Sometimes the desert is the most exquisite place to be. The other day we climbed the Cleopatra's Needle on the Navajo Reservation. It was my second time but every bit as enjoyable as the first. Nothing drastic happened—I guess I'm a little too careful or better yet too concerned with the descent.

"The trick to any Navajo Reservation climbing is to be respectful of the culture, which means asking permission..."

Anyhow, the climb is a great one, and the trick to any Navajo Reservation climbing is to be respectful of the culture, which means asking permission first from the nearest grazing permit-holder and secondly have a bag of groceries: fresh fruits, meats, and tobacco are the minimums.

We also did the first clean ascent of that spire. It went at C2 according to my friend who also did the first clean ascent of the Salathé Wall (C4) in the Valley. I did all the free stuff so I cannot verify the rating. But I jugged and cleaned two of the pitches...enough to see that it looked pretty exciting. Also, the pictures should be in the next Patagonia catalog. All right, see ya bye.

—By Ted Berlstein, MountainZone.com Pubster