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Recommended Guide for the Tahoe Area

Original Post
Bares · · Salt Lake City, UT · Joined Apr 2008 · Points: 5

We are going to be spending our honeymoon in the Tahoe area next summer and I was looking for suggestions on what guide book is the best for this area?

Also, any suggestions on the best areas to climb during July? Donner Pass?

-Ryan Bares

FrankPS · · Atascadero, CA · Joined Nov 2009 · Points: 276

Have you climbed at Lover's Leap? It's the big attraction in the Tahoe area.

This guidebook is excellent for the South Lake Tahoe area, including Lover's Leap:

supertopo.com/packs/southla…

Bares · · Salt Lake City, UT · Joined Apr 2008 · Points: 5

Thanks FrankPS!

I haven't climbed in the Tahoe area at all. I've spent plenty of time in the Bishop and Yosemite area, but never in Tahoe.

We'll have to check out Lover's Leap. It looks pretty amazing. And thanks for the beta on the guide!

Forthright · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Oct 2011 · Points: 110

South lake: SuperTopo South lake Tahoe climbs
North lake: Locals guide to rock climbs of North Tahoe.

I mostly climb in south lake when I do because it's easier to camp on the cheap/ free :P. That being said Donner summit and Big Cheif are great areas.

Eric Thomas · · Colorado · Joined Feb 2013 · Points: 60

Agree with FrankPS's suggestion for the supertopo book.

As far as what to climb, everything will be great in July!

You can't fail with Lover's Leap, tons of classics.

Go across the road and down a ways to Phantom Spires to climb Candyland. Just make you're cool with slinging basketball size knobs.

And hang out on the lake. It's gorgeous.

Colin Brochard · · San Diego, CA · Joined Apr 2008 · Points: 176

July can be HOT. Seek shade when necessary. The leap gets a lot of sun after about noon; start early then retreat to the lake ;)

gf9318 · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Sep 2013 · Points: 0

While at the Leap support the new owners of the Strawberry Store; awesome local climber family that shared great stories, beers, and even their house while we were there last summer!

Salamanizer Ski · · Off the Grid… · Joined Sep 2005 · Points: 18,914

If you have any decent experience traveling about and making sense of guidebooks, you should not waste your money on a Supertopo. They are very basic "select" books designed to help more novice climbers with a basic skillset, find and follow the more popular routes in a given area.

A good way to tell if you have a decent skillset in guidebook deciphering (you, having been to Yosemite), is if you can read and make sense of the Falcon Guide by Reid for the Yosemite and Tuolumne areas.

If you're good with that book. Pick up the Falcon Guide for Tahoe. It's got the other 90% of routes the Supertopo leaves out.

csproul · · Pittsboro...sort of, NC · Joined Dec 2009 · Points: 330
Salamanizer wrote:If you have any decent experience traveling about and making sense of guidebooks, you should not waste your money on a Supertopo. They are very basic "select" books designed to help more novice climbers with a basic skillset, find and follow the more popular routes in a given area. A good way to tell if you have a decent skillset in guidebook deciphering (you, having been to Yosemite), is if you can read and make sense of the Falcon Guide by Reid for the Yosemite and Tuolumne areas. If you're good with that book. Pick up the Falcon Guide for Tahoe. It's got the other 90% of routes the Supertopo leaves out.
Is the Falcon book still available? I see some used ones online but the new ones inline are very expensive. Can you find this guide locally?
saguaro sandy · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Oct 2013 · Points: 140
Bares · · Salt Lake City, UT · Joined Apr 2008 · Points: 5

Awesome! Thanks for all the advice!

