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Needle Peak off the Coquihalla - Summer

difficult snowshoeing, hiking and back country skiing trails near Hope Airport, BC

Trail Stats	GPS Preview LARGER MAP »
Activity: Snowshoeing, Hiking, Back Country Skiing Length: - Time: 7 hours Nearest Town: Hope Airport, BC Seasons: Spring, Winter, Fall, Summer Difficulty: difficult Rating: Submitted by: mschlamp	LARGER MAP »

Description

Elevation gain: 855 m. Round trip: 13 km. Time: 6 to 8 hours

This strenuous hike climbs to the peak at 2105 metres. The view from the top looks over the Cascades to the Coastal Mountains. The Needle is recommended for experienced hikers only. See same peak described in another trailpeak entry here.

First hour and one half very steep uphill climb after which become easy mountain meadow walk with faboulous vista. Last hour is a scramble over rocks and steep climbs, well worth it.

Directions:

Head east on Old Hope-Princeton Way. Take Hwy #5 east for 46 km. Use the service road near the Ministry of Highways yard. Park on the side near the sign that marks the trailhead.

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Reviews and Questions

Posted by:TimG Fri Apr 04 17:22:56 EDT 2008

Not Rated

Comment:

"Needle Peak" should not be confused with "The Needles", a series of bumps a few KMs north of Lynn Peak (south of Coliseum Mountain)

Posted by:justforfun Mon Sep 25 00:32:32 EDT 2006

Upside:	Great views, immediat pay back as we get out of the forest very quickly and most of the trail is on the ridge in sub-alpine
Downside:	This is not a real down side but a warning, the trail might be sketchy to follow once on the bare rock and ones can find themselve really exposed - there is a memorial at the summit, please don't be an other memorial
Comment:	We summited Needle peak on September 23, 2006 and so far, the 3 of us agreed on calling it a blast. It is surprisignly busy as on this beautiful day of September there was at least 6 other parties on the trail. I would like to bring safety and preservation on my comment - the first thing you need to remember is that Needle peak is a B3 which stands for Moderate (6-8 houres - B) and easy climbing (3) meaning it is not an easy scramble but offers very exposed climbing and any mistake or fall can be fatal. I didn't have a rope with me but I will bring one when I go back even if I am an experienced climber - My other concern is the environment, we are hiking on sub-alpine terrain, meaning that it takes lots of energy and persistance to mother nature to build any kind of vegetation, your footprint takes years to be erased so please stay on the trail. I will give this destination a 5 out of 5

Posted by:spry-guy Sun Aug 08 18:51:32 EDT 2004

Upside:	Yep, a little bit of everything. Well-maintained trail.Gorgeous peaks come into view with each step.
Downside:	none
Comment:	Didn't make right to the summit.To those who have, can you give a little more info please?Once my friend and I reached the ridge and made our way to the backside of the mountain, the path petered out and climbing over the boulders was dangerous(no footholds/handholds and flaky lichen).We know there's gotta be a way, but by that point we decided to call it a day.Should you skirt along the slope and approach further along, or is it marked and we just missed it??I urge people to visit this trail, but just be careful on the rocks up above.Be conservative.

Posted by:simonc Wed May 12 13:10:36 EDT 2004

Upside:	This trail gives you a bit of everything. Climbing through the trees, to ridge walking, to the final summitt scramble. Good views for a lot of the hike.
Downside:	none really
Comment:	Time permitting it is well worth the effort to climb the west ridge (communication tower) for another prospective of Needle and a couple of beautiful (photo ops) tarns.

Posted by:spotty Sat Jul 26 19:03:40 EDT 2003

Upside:	Awesome views and a fun trail. Lots of time spent on the ridge. The route is not that difficult due to all the neat views. The scramble near the top makes the peak that much more rewarding.
Downside:	None
Comment:	I do not think this hike should just be for experts. The final summit takes a bit of rock climbing but if you stay to the right side gulley it is managable.

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