Dorado Needle, South Side. In August Margarite Hargrave and I did a new route on the south side of Dorado Needle up a prominent ridge leading towards a point southeast of the main summit. We approached from a camp at the Klawatti col, traversing west over the Inspiration Glacier and head of the west branch of the McAllister Glacier to drop through the notch between Eldorado and Dorado Needle. The 1200-foot route had about eight leads of moderate class 5. Generally the rock is sound and of good quality though dikes of softer rock must be climbed with care. The route began with third- and fourth-class scrambling to the ridge crest; then we climbed one lead of the steepest section on a loose grey dike just on the north side of the ridge. We left the ridge before the top third and followed a class-three gully to a notch between the southeast point and main summit block. Two further leads gained the summit. NCCS III, F5.

Joan Firey