Haystack gives you a true summit experience, a real rarity at Coopers, as you must climb to reach the pointy peak; you can't just hike up the backside and walk through the woods to get to the top of these climbs. But you don't have to climb 5.10 to get to the top, although two popular bolted friction routes at that grade will take you there, because the 5.0 route is always an option. Once you've climbed to the top, notice the inscriptions carved into the rock. The oldest of the dates accompanying the names and initials is 1922.

A traditional site for bolts at Coopers Rock (a predominantly no-bolt climbing area), Haystack has had them at least since the 70's, and in the early 90's climbers replace the original thin and rusted bolts (just stubs by then) with stronger modern bolts.

Few areas the size of Coopers, a relative "backwater" area compared to many of the east's main areas, can brag of such fine and beautiful friction climbing.

#1 The Standard Route5.0, the "Everyman's Route" of Haystack, is accessible to any climber, and some non-climbers also find there way up this route in order to hang out at the top, unknowingly about to learn the hard way that down-climbing is frequently more difficult than climbing up. Climb onto easy rock in the lower righthand side of the uphill face. Diagonal up and right until you reach the nose. Hang a left and head towards the summit, where you'll find bolt and chain anchors. 50'

#2 The Standard Route Direct Variation 5.8 begins over to the right, and involves jumping up from the ground and grabbing the lip of the overhang, moving a few moves right, pulling the roof directly below the nose, then joining the Standard Route to the summit. 50'

#3 Rebolting Development 5.10 (4 bolts, chains), the right hand of the bolted routes, going straight up the middle of the face on absolutely impeccable rock to the summit. 50'

Scott Richards ready to start on Rebolting Development 5.10 - 1996

#4 Needle on the Haystack 5.10 a top rope route halfway between The Standard Route and Rebolting Development, it joins Rebolting Development right near the top. If the 5.10 friction proves too tough, there's an easier top rope variation to try. From approximately the same spot as the start of the hard climbing on Needle, traverse left and a bit up, aiming for the second bolt on Rebolting. Continue left past the bolt to the obvious diagonal crack. Then go right, following the crack, and rejoin Rebolting at the third bolt. (Approximately 5.8+)

#5 Name Unknown 5.10+ (4 bolts chains), is the lefthand of the bolted routes. The rock quality is again flawless, but this route is a bit shorter than Rebolting and has a rest part way up.

Left of this route is an overhanging face with the words "Ted and Bettie 75" painted at its base. Just above "Ted" are the remnants of an old bolt aid ladder. Maybe Ted and Bettie were practicing for a big wall in the valley.

In the department of Striking Contrasts, walk around behind the block, to the riverside face for a look. While expanses of rock at Coopers Rock, the backside is a bizzare lunar landscape of weird, gigantic features, a huge tilted field of knobs and protrusions and gullies that couldn't be more different from the friction face on the opposite side.

#6 Cheat Crack 5.5 starts at the lowest point of the backside and winds up through the weirdscape to the top. Numerous variations exist, including an alternate start left of the regular start. This unique route might just have the best view of any route at Coopers Rock. 65'

Other possiblities exists on this rock. From the summit, you'll notice a slab leading down toward the tip of th eoverhanging upstream face. It is possible to lower someone down the slab on toprope to its bottom edge and then they can slab climb from there back up to the peak. Possibly a difficult toprope route or two can be climbed up the overhanging upstream face.