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Wrights Lake Rock Climbing
| Elevation: | 6,970 ft |
| GPS: |
38.84929, -120.22588 Google Map · Climbing Area Map |
| Page Views: | 33,724 total · 149/month |
| Shared By: | Aron Quiter on Oct 4, 2004 · Updates |
| Admins: | Aron Quiter, Lurk Er, Mike Morley, Adam Stackhouse, Salamanizer Ski, Justin Johnsen, Vicki Schwantes |
Description
Wrights Lake has been in the making for several decades. Currently, the 25 or so established routes are mostly intermediate to difficult (5.10 and harder), though the potential for many many more routes of all ranges exists. Bouldering is also plentiful in the campground, and throughout the park. This secluded area sits north of Highway 50 just a little past Kyburz, which is a few miles west of Lover's Leap.
Clean granite is the only rock you'll find, and looks and climbs a lot like Echo Pass though in a more Half Dome granite slabby location. Speaking of clean - this is the cleanest area I've ever been to for a base camp. Let's keep it that way! Pack out what you bring in, and don't cause undue distress to the surrounding wilderness.
You can camp for $16 a night in the campground down by the lake, or for those on a budget, you can camp either at Lover's Leap (with a bathroom) or at Phantom Spires (without) for free.
Traditional and run out sport routes are currently in the 80+ foot range in height, and without rappelling into some sections, toproping is logistically quite difficult. A convenient walk-off descends the gully to the left of the main rock formation, and most bouldering rocks have simple walk-offs.
Clean granite is the only rock you'll find, and looks and climbs a lot like Echo Pass though in a more Half Dome granite slabby location. Speaking of clean - this is the cleanest area I've ever been to for a base camp. Let's keep it that way! Pack out what you bring in, and don't cause undue distress to the surrounding wilderness.
You can camp for $16 a night in the campground down by the lake, or for those on a budget, you can camp either at Lover's Leap (with a bathroom) or at Phantom Spires (without) for free.
Traditional and run out sport routes are currently in the 80+ foot range in height, and without rappelling into some sections, toproping is logistically quite difficult. A convenient walk-off descends the gully to the left of the main rock formation, and most bouldering rocks have simple walk-offs.
Getting There
From the west:
Take Highway 50 to Kyburz, which is 31 miles east of Placerville. From Kyburz, continue East 4.9 miles to the marked Wrights Lake Road, which is a left turn.
Continue using the directions below.
From the east:
Head approximately 20 miles West on Highway 50, 4.1 miles past the small town of Strawberry (and Lover's Leap), to Wrights Lake Road, which is a right turn, though the sign is either missing or hard to see heading West. Continue using the directions below.
Once on Wrights Lake Road:
This will wander up a around for a while, getting narrower as it climbs. 8 long miles later (about 25 - 35 minutes, depending on who you get stuck behind, and what they're towing), you will be in Wrights Lake Park.
Driving from the visitors center, take the right at the sign for Twin and Grouse Lakes Trail, which will head you down a road for about a mile to a circular parking lot, which is at the end of the road. Park in this lot, and take off down the trail at the back left of the lot (the only trail). It has a gate, and is pretty close to the bathroom.
Hiking approach time: 20 - 35 minutes.
Continue down this trail about 100 yards to the point where the Twin and Grouse Lakes trail splits from the main path just before the small walking bridge.
Head through the woods on the Twin and Grouse Lakes trail about 1/2 a mile to the split, where you should go right. As you head gently uphill, a 30' rock band is visible about 300 yards away to your left. Drop the trail and head for the right side of this rock band about 100 yards after the split once the trail hits a grey slab. Once over the bulge that the rock band resides in, look for a gravel climbers trail that heads along in the direction you've traveled from the main trail.
This route will wander through the woods and into some slabs, where cairns will guide you in the right direction. Eventually the woods will fall away, and the trail continues along slab for the last 1/3 of a mile. Avoid the temptation of moving directly at the large cliff face and stay on the slab about 300 yards away parallel to the band, which is approaching on your right. Go just past perpendicular to the main wall, which is on the far left side of this cliff band, as it turns a corner. Walk around to the left of the shelf that makes up the climbing base for most of the established climbing at Wright's Lake, and up onto the shelf when the shelf level is only about 6 feet high.
Take Highway 50 to Kyburz, which is 31 miles east of Placerville. From Kyburz, continue East 4.9 miles to the marked Wrights Lake Road, which is a left turn.
Continue using the directions below.
From the east:
Head approximately 20 miles West on Highway 50, 4.1 miles past the small town of Strawberry (and Lover's Leap), to Wrights Lake Road, which is a right turn, though the sign is either missing or hard to see heading West. Continue using the directions below.
Once on Wrights Lake Road:
This will wander up a around for a while, getting narrower as it climbs. 8 long miles later (about 25 - 35 minutes, depending on who you get stuck behind, and what they're towing), you will be in Wrights Lake Park.
Driving from the visitors center, take the right at the sign for Twin and Grouse Lakes Trail, which will head you down a road for about a mile to a circular parking lot, which is at the end of the road. Park in this lot, and take off down the trail at the back left of the lot (the only trail). It has a gate, and is pretty close to the bathroom.
Hiking approach time: 20 - 35 minutes.
Continue down this trail about 100 yards to the point where the Twin and Grouse Lakes trail splits from the main path just before the small walking bridge.
Head through the woods on the Twin and Grouse Lakes trail about 1/2 a mile to the split, where you should go right. As you head gently uphill, a 30' rock band is visible about 300 yards away to your left. Drop the trail and head for the right side of this rock band about 100 yards after the split once the trail hits a grey slab. Once over the bulge that the rock band resides in, look for a gravel climbers trail that heads along in the direction you've traveled from the main trail.
This route will wander through the woods and into some slabs, where cairns will guide you in the right direction. Eventually the woods will fall away, and the trail continues along slab for the last 1/3 of a mile. Avoid the temptation of moving directly at the large cliff face and stay on the slab about 300 yards away parallel to the band, which is approaching on your right. Go just past perpendicular to the main wall, which is on the far left side of this cliff band, as it turns a corner. Walk around to the left of the shelf that makes up the climbing base for most of the established climbing at Wright's Lake, and up onto the shelf when the shelf level is only about 6 feet high.
Classic Climbing Routes at Wrights Lake
Mountain Project's determination of the classic, most popular, highest rated climbing routes in this area.
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