Cascade Cliff Rock Climbing
Elevation: | 8,000 ft | 2,438 m |
GPS: |
38.9308, -120.11112 Google Map · Climbing Area Map |
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Page Views: | 41,385 total · 360/month | |
Shared By: | Vlad S on May 27, 2015 · Updates | |
Admins: | Aron Quiter, Lurk Er, Mike Morley, Adam Stackhouse, Salamanizer Ski, Justin Johnsen, Vicki Schwantes |
Description
The beautifully striped Cascade Cliff is a Tahoe gem that sits close to the top of Maggies Peak South. Also known as the Zebra Wall, this cliff has very pretty water streaks running through the middle, but that's only a portion of the wall. The route selection is fairly limited, but the rock quality, breathtaking views of Cascade Lake and Lake Tahoe, isolation, and serenity of this place more than make up for it. The climbing is on solid granite. Most routes are fully bolted, but several of them take gear as well, so bring a rack if you are planning to get on those. Tree Beard is not to be missed - bring a shoulder-length runner or two! The wall is in the shade from 1 pm in the summer, "Rasputin" the easiest of the three warm-ups gets shade even earlier as it faces east. A 70 m rope will be sufficient for most of the routes, although an 80 m could be used for a few. This crag has been a locals' secret for over 20 years. A large chunk of development was done by visionary Nils Davis around 2000.
Treat this place with respect and pack out all your trash! Most importantly, don't destroy any vegetation! This cliff is located in a pristine setting in the wilderness. Power drills are illegal here.
Farthest route on the right is All the Kings Men - mixed gear and bolts. Originally rated 12b but may be 12+ Nils Davis 1999.
Getting There
Start on the Bay View trail from the back of the campground going towards the cascade. 15-20 min on the wide tourist trail will get you close to the cascade at which point it's possible to continue straight on use trail and over slabs for another 1-2 minutes. Once you can see the creek on your left the trail will follow into the dense forest that turns into a mosquito-infested marsh. Don't go there. Instead veer off slightly right (over low angle slabs) onto another decent trail that bypasses most of the marsh. By this point the wall will be visible ahead on the right. Once most of the way through the forest, you'll walk over some branches that were placed on the wet part of the trail. Shortly after that look for a very faint trail branching off to the right aiming for the talus field. Finding this is the crux of the approach. After a very short walk though the bushes scramble up the talus field, then go left following larger trees and cairns. If you stay on the path it will take you to the slabs that will lead to the right side of the wall. If you get lost after the talus field, try following the LARGEST trees there. There are also lots of cairns.
Classic Climbing Routes at Cascade Cliff
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