Routes in Lake Tahoe, California Side

Belay from natural anchors.

When looking at the East Wall, this is the obvious, nearly straight up and down, bottom-to-top crack line. When you see it, you know it. Climb the crack. Keep climbing it.

A great first pitch, and easier, but still very pleasant pitches above.

1. 50m (5.7) Up the obvious crack (which is mostly easier than it looks) to belay on the obvious big ledge (keep some mid-size cams). Can be split into two (or even three) pitches.

2. 50m (5.6) Hardish move to gain face, clip bolt out right, then up as you will to a natural belay wherever you like.

3. 30m (4th class) Up as you will to the top.

In the center of East Wall is an obvious arch, rising up from the base of the cliff and curving rightwards. East Crack goes up the 2nd crack line right of the right-end of the arch.

1. 5.7, 160ft. Climb the crack, past a bulge and then upwards until a ledge/stance appears up and left of the crack. Belay. (small gear)

2. 5.8, 120ft. Step back right from the belay to the crack, and follow the left crack line upwards at the large flakes. Pull over two or three bulges (5.8 cruxes), then up the crack a bit further, then move right to the ledge system where this route, "Bear's Reach" and "East Wall" converge. Belay high and left on the shared ledge, if there's crowding (common).

3. 5.7 (crux only), 120ft. Step right from the belay and head up the obviously highly-trafficed and a bit polished crack. Pull the 5.7 crux roof, and then reach the 3rd class ledge. Place a piece (to protect the 2nd) then traverse right until you find a comfortable belay. Generally better to belay on the ledge, rather than over the top. to ease communication and rope drag.

left-most obvious low-angle crack line.

Fixed anchor above first pitch. Natural anchors for remaining pitches.

A classic line up the "Upper Spire".

1. 5.7, 140ft. Climb through a scary series of hollow booming flakes to single solid flake about half way up, then up this until it ends with a small ledge at a horizontal break.

2. 5.6, 50ft. Step left from the belay to a wide crack. Climb mostly the face left of the crack and left edge of the crack, reaching right into the crack to place gear.

Climb takes large cams, generally 2-each BD Camalots #2, #3, and #4 (or equivalents) as well as a normal rack.

Alternative first pitch to the remaining 2 pitches of Haystack.

Pro to 3". No fixed top anchor. Walk off descent.

1. 90 ft (5.8) Perfect jamming and liebacking up the flake and left-facing dihedral to a 2-bolt anchor.

2. 110 ft (5.9) Easy climbing to an offwidth crack over a bulge, followed by 3rd class slabs to the summit.

Many parties just do the excellent first pitch. Pro to 3.5".

Sustained quality climbing, and solid at the grade. Gear plus 2 bolts to a double bolt lower off.

Not quite as interesting as the variations, the original zig-zagging line still serves up fantastic variety of climbing at an easier grade.

1. 110 ft (5.7) Start up the vertical hand crack up a dihedral to a small ledge. Follow the obvious large flake past 2 bolts to the large ledge. Traverse left to the start of the second pitch. Variations (5.8 and 5.9+) begin at the base of the vertical off-width / fist crack. Continue left for the original second pitch. Bring one or two pieces of 4' pro for the flake and place them carefully.

2. 90 ft (5.7) Follow the diagonal crack and ramp back to the right, passing under the roof and around to the right before traverse horizontally back left. Follow the fingers/hands splitter crack to the bolted anchor.

Chains at the right of the large ledge above the first pitch allow you to top-rope the first pitch as well as the interesting face climbing just right of the first pitch. If top-roping the first pitch, use the last bolt as a redirect. Resist any temptation to belay the second pitch from these chains. Instead, traverse left and build an anchor before starting the second pitch.

Descend in two rappels. The lip of the roof can snag a rope, so be careful when pulling the rope after the first rappel.

Pro to 3", with triples of 2" cams.

A classic line offering a little bit of everything.

1. 30m (5.6) Up the nice slab following two diagonal seams (exceptionally thin gear - this would be a bold lead) to a bolted rap anchor. Can be skipped or TRed via a 4th class corner system up to the right.

2. 15m (5.6) Nice slab past 3 bolts, then step right beneath the precarious perched blocks to a bolted rap anchor.

3. 15m (5.2) Up the wide corner then left (watch out for a large loose flake) to the main corner (natural anchor) just near a small tree.

4. 55m (5.7) The money pitch - follow the awesome narrow corner past several overlaps to a bolted rap anchor. Can descend from here with double ropes (recommended).

5. 30m (5.7) Up and right past the obvious "fang" of rock, through several overlaps and past a number of death blocks, to the top. Walk off.

