Lover's Leap (Tahoe, CA)

Lover's Leap
Lover's Leap seen from the Pony Express Trail.
Highest point
Elevation	6,944 ft (2,117 m)  NAVD 88
Coordinates	38°47′58″N 120°08′08″W / 38.79944°N 120.13556°W / 38.79944; -120.13556Coordinates: 38°47′58″N 120°08′08″W / 38.79944°N 120.13556°W / 38.79944; -120.13556
Geography
Lover's Leap Location in California
Location	El Dorado County, California, United States
Parent range	Sierra Nevada
Topo map	USGS Pyramid Peak
Climbing
Easiest route	Hike
Climbing type	traditional crag
Height	Up to 600 feet (180 m)
Pitches	4
Ratings	5.5 to 5.12d, VB to V6
Grades	I and II
Rock type	granite
Quantity of rock	weeks worth
Development	well developed
Cliff aspect	north
Season	spring to fall
Ownership	Eldorado National Forest
Camping	Lovers Leap Campground
Classic climbs	Bear's Reach (5.7) Corrugation Corner (5.7) Surrealistic Pillar 5.7) Haystack (5.8) Fantasia (5.9 R) The Line (5.9) Traveler Buttress (5.9) Hospital Corner (5.10a) Tombstone Terror (5.10c) Boothill (5.11a) Nirvana (5.11c) R.I.P. (5.11d) Dog Party (5.12b) Fight the Power (5.12b/c)
Stars

Lover's Leap is a steep granite cliff band in El Dorado County, California, United States, a landmark which catches the eye as one travels by, and a popular destination for climbers. The origin of its name is unknown, but common to most Lover's Leaps, one version from local folklore says two Native Americans lovers leapt to their deaths from the summit.

The cliffs of Lover's Leap run horizontally through the Eldorado National Forest for over a third of a mile (0.6 km), with heights between 250–600 feet (76–183 m). The formation faces towards the northwest, and lie just south of Route 50, between Lake Tahoe and Sacramento. The historic Pony Express trail roughly parallels Route 50, and runs directly beneath Lover's Leap. The closest major urban center is the Tahoe area about 10 miles to the northeast. The cliff is at the northern terminus of a sloping ridge that runs southwest for six miles to the peak of Little Round Top. The Forest Service operates the nearby Lover's Leap Campground, and the historic Strawberry Lodge is also nearby.

Lover's Leap is a popular climbing destination with over one hundred and fifty established routes. It is best known for its traditional multi-pitch routes, often using granite dikes for holds; but the area also includes some boulder problems.

Bruce Cooke established the first recorded climbing route here, a chimney in the middle of the wall, around 1950. A handful of routes were put in the following decade by local climbers (some with the Sierra Club) from the Sacramento Valley and the Bay Area. Routes established in this early period included future classics Corrugation Corner, and Bear's Reach, a route made famous half a century later by a viral video in which Dan Osman speed climbed it.