J. Albers · · Colorado · Joined Jul 2008 · Points: 1,926
Salamanizer wrote: Pick up the Falcon Guide for Tahoe. It's got the other 90% of routes the Supertopo leaves out.
Yeah...and with it lots of errors and vague descriptions. SuperTaco books are clearly not comprehensive, but they are nice for what they are, and that is accurate, descriptive, and clearly written. If you're traveling, want to get on the classics, and don't want to waste time 'deciphering' directions and descriptions, then the Taco books are worthwhile. If you live in CA, then of course you also want things like the Reid guides. I for one like the Taco books for certain circumstances. And no, you can't call me a 'noob decipherer' because I also spend plenty of time in obscure locales with scribbles for topos.
janetclimbsrocks · · Philadelphia, PA · Joined Nov 2013 · Points: 5

Lovers Leap is spectacular. If you like easy routes with a lot of varied climbing, try Knapsack Crack on Hogsback. Just get there early, it can back up. You'll love Tahoe!

Court · · SLAKETAHOE · Joined May 2013 · Points: 125

If you want to take a look at some things now (some of which aren't on here) I've got a climbing section going up on my site. Doesn't have much needed info for each route (such as rack needed) like supertopo but has way more areas and how to get to them
aboutlaketahoe.com/climbing…
the north tahoe guide has a much more complete selection of routes than supertopo (which is only south lake and surrounds) but also has limited rack info.

there are still a few pages (big chief, echo lakes, spaced invaders that i haven't completed yet so they still show luther spires info, which was the template

Colonel Mustard · · Sacramento, CA · Joined Sep 2005 · Points: 1,241

Unfortunately, there is no great, single guide choice. Get the falcon for an overview of most areas and supplement with mproject info? Stay at lovers leap campground and make your new wife eat your taint as a welcome reprieve from the maggot gagging pit toilet.

W L · · NEVADASTAN · Joined Mar 2010 · Points: 851

^^ that pit toilet at the Leap is heinous. One of the worst in climbing...

Brian Snider · · NorCal · Joined Mar 2010 · Points: 732
Colonel Mustard wrote: Stay at lovers leap campground and make your new wife eat your taint as a welcome reprieve from the maggot gagging pit toilet.
Damn that thing is bad. Can't believe my gf thinks that's better than going in the woods.
+1 for the taco.
Tahoeguy · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2013 · Points: 0

If you have never climbed in Tahoe your options are many, and excellent.

Best all around crag in the Tahoe area is Lovers Leap near South Shore. You must go there at least for a day or two. Second best is probably the Donner Summit region, which is at the other end of the lake, near Truckee.

Best guidebooks:

The Supertopo guidebook has great descriptions and drawn topos for a select number of the most popular routes at Lovers Leap and some of the other South shore crags. Plenty enough routes for someone who has never climbed there or is an occasional climber in the area.
Available from the Supertopo website.

The Locals Guide to Rock Climbs of North Tahoe is your "go to" guide for everything on the East and North side of Tahoe. Very comprehensive (maybe to comprehensive as it weighs several pounds) full color guide with great color photos and photo overlays of every crag and route.(Also has a great section on the history of Tahoe climbing)
Available from the Camp 4 Press website

The The Falcon Guide is another option which features many of the most popular crags on both sides of the lake. However, it is about 20? years old, black and white topos, and out of print. It has more routes listed for South Shore than the Supertopo guide, but the topos/descriptions are not as good. Not nearly as comprehensive for North Shore Crags, nor anywhere near as good/accurate as the color route overlays, as in the new Locals Guide to North Tahoe. Probably available on EBAY.

Have a great honeymoon!!

Colonel Mustard · · Sacramento, CA · Joined Sep 2005 · Points: 1,241

Personally, I would not buy "The Locals Guide to North Lake Tahoe" as a traveling climber. More of a specialty piece for, well, locals looking for more obscure routes.

Tahoeguy · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2013 · Points: 0

^^^^ I would have to disagree about the North Tahoe Guide. It is, by far, the best (Along with the new Hatchett guide to West/North Shore bouldering guide) Tahoe guidebook, even if not planning on climbing all of the over 1,300 routes included. Can't wait to see the Locals Guide to South Lake Tahoe come out.

Court · · SLAKETAHOE · Joined May 2013 · Points: 125

i like the north tahoe guide but it does have some drawbacks as compared to supertopo. while the pictures are glossy, so is the description for each route and gear needed.
i use it a lot to find places to go.
i use supertopo more when i get to a place.

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

Northern California
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