Summer 2023 IS ON!
Climb The Leap
Lover's Leap offers some of the best rock climbing around Lake Tahoe. Lover's Leap Guides offers guided rock climbing and educational courses for all ages and abilities. Our highly experienced guides have been operating at the Leap since 2003 to provide safe and unforgettable climbing experiences for our clients.
Rock Climbing Guiding and Education
Founded in 2003, Lover’s Leap Guides are based at The Leap in Strawberry, California near Lake Tahoe. Learn to climb, learn new techniques, or just enjoy a day out on the rock with an experienced guide.
Experienced, knowledgeable guides
AMGA-certified guides who have developed and completed first ascents of many of the climbs at Lover's Leap.
All ages, all abilities
Specialized in working with children and adults. We also have experience guiding adaptive climbers.
Safety. Fun. Learning
Whether you want to improve technique or learn technical skills, we'll be your guide.
Climbed perhaps the best route on the Hogsback (extremely biased opinion;) with John this morning.
We had rain showers early morning, then cleared enough for us to get our Bacon in! A few sprinkles on the way down to give us a little kick in our rappels!
#youmustgoup #localguides #localbusiness #climbing #foreveryoung
The sky was on fire this evening!🔥
#youmustgoup #sunset #sendtember #strawberry #home
Great fun climbing with Louise and Francois from France today on Bears Reach!
#youmustgoup #localguides #eurotrip #climbing #localbusiness #eldoradocounty
Great to be back working on the East Wall today with Jen! A fun lap up the East Wall route did not disappoint!
#youmustgoup #climbing #localguides #hireus #tradisrad #localbusiness
Nice end to a beautiful day.
#youmustgoup #climbing #localguides #home
Getting my sea legs back today with friends!
#youmustgoup #climbingaddict #keepmoving #localguides
Back climbing at the Leap today with @i.like_rocks So good to be back and the weather is perfect!
Excited to be back to work tomorrow!
#youmustgoup #climbing #climbingaddict
#dontstopmoving
We lost a good one yesterday. @livingstonaaron had a heart of gold, a great teacher and guide. In the short time I was able to hang out and work with him, it was obvious, Aaron was the real deal. Hopefully you had the pleasure to spend time with him.
He will be missed💔
Climb on Brother.
We ran a rescue course this weekend. The weather was a bit challenging!
We have our next rescue course scheduled October 8th!
#selfrescue #climbinginstructor #climbing #tradclimbing #youmustgodown
The end of the Storm
#iwanttogoup ##graydays #thesunwillcomeouttomorrow
#strawberryhome
Lover’s Leap Conditions report!
#youmustgoup #localguides #climbing #localbusiness#loversleap #climbwithus
Love Fest #1! Thanks everyone for such a fun party! A great way to celebrate the end of the season trail work volunteers and out 20 year anniversary!
The rainbow put it over the top!!
#youmustgoup #climbing #localbusiness #community #lovefest
What, 20 years?!!!!
Lover’s Leap guides turns 20 this year! We are co hosting a party with @norcalcrags and the @accessfund this Saturday August 12th down at the best General store around, @strawberrystationca
Thank you for such great support over the years, we appreciate You!❤️
There’s going to be a big raffle, lies, some truths, plenty of rad people, and a whole roasted pig! Let’s go Hogwild together!!!
#youmustgoup #localguides #localbusiness #anniversaryparty
A great day out with Boy Scouts Troop 1 from Massachusetts! What a fun group and I think the adults@had just as much fun!
#youmustgoup #localguides #climbing #troop1 #boyscouts
Daily hobble.
#iwanttogoup
Freshies!
#youmustgoup #climbing #footpain #lasportiva
Congrats to @hasslerfree and #superstrongsarahshaw for climbing 35 pitches today at the Leap!! Most likely the Women’s Record! Strong work you two!
So fun to be there for the last couple of hours!
#youmustgoup #climbingfriends #tradisrad #birthdaychallenge #womenwhoclimb #crushing
“Why would anyone climb with anyone else besides Lover’s Leap Guides?!”, Rob asked this morning.
#youmustgoup #localguides #ifyouknowyouknow #localbusiness #climbing #laketahoe
Lower Buttress cragging!
#youmustgoup #guidesdayoff #climbing #superstrongsarahshaw
We have our next Rescue Course scheduled for Sunday August 6th! Learn the skills Every climber should know and hope never to use!
$185 per climber.
#youmustgodown #selfrescue #climbing #tradclimbing #tahoeclimbing
Rock Climbing Lover’s Leap
Lover’s Leap is a steep cliff band near South Lake Tahoe. If you’re driving Highway 50 between Placerville and South Lake Tahoe, it’s hard to miss this prominent and striking feature. The Leap has become a world-renowned rock climbing destination with over one hundred and fifty established routes. It is best known for its traditional multi-pitch routes, often using granite dikes for holds; but the area also includes some boulder problems. Traveler Buttress, featured in Fifty Classic Climbs of North America, was put up in 1966.
Lovers Leap Guides is the current longstanding guiding service for rock climbing at Lover’s Leap. We offer guiding as well as rock climbing classes.
Other Areas
In addition to Lover’s Leap, there are other zones if you’re interested in exploring some other nearby rock climbing areas.
Phantom Spires
This area is made up of many free standing formations called spires. Up to 250 feet tall, the summit of the spires offers breath-taking views of the American River Canyon.
Sugarloaf Rock
For more experienced rock climbers, the rock at Sugarloaf has frequently been compared to Yosemite for its smooth granite and straight crack climbing.
Meet Petch
Petch has been climbing since 1989 and has passion teaching and guiding as much as he does for climbing. At the end of an eight month climbing trip that took him and his partner from Joshua Tree in Southern California to Devils Tower in the eastern part of Wyoming, and everything in between, the final stop turned out to be Lover’s Leap. The right turn towards Lover’s Leap landed Petch in the campground in 1993. Climbing for eight months and a bank account of zero, he quickly found a job at the Strawberry Lodge. Falling in love with Lover’s Leap and Strawberry he found making a home easy. A guiding job opened in 1996 with teaching youth backpacking and rock climbing. The exciting future of guiding as a full time profession led to the opening of Lover’s Leap Guides in 2003. With his enthusiasm and knowledge of Lover’s Leap, Lover’s Leap Guides has become the most popular and busiest service to climb at Lover’s Leap. He has spent countless ours working with the Access Fund, CRAGS, and the Forest Service to maintain trails, protect nesting raptors, and community outreach. Climbing most of the routes at Lover’s Leap, he has also added numerous routes of his own. From 5.5 to 5.12D, some of his first ascents have become modern day classics. A good chance you will probably climb one of his routes when you climb with Lover’s Leap Guides.
Petch is certified by the AMGA as a Rock Instructor and holds his certification as a Wilderness First Responder and CPR.
Some Love from Our Clients at the Leap
”"Both of us enjoyed ourselves more than we ever have outdoors, and climbing the "Bears Reach" route after having watched that video of Dan Osmond climbing it was wonderful. We went to the 90ft wall after and both felt inspired to climb better than we have ever done. Look forward to climbing with you again sometime soon."
Martin and Donesa
Read More Testimonials”"Very good client care. Being out with Petch you really feel well guided as communication is clear, belay positions are selected to see and coach clients through cruxes. It is a good quality experience!"
Doug NidiverAMGA examiner
