PRINT: Rock Climb Surrealistic Pillar, Lover's Leap

Surrealistic Pillar

5.7, Trad, 270 ft (82 m), 3 pitches,

Avg: 3.1 from 741 votes
FA: K. Edsburg, M. Edsburg, J. Sublette, 1963
California > Lake Tahoe > Highway 50 Corr… > Lover's Leap > Lower Buttress

Access Issue: Temporary Intermittent Closure Warning Details

ATTN CLIMBERS: Temporary Intermittent Closure Warning
Surrealistic Pillar, Lower Buttress, Lover’s Leap
From July 7 – August 12, 2023
Access Fund & CRAGS + TCC + BACC Adopt-a-Crag Trailwork In Progress

There will be intermittent closures of climbs at the Lower Buttress for both climber and worker safety. Climbs affected will include all routes between Surrealistic Pillar Direct and Sinbad-Herbert.

We all know how popular Surrealistic Pillar is! We understand that this may pose an inconvenience for your weekend climbing plans; however we MUST mitigate the erosion at the base as soon as possible.

Work will occur Wednesday to Sunday from 8:00 AM – 3:00 PM from July 8 until August 12 with volunteer work days on Saturdays. There will be a steel cable & griphoist ‘high line’ rigged, which is used to haul and transport large rocks. Please be aware of this hazard AND the potential for large rocks to be moved above you while you are hiking through this area.

Alternative climbs that access the top of Lower Buttress and that can be used in place of Surrealistic Pillar include:
• The Groove 5.8, 2 pitches
• The Farce 5.5, 2 pitches (variations at 5.7, 5.8 & 5.9)

Hiking Access to the Main Wall / Ledge is also still possible via the Main Wall Approach Trail (from Lower Buttress up climber's right) OR the Tombstone Ledge Approach Trail (from Lower Buttress up climber's left).
info@norcalcrags.org

Description

This excellent route ascends the entire length of the Lower Buttress, bringing you up out of the giant forest below and high enough so you think you're way the hell up. Then you top out, and realize that the main wall of Lover's Leap hovers over you, and that you're a mere peon in between the giant walls of horizontal dykes.

For a 5.7, this has an excellent variety of terrian for only 3 pitches.

Accessing the route is easy: Walking up to the Lower Buttress, walk right until you find the first set of bolts. Then walk a little more to the second set of bolts, which is Pillar of Society (.12a). The next crack is the Direct Start of Surrealistic Pillar (.10a), and finally you'll be on a tier with a flat face and a couple of large horns about 15 - 20 feet off the ground. You're here.

Pitch 1: Climb up to the horns, and continue up and left to a well protected crack system to a wide (4") left facing crack.

Pitch 2: Follow this crack up for about 4 dykes, where you need to cross to a large horn. Follow this around the arete, where you can belay from a ledge.

Pitch 3: Simple. Go up the face with large jugs and belay from something suitable up top.

Protection

A full rack, and slings. A 4" or greater piece will make the first belay more comfortable. Slings of a wide variety are also always useful at the Leap.

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

First pitch of Surrealistic Pillar.

light

With stunning views taken in on many of the leap climbs, there is not much else to do but keep smiling all day!

Joe L. coming up the wide crack section. <br>
<br>
If you have a 5" shoulder, you can do it this way. <br>
...The rest of us can't. :-| <br>
<br>
July 2009

Joe L. coming up the wide crack section. If you have a 5" shoulder, you can do it this way. ...The rest of us can't. :-| July 2009

"Surrealistic Pillar". 1970s.<br>
Photo by Blitzo.

"Surrealistic Pillar". 1970s. Photo by Blitzo.

View of surrealistic pillar

Surrealistic Pillar direct on the left 5.10B and Surrealistic Pillar on the right 5.7

Climbing surrealistic pillar on a very cold late October morning.

Kat on Surrealistic Pillar

Awesome climb.

CA climbing: smoke, stoke and belay burritos

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

Blitzo

One of the best 5.7s anywhere! Fun free solo! Sep 8, 2006

Will Spaller
Ogden, UT

5.7

The occasional striaght in jam is very useful on this route. Awesome route with steep rock and big holds. Do corrugation after for an awesome day. May 18, 2008

Tom Johnson
Colorado Springs, or Santa Fe

5.7

I agree that this route could/should be done in two pitches. It is straight enough that rope drag isn't much of an issue. It is a bit intimidating for a new 5.7 trad leader! Aug 6, 2008

grizz Burton

5.7+

I found the start to be a little bouldery. Some of the traverses get you pretty far from your gear so it could be a little intimidating for a new leader. It seems to do it in two pitches would make communication difficult. The third pitch is like a solo, very little if any gear, easy climbing on big rails though. Sep 18, 2008

Aerili
Los Alamos, NM

The first pitch is really beautiful. However, the wide crack you encounter at the end of p1 doesn't take a #4 Cam; it is way too wide. A #5 Camalot should fit, although I didn't have one. The crack appeared it would take the #4 a lot higher up, but the route doesn't continue up that way, I believe, unless you do the 5.8 variation, so carrying a 4 was just dead weight for me.

