Downclimbing Crestone Needle

From the summit we down-climbed the Needle's summit to the ridge which connects the Crestone Needle to Crestone Peak. This traverse is one of four "great Colorado 14er traverses" according to Gerry Roach. The rock was stone cold and the exposure mind numbing. One wrong move and a horrendous death. My fingers were numb with pain when I finally reached the stable rock below the Needle's summit. It was a scary down climb not to be repeated by me. A rope and rappelling gear would have made the descent off of the Needle a cake walk and would have saved a lot of time.