Lake Tahoe is one of the most unique places on earth! This was an adventures paradise in which we took full advantage of. Tahoe is most known for the skiing and the 22 mile long and 1640 ft. deep lake, but most do not know about the world class rock climbing that can be done here!
On the first day – We set off to do some top roping at 90ft. wall. The drive there was spectacular because the location of this wall is next to Emerald Falls which is in the middle of Emerald Bay on the South West side of the lake. Emerald Bay has some of the most picturesque views this country has to offer. In fact, it is the 2nd most photographed place in the United States.
We climbed for about 6 hours by top roping. This was a great way to learn the skills needed for a multi-pitch climb. The rock was straight up and there were plenty of easy holds. Our climb was mostly 5.7 and 5.8s with opportunities to do 5.10s. It was a good start to the climbing trip.
On Day 2 of our Lake Tahoe Rock Climbing Adventure – We set off for another Top-Roping adventure in Carson City on Dinosaur Rock. This was a quick fun 60′ to 90′ climb with efforts climbing 5.9s. This was a 4 hour climb with a stop at Famous Reds Old 395 Grill after to have a beer and some great food! We were a bit sore from the day before but we quickly got over that as soon as we were on the rock! This climb was mostly old granite but solid. A spectacular climb in a more desert environment. Our guide did some trad climbing in order to setup the top rope for everyone else.
Day 3 of our Lake Tahoe Rock Climbing Adventure -After the first two warm up rocks at 90′ Wall and Dinosaur Rock we decided to do Pie Shop that was 150ft. This also started out with our guide trad climbing first. To get here, we had to hike about 20 minutes to get to the base of the rock. This involved scrambling and the group needed the break in order to wait for our guide to climb first. The name Pie Shop comes from an old Pie Shop Store that used to be off Sawmill Rd. on the way to this rock. The shop is no longer there but it would have been nice to scarf down some fantastic pie after the climb. This was a more challenging climb that had much smaller and difficult holds on Slab Rock. The views were spectacular overlooking Lake Tahoe Golf Course and the surrounding mountains. The base of the rock sat on a big overhanging slab rock which was an awesome spot to chill and take in the views. We brought lunch on this day as opposed to snacks for the other trips.
Day 4 and our last day – This last day was one of the most epic Lake Tahoe Rock Climbing Adventures! We set off down 50 South to Lover’s Leap for a 4 pitch climb. All the previous days were to prepare for this climb. Our guide lead the way up as each adventurer followed by belaying at each belay station. The views were fantastic and the climb was even more amazing. The total time on the rock was 5 to 6 hours with stopping at belay stations where we hung on the side of the 600ft. cliff to refuel on water and food. The legend behind the name “Lover’s Leap” is unclear but it involves one or two Native Americans who were in love that jumped off to their deaths. We carried all our gear with us and hiked down from the top. This was extremely epic and a must do again!