If you are solid at the grade, you can put in a couple so-so tiny cams on the face opposite the wide crack until you get to a big pin about 20-30 feet up and can clip it. However, the pin was definitely put in by a tall climber; there is a big ledge to stand on under it, but I couldn't reach it from this secure stance. May 31, 2009

Joe Ludlow
Seattle, WA

Hey Aerili! I went back and led that second pitch. I would say that you probably need at least a #6 to protect it down low but you can get an amazing jam in it with your foot and if your shoulder is too small, just fold your forearm in front of your chest to get a nice bit of chest/arm camming action! Then just face climb with your left hand/foot. I found it to be very comfortable.

When the crack starts pinching down on you and becomes awkward, if you search inside the crack you can place two amazing nuts (with a nice long sling) to protect the traverse or do the 5.8 lay back and continue up the crack.

A 200' rope BARELY reaches the top. Your partner may have to stand on his/her tippy toes. Bring lots of long slings to avoid rope drag. The 5.5 "runnout" is more like 4th class stair stepping and isn't worth stressing out about. Jun 9, 2010

J. Albers
Colorado

5.7

You shouldn't need wide gear for the second pitch 5.8 variation. There are good nuts to be found in constrictions inside the wide crack. I thought it to be a fun and secure way to go. Also, I'm not sure about the #4 for the 1st pitch anchor...I seem to remember two #2 Camalots being the ticket. Great route. Jul 6, 2010

Chris D
the couch

Supertopo (and some here) suggest a 4" or larger piece for this route. I'd say you might want one if you're going straight up the corner on P2, otherwise, anything larger than a #3 camalot is overkill. Oct 23, 2011

Daniel Hottinger

A #5 works for protecting the wide crack at the end of P1, even at the lowest point. Jul 5, 2012

Dusty Cams
Bali, ID

Doable in 1 pitch w/ a 70m rope if you're willing to do ~30 ft of simul climbing off the deck--easy if you're solid at the grade and willing to run it out a bit. Great route. Sep 4, 2012

Jay Bird
Marin, CA

5.7

Very fun. A must do classic. May 23, 2013

Ryan Curry

After topping this one out head up to Corrugation Corner for an excellent link-up. For a more ambitious day add Deception and Bear's Reach which would give you about 12 pitches of climbing at or below 5.7 and which ascend 4 of the Leaps's major faces. May 24, 2013

bmdhacks
Bellingham, WA

I went too far on the first pitch and belayed in the top of the right gulley at the top of the wide crack, and then only had a short run for the second pitch. Basically ran my 60m rope to it's end. Next time I'd belay 15ft lower down and move left onto the face earlier. Jul 17, 2013

Matt N

#4 is not useful, nor anything larger (same if linking with Corr. Corner) Both routes swallow nuts though.
Great linkup, awesome routes. Mar 22, 2014

Micah Rogers
Asheville

Great climb. I would also recommend breaking it into two pitches- I had a hard time finding anything to belay from at the end of the first pitch, as the biggest piece I had was a #3. There's also an old piton around that area, but nothing that I would really trust. There is a bunch to choose from at the top of the second pitch, however.

We came across a watch at the bottom of the route after our descent last Thursday (5/29); if this is yours, please ID its type and I'll be glad to send it your way! Jun 2, 2014

Jan Tarculas
Riverside, Ca

5.7

I agree with doing this in 2 pitches.

With a 70M rope I set up my 1 belay after the wide crack ends on a good ledge. I believe I used a #3 and a #2 C4 + something else for belay, but many options up top. You don't need a #4 or anything wider for this route. Plenty of small gear for the mid section of this route. Midway up is a fix piton next to the wide crack. I traversed left right before that piton and didnt even clip it. I also didn't see the traversed unitl I saw a small chalked hold out left Jul 16, 2015

Colin R

The 50-foot runout may be an easy climb but if you blow it you'll take a big swing into a dihedral wall. Aug 9, 2015

ray tan
Coos Bay OR

Would anyone have beta on how to get from the top of Surrealistic Pillar to the Main Wall? I'm assuming there's an easy climber's path, but couldn't find it. Ended up doing a free solo/bushwhack up a 20 foot 5.3 mini-ledge before we could see the climber's trail for Main Wall/Central/East Wall.