The 5th pitch is dangerous and not recommended - best to abseil off after P4.

Pro to 3".

This is a 2-pitch climb. You will need a 60 meter rope.

The first pitch of this climb begins with an obvious crack heading up and slightly right. The crack breaks into two about 100 feet up, take the right crack. Shortly after the split, it becomes impossible to find gear placement, but don't worry, you run up this to an 8' wide by 30' long shelf which serves as your belay station.

On the second pitch, located on the far left side (looking at the face) of the shelf, the climbing starts easy and turns into a not so pleasant offwidth crack that about half your body fits into. Although you can't place gear through this section, its a secure climb. Once past this, its a run-up to the top where you can belay off of a tree.

Climb the rightmost line of bolts on the lower section of Mayhem Cove.

Being the only existing 5.9 in Mayhem Cove, this is a great warmup, A tricky interesting move gets you up over the bulge about 20 feet up. Climbing after the first bulge is pretty straighforward, but well worth the climb. This route is pretty pumpy for a 5.9.

It's a fairly long ways to the first bolt, but the climbing up to this point is easy. 7 bolts to a 2 bolt top anchor (mussys) and a poor-quality open shut.

Start the second pitch with the vertical off-width / fist crack, and then pull the roof!

Starts up the ramp left of 'Crushed Velvet'[241259787] and 'Farley'[20650705].

1. 140 ft (5.7) Stem the chimney, reaching in deep to place gear, until it narrows to a squeeze chimney, then pull out onto the face for the crux. Continue up and right to the standing belay on a large ledge.

2. 160 ft (5.7) Excellent lieback and jamming leads up dihedrals to the South Notch.

3. 140 ft (5.7) Finish on the last pitch of 'Harding's Chimney'[20650297].

Walk off descent.

Variations:

• Extend P1 to the bolted belay atop P2 of 'Crushed Velvet'[241259787].
• See 'Harding's Chimney' for variations after the 2nd pitch.

1. 80 ft (5.10d) Lieback crack to perfect sustained finger crack. Pro to 1.5".

2. 120 ft (5.7) Dangerous loose flakes lead to the base of 'Grand Illusion'[20651041]. Seldom climbed.

The last two pitches are seldom climbed.

1. 80 ft (5.9) Perfect, sustained liebacking up the consistent flake to the 2-bolt top anchor shared with 'Opus 7'[20650801].

2. 120 ft? Follow the chimney up left to a corner leading to a belay stance.

3. 120 ft? Follow the corner up onto exposed runout face climbing up the Knobby Wall protected only by a couple of bolts.

Variations:

• If continuing past the first pitch, skip the bolted top anchor and build an anchor up in the chimney for a more comfortable belay stance.

• The left side of the Knobbly Wall is 5.8R. The right side of the Knobbly Wall is 5.7 and also runout.

  Pro: 0.5" to 4" with doubles in the larger sizes.

Belay from fixed anchors.

Pro to 2".

Hand jams up a thin crack lead to liebacking and stemming. Finish the pitch on slabs and flakes to the bolted top anchor of your choice. Pro to 2".

Descent options:

• From the 2-bolt anchor on the left: rappel to the top anchor for 'Telesis'[20651101].
• From the 2-bolt anchor on the right: rappel to the ground with a 60m rope.

Pro to 3".

Pro to 5". Bolted top anchor.

Optional third pitch is 4th class. Fixed anchor above second pitch.

1. 80 ft (5.3) Climb the ramp up the right side of The Fang to roof at the base of the chimney.

2. 70 ft (5.8 R) Shuffle your way up the squeeze chimney to the next belay. Unless you're racking #4 Big Bros, get your head set for a 50 ft runout.

3. 150 ft (5.7) Face climbing up and left takes you to a narrow gully ending in the South Notch.

4. 140 ft (5.7) (Same last pitch as 'Scheister'[20650525].) Starting from the north side of the notch, climb the arch past one bolt and continue up a narrow gully to a tunnel. Pass through the tunnel to the west side, where several 4th class and 5.easy variations lead to the Middle Summit.

Walk off descent.

Variations:

• (5.10a) Once you reach the notch at the top of P3, take a brief detour up the 'South Summit Bolt Ladder'[241238709] for an additional summit.
• (5.8) Instead passing through the tunnel on P4, climb up and right past the bolt on the east face to stem your way to the summit.

Pro to 3" with doubles in the larger sizes. Bring 9"-10" pro if you have it.

Left-most bolted climb at the end of the ledge.

Begins under a short roof. Head left at the first ledge.