Friday, November 1, 2013

South Lake Tahoe Boulderizations







>I've been lucky enough to find and do some really fun new rock climbs at Tahoe, CA, in the style of bouldering recently. I'm sharing these in the hopes that you appreciate new climbing experiences as much as I do. Here is my First Ascent info for South Lake Tahoe / Meyers CA from the last few years that I've been working/staying up there - about 50+ boulder-problem-first-ascents if you count all variations;
{0 to 5***** star quality rating}

*And a huge THANKS to Joshua Welch and Andrew Zaslove for the very helpful / informative mini guide to the Meyers Bouldering Festival  :)




Mountain Cat Boulders
{An area I found, developed from scratch and named - a few problems may have been done here before me since the boulders are so obvious but I saw no signs of other climbers and I cleaned a lot.}
>CA88 far west of Kirkwood and a few miles west of The Fiber Optic Boulders on the same (north) side of CA88 on top of ridge alongside a dirt side road with a few other boulders (potential!?) nearby;
Cat Tracks Boulder
"Cat Tracks" V3/4**** sit (V1/2*** stand) or V5* traverse into from right along low rail
"Cat Scratch Fever" V4/5*** sit (V3/4**) or V6* traverse into ..
? V3**
? V2**
? V1**
? V0*
South Lake Tahoe Bouldering 2

Caples Lake Boulders
>CA88 next to Caples Lake Sign;
Caples Lake Sign Boulders 5-10 problems V0-V4/5ish (Some of the problems were probably done before me but the others I cleaned and probably did first.)
Tahoe Bouldering - Juneuary 2011
>CA88 next to Caples Lake Dam;
Caples Lake Dam Boulders 5-10 problems V0-V4/5ish - the main line is a V2/3*** arete that Jay Sell was rumored to have done first from a stand start!? and I got the fa on the V3/4*** sit!?
(some were done before us but the others Aron Quiter and I cleaned and did)
Tahoe Bouldering - December 2011!!



?? Trailhead Boulders
>CA88 west of ? Pass - left side of big boulder behind bathroom in parking lot.
? V2/3** crack/corner/face to mantle lip
? V3/4** left stand to corner
? V4/5** right sit to corner
[some pics at the end of the video below]
Tahoe Bouldering - Juneuary 2011

Hope Valley Boulders
>Unsure of area name - people have bouldered here a lot before me but I'm pretty sure I did a few of the sit starts first - pullout just south of pullout for Welcome to the Future / CA88/89 intersection;
"Hop Skip and a Bump" V4** right face/arete low sit.
"Hope Skip and A Jump" V4** left sit and up past hueco.
"The Snowman" V4** low sit on first boulder.
>Across from store;
"Lip Sandwich" V2/3** lip traverse from right to top out on V0/1* on left.
Bouldering and Other Stuff Around So Lake Tahoe Summer 2013




Swamp Meadow Boulders
{An area I found, developed and named}
>Very cool pocketed granite! 11.0 miles from CA88 heading toward Blue Lakes right off the side of Blue Lakes Rd next to a swampy meadow.
"Snake Eyes" V4/5****
"Swamp Face" V1****
"Swamp Pockets" V2/3***
"Swamped" V2/3***
"Mini Swamp Thing" V3/4**
Swamp Meadow Boulders 

Gas Grass or Ass
{I developed and named.}
>Across from Grass Lake on the trail up to a small sport crag.
"Gas Grass or Ass" V4/5*** low tricky slab traverse from right arete to top out up V0/1** left arete.
The right arete, the crack next to it and the main face thin slab face have all not been done yet!? :)
Bouldering and Other Stuff Around So Lake Tahoe Summer 2013


? Trailhead Boulder
>Just west of Grass Lake as you start to go downhill but before the turn for the campground. Boulder is visible about 100 yards left of a popular trailhead.
"6 Legged Monkey Crawl" V5/6*** sit start double compression aretes (V2/3** stand).
Bouldering and Other Stuff Around So Lake Tahoe Summer 2013



Fat Tire Boulder
>CA89 on uphill side between Meyers and CA88 just downhill from the top of S Upper Truckee Rd.
"Fat Man Traverse" V4/5*** sit start arete then traverse rail similar to Iron Man left to top out.
"Flat Tire" V4/5** stand start South Face and traverse right into right arete to top out.
South Lake Tahoe Bouldering - Winter-Spring 2013

CA89 Boulders ?
"Vendetta" V6/7*** stand start right arete/face to sloper top out over rocks and bushes - between lower main area and V7 cave uphill.  Still unrepeated!?  [[2nd Ascent attempt @2:01 in vid below]]
? V1/2** sit/stand short face left of Vendetta on crack/flake/jug.
South Lake Tahoe Bouldering - Winter-Spring 2013 (long version)

Christmas Tree Valley
>South Upper Truckee Road
"Chris' Traverse" (aka "Low Brow Traverse") V6/7** sit start Low Brow then traverse low and left along face into far left arete sit and top it out. Technical, pumpy, fun and safe, lowball traverse.
South Lake Tahoe Bouldering 1

The River Beavers
>South Upper Truckee Road
"Beaver Jam" V2/3**** sit start spillter hand/layback crack!
"Eager Beaver" V4/5*** low sit start right arete/face.
Some Beaver Bouldering



Bliss
>CA89 / Lake Tahoe West Shore
"Slim Shady" V4/5*** low sit to short double compression aretes and top out up left side. On top of hill under big shady tree.
Bouldering and Other Stuff Around So Lake Tahoe Summer 2013


 ~ more info coming soon..! I Loves me some Granite!!



>A few of my other newer videos of South Tahoe Bouldering;

Some South Lake Tahoe Bouldering - Fall 2013 

The Toltec Boulder 

Lake Audrain ~ 0123 Boulder



UPDATE 2016:
Since 2013 I have not visited Tahoe a lot but here are the few new problems I have found and done:

"Green Spider" V6? right of "White Spider" - Alpine Club

"Pages Traverse" V6/7? traverse from right to left into "Pages From A Book" - Lost In Space
~not sure if this is new or not but it seemed uncleaned and unclimbed with no chalk or telltale signs.

V4/5 traverse - Burnside Lake Rd

V5/6 traverse - Burnside Lake Rd


White Spider and Green Spider - YouTube

Pages Traverse V6/7 - YouTube