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Sugarloaf
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Sugarloaf 


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Elevation: 4,800'
Lat, Long: 38.7765, -120.3079 Map
Page Views: 115,521. Good page?   
Administrators: Aron Quiter, M.Morley, Sam Vanderhyden, Tom Erickson
Submitted By: Brian Quiter on Mar 9, 2005

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Clear
64° | 34°
Clear
66° | 34°
Clear
72° | 37°
Partly Cloudy
70° | 34°
Clear
66° | 28°

Sugarloaf, 1982.
Photo by Blitzo.


Description 

Sugarloaf is a huge granite spire towering over the town of Kyburz on highway 50 between Placerville and Tahoe. It is considered an excellent winter crag because of its lower elevation and south-facing position. There's both sport and trad, single and multi-pitch and easy and hard climbs. The spire is about 350 feet tall and you can walk off the uphill side without much difficulty.

The Sugarloaf area also includes a few smaller rocks that you can find on the way up to Sugarloaf proper.


Getting There 

From the Bay Area, head East on 80 to Sacramento, then take 50 East, through Placerville and another ~31 miles to Silverfork. Once at the small gas station in Silverfork you have .6 miles until the dirth pullout on the side of the road (which is right after Sugarloaf Road). You'll be certain you're in the right place if you see the 'Entering Silverfork' roadsign just behind you on the opposite side of the road.

From the east end of the pullout, cross highway 50 and skirt the left side of the barbed-wire fence. Walk uphill for ~200 feet and you'll find a 'now entering forest service land' sign. From here a climber's trail is obvious and you just walk up it to the crags.

Sugarloaf is about a 30 minute hike straight up the hill.


The Classics

Mountain Project's determination of some of the classic, most popular, highest rated routes for Sugarloaf:
Scheister   5.7     Trad, 3 pitches, 300 feet   Sugarloaf, East Face
Harding's Chimney   5.7     Trad, 435 feet   Sugarloaf, East Face
Lurch   5.8     Trad   Sugarloaf, East Face
Farley   5.9     Trad, 1 pitch, 80 feet   Sugarloaf, East Face
Pony Express   5.9     Trad, 2 pitches, 170 feet   Sugarloaf, West Face
Morticia   5.9     Trad, 1 pitch, 100 feet   Sugarloaf, East Face
TM's Deviation   5.9+     Trad, 2 pitches, 300 feet   Sugarloaf, West Face
Dominion   5.10a     Trad, 1 pitch, 120 feet   Sugarloaf, East Face
Fingerlock   5.10a/b     Trad   Sugar Bun
Self Abuse   5.10b     Trad, 1 pitch, 45 feet   Midway Rock
Hyperspace   5.10b     Trad, 165 feet   Sugarloaf, West Face
Bolee Gold   5.10c     Trad, Sport, 4 pitches, 400 feet   Sugarloaf, South Face
Blue Velvet   5.10c     Trad, Sport, 1 pitch, 100 feet   Sugarloaf, East Face
Happy Face   5.10c     Trad, Sport, 1 pitch, 90 feet   Sugarloaf, West Face
The Fracture   5.10d     Trad   Sugarloaf, East Face
Make That Move Right Now Baby   5.10d     Sport   Sugar Bun
Taurus   5.11b     Trad, 1 pitch, 80 feet   Sugarloaf, East Face
Telesis   5.11b     Sport, 1 pitch, 100 feet   Sugarloaf, East Face
Captain Fingers   5.12c     Trad, 1 pitch, 105 feet   Sugarloaf, East Face
Grand Illusion   5.13b     Trad, 1 pitch   Sugarloaf, East Face
Browse More Classics in Sugarloaf

Featured Route For Sugarloaf
Climbers on Hyperspace

Hyperspace 5.10b  CA : Tahoe Vicinity : ... : Sugarloaf, West Face
Way up left on the West Face, climb a thin crack and fragile flake to a ledge. Turn an overhang on the right and follow knobs....[more]   Browse More Classics in CA


Photos of Sugarloaf Slideshow Add Photo
"The Ghost In The Machine". <br />Photo by Blitzo.

"The Ghost In The Machine".
Photo by Blitzo.


Atop Sugarloaf, above the Grand Illusion roof.

Atop Sugarloaf, above the Grand Illusion roof.

Mike Arechiga on, The Dominion. 5.10a.

Mike Arechiga on, The Dominion. 5.10a.

Mike Arechiga on, Blue Velvet. 5.10c.

Mike Arechiga on, Blue Velvet. 5.10c.


Comments on Sugarloaf Add Comment
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By Aerili
From: Salt Lake City, UT
Apr 27, 2009

Just a tip regarding the weather link for this page: my recent personal analysis and actual experience has been that Weather Underground (much as I love that site) does not portray an accurate forecast for the Kyburz area. Use noaa.gov instead; although their weather models are probably larger (and therefore less "local") than wunderground's, they seem more accurate.

If you check out the current list of Weather Underground's reporting stations at the bottom of the page (also visually listed on their WunderMap tab), you will see that not a single station is located at the same elevation as Kyburz--all are higher or lower. Further, I believe the numerous stations around South Lake skew the general forecast given for Kyburz to be colder/cooler than it really will be. Having climbed there on a day that was forecasted to be 40° with 40 mph wind gusts by Weather Underground and then finding nothing of the sort has confirmed my suspicions. That same day was forecasted to be 61° with 10 mph winds by noaa.

By Paul Rezucha
From: Alameda
Mar 13, 2010

Has anyone climbed at Sugarloaf today, April 29? Just wondering what the snow level is like and if the approach is not too snowed in. Thx!

By Justin Johnsen
Administrator
From: Sacramento, CA
Jan 25, 2013

Weather Underground has a Sugarloaf station online now, at 5,500 feet elevation.