Winter 2022 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.
One of the many super cool Sierra Juniper growing on the ridge of #hogsback
#loversleap #ridge #strawberryhome #grateful
A quick solo mission into the Whitney region.
#youmystgoup #whitney #mtrussell #climbing #fishhook
Nice day mixing it up at the Phantom Spires with @_nicholas______
Solid day with 11 pitches of knob and crack climbing!
#youmustgoup #climbing #localguides #eldoradocounty #phantom
A little rain storm blessed our dry canyon today!
#loversleap #youmustgoup #rain #californiadrought #eldoradocounty #tahoesnaps
Great morning with Ken climbing on the Hogsback!
#youmustgoup #climbing #localguides #tahoe
A morning tour of the Uber classics on the East Wall. Fantasia, Scimitar, and the Line with @jjbremberg
#youmustgoup #climbing #weputmultipitchintomultipitchclimbing #localguides #keepmoving #loversleap
Love this place!
#loversleap #home #grateful
Fun morning climbing with this crew on their first multi pitch climb!
#youmustgoup #climbing #localguides #loversleap #climbingtours #localbusiness
Who doesn’t want Bacon for breakfast? It’s always Better With Bacon!!
First multi pitch climb for Alyssa, Alex, and Cory!
#youmustgoup #loversleap #multipitch #climbing #localguides #localbusiness
Day two with @disston120
After yesterday grade IV of 5.9’s, we had a day of cragging on the Main Wall. Tombstone Terror, Boot Hill, Magnum Force, Main Line, both pitches of Nirvana( nice send Curley!), then finishing on Anesthesia into April Fools. Another great day!
#youmustgoup #loversleap #climbing #localguides #laketahoeclimbing #whosold #localbusiness
The classic 5.9 tour of the East Wall today with @disston120
Fantasia, Scimitar, Fandango, Psychedelic Tree, and finishing on the Line. Over 1800 feet of climbing some of the best 5.9’s anywhere!!
#youmustgoup #weputmultipitchintomultipitchclimbing #loversleap #climbing #whosold #laketahoe #localbusiness #tradclimbing #localguides
So stoked on our new bracelets!!
Thanks @jkcohen and @clarkzterry Look forward to running into at the crag soon!
#youmustgoup #climbingismyjam #climbingfriends #goodpeople #loversleap
We had 15 year old Austin out for his first out door climbs. Started off with a couple of Single pitch climbs to get him comfortable, then up the three pitch Ham and Cheese.
#youmustgoup #loversleap #kidsclimbing #localguides #eldoradocounty #climbing #laketahoe #localbusiness
Paige had never climb multi pitch routes before. She hit us up for a “multi pitch adventure!” We lined up the classics for her. Surrealistic, Corrugation, Bears Reach, and finishing on Haystack. Now that’s a Full day adventure!!
#youmustgoup #loversleap #climbing #womenwhoclimb #weputmultipitchintomultipitchclimbing #eldoradocounty #laketahoe #localguides
Great morning with @sasarule climbing Surrealistic Pillar into Hospital Corner. Two of the best climbs at Lover’s Leap!!
#youmustgoup #climbing #loversleap #localguides #womenwhoclimb #laketahoe
A morning lap up Deception Direct with @i.like_rocks
#youmustgoup #climbing #loversleap #beattheheat #womenwhoclimb #slabclimbing
Dancing Feet! Or is it running backwards fast?
#youmustgoup or at least try! #loversleap #slabclimbing #hogsback #dancingfeet #oldschool
#youmustgoup
Great family climbing on the Hogsback today!
#loversleap
#familyvacation #laketahoe #climbing #eldoradocounty
Day two on our Lead course. Nikki and Simon swapped leads on there first multi pitch trad leads up the Hogsback as we coached the leader from a separate rope. Great job you two!!!
#youmustgoup #loversleap #tradisrad #climbing #localguides #localbusiness #learntolead
Lots of ground school and instruction turned into Nikki’s first trad lead!!
#youmustgoup #loversleap #climbing #learntolead #localguides #localbusiness #womenwhoclimb
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