On another note, it was awesome that I had cell phone service on practically the entire route! I had Verizon, my partner had T-mobile. It was very easy to communicate especially as I linked P2 and P3 and we couldn't see/hear one another after the arete traverse. Aug 15, 2017

Josh Lowy
Sacramento, CA

5.7

Fun and pretty straightforward climb. I agree the final slab runout is more like stair-stepping. You can protect it somewhat if you really need to by slinging plenty of the chickenheads along the way. We started up SP Direct and still did it in 3 pitches, but I think for the future I will knock that down to 2 without hassle. Continued up to Corrugation Corner for a sweet linkup.

r tan, if you follow the trail up to the truer summit of the pillar a trail will head east. You'll be able to see the base of the Main Wall clearly and follow trails to any of the routes on that from there. Aug 26, 2017

Matt Hostetler

A #5 works well for first belay in combination with a #2 and can be used as a good last piece before final runout on last pitch. Could also use it on p2 if you don't have it in your anchor and go straight up the crack Jun 25, 2018

James Ovens
San Francisco

5.7

Amazing route. Several really cool traverses on easy dikes with great exposure and slightly run out. We did the route in 3 pitches mainly because there was a slower party in front of us, but it worked perfectly. I talked to a few people in the campsite this weekend who missed the "trembling traverse" listed in the SuperTopo guide book by going straight up past the rotten ledge. I definitely recommend stepping left around the arete and ascending the pillar as this was the coolest part of the climb IMO. P1 was the crux pitch for me with 2 distinct crux sections, save #2 C4 cams for the delay. P2 is the route finding crux. If you ever feel like a move is harder than 5.7, look left and right and you will find great hands and feet everywhere. P3 is runout with no gear from the 2nd belay to the top. The climbing is really easy and there is one fun 5.5 move right at the top of the pitch to finish off the route. Nov 7, 2018

Sebastian Burke
Wellington, NZ

Awesome route.

I found a #5 helpful for the first section of the 2nd pitch just after the belay. I also found having a few double length runners very helpful to limit rope drag, especially if you combine the 2nd and 3rd pitch with a 70 meter rope.

On the 2nd pitch, I was tempted wrap a sling around a knob for protection during the runout 5.5 section but found it was somewhat off route and made rope drag. The second time I did this, I just kept going up until I found the crack, and tried not to drift too far too the left. Oct 7, 2019

Ian Long

Super fun first trad climb. I hadn't climbed any crack before, so that section took me a while. Also, I missed the low traverse and ended up above the pro my partner had placed. Rookie move, I'm sure. Jan 15, 2020

Matthew R
Fresno

5.7

We, well me since I was leading, took the 5.8 wide variation. Awkward to protect without anything bigger than a 3 on me, and wasn't expecting to OW wearing only swim shorts....but it was fun! Well, fun looking back on it. Good climb though! I agree with the three star rating here and not the 5 star rating in the supertopo guide Jul 5, 2020

Ian J
Eastern Sierra

5.7+

It's possible to get all the business in one long, beautiful pitch if you have a 70m rope: climb up the route, traversing left around the arete like normal then set a belay about 25 feet up at the bottom of a hand-sized crack system. This took up 69m of my rope and needed long slings on almost every piece but both rope drag and communication weren't too bad. From the belay you just run up the remaining ~40 feet of easy 5th to the top.

Great straight in jams, airy traverses and a fun offwidth-esque section on the 4" crack. There were a few stouter moves than I was expecting for 5.7 (a bouldery start for sure) so I'd recommend being solid at the grade. If not linking up with main wall climbs there's a straightforward descent on climber's right from the top of the formation. Aug 19, 2020

David Shane
Torino, IT

A #4.5 protected the wide crack nicely. We accidentally did the "5.7 poor pro" to 5.4/5.5 gully finish (never went all the way left around the arete). I'd say the pro in the 5.7 section was decent but no good pro in the 5.4/5.5 chossy section. I'd give it two stars with this finish. May 10, 2021

Bob Klaasic
Westminster, CA

I've seen many different ways to climb this route. I'm not sure what the true line is based on the FA. However, 50 feet up pitch 2, I give a solid vote for taking the leftward traverse, around the arete, and up the 5.5 dike hike. If you take the straight-up variation, the terrain seems less appealing beyond that point in my opinion. I made a video edit of the entire route for those who are interested.

Link: youtube.com/watch?v=TpNMzoH… Jun 29, 2021

Ben Bilbrough
Portland, OR

5.7

Some video of the climb
youtube.com/watch?v=wRUE9ub… Aug 9, 2023

Denton Liu
SF Bay Area, CA

There's a stuck cam on P1 after the traverse and up the crack a little bit. I think it's a 0.75 WC friend. Seems pretty much welded to the rock. Sep 26, 2023

proto G
Falmouth (MA)

Here's a short account or our family ascent of this beautiful route: youtube.com/shorts/Fqn_I07-gi0 Jan 1, 2024