then went straight up to the belay. It was about the same grade 5.7ish and offered nice hand and finger jams with cobbled conglomerate rock for extra hands and feet.

From here, it was about 200 feet of 3rd class to the summit.

Key beta for the climb: We did 10 technical pitches (although easy) that take time nonetheless. Plan on using a WHOLE day for this climb. You start at first light to make it off the mountain before thunderstorms in the afternoon. Since we did it in September, the storm factor was less, but still present. Even so, we didn't make it back to camp until about 4pm. Take plenty of water, extra food and clothing, and definitely first aid gear.

Hexes, tri-cams, cams from #0.5-#4 Friends, mid-large stoppers, many runners in the 24 inch length. Twin ropes are useful.