Lover's Leap

July 5, 2018
Lover's Leap
Strawberry, California

Laura always reminds me that she has climbed way longer than I have when she talks about the times her father, Stan would take her and her brother out on the rock when they were just kids. The stories are endless and the memories great for her, so when we climbed in California this year, we made it a priority to get her dad on the rock again after a 25 year hiatus. We came home from our long Palisades mountain weekend and while out at a winery, learned of a local crag just 10 minutes from home. We made a plan and went there the following day for a few routes before heading to the famous Lover's Leap. I set up a few 5.6 - 5.7 routes and one 5.9 climb and Laura and Stan followed both.

After a relaxing Independence Day, we loaded up our gear and headed to the leap the following morning. We chose an easy 3 pitch climb for the three of us called Knapsack Crack. I would lead and Laura and her dad would climb together as I belayed them from high above. The climbing was nice and the three of us enjoyed the beautiful morning on the rock. Reaching the top of the climb, we descended off the hogback rock formation and headed to a shady spot and our cooler to have a quick lunch.

Finishing lunch, we headed off to climb the mega classic Corrugation Corner route on the main climbing wall at Lover's Leap. It is a 3 pitch climb that has hundreds of outstanding reviews, so we figured it would be a great introduction to the area. On the approach, Stan found a brand new #4 camalot while I was ahead looking for the beginning of the route. Stan had been sick all week so the first climb wore him out. He decided to relax under a tree and watch while we climbed. Walking along the ledges, I came to the start where there were 2 guys just beginning to climb. They seemed to move quickly so Laura and I geared up. I asked if she would like to take the lead on the first section of rock and she agreed, so I passed the gear her way and off she went.

Making quick work of pitch 1, Laura shared the belay with the party in front of us as I climbed up to join them. Pitch 2 is a fantastic, exposed arête and is great climbing for a full rope length and stopping just before a chimney section in the rock. Laura said she was happy that I lead that section but thought the climbing was great. The final 200 feet to the summit was excellent. A short chimney and then a 25' traverse to the right, protected by a single old pin. Getting to the right facing crack, I was happy to place a piece of protection and work my way up the final 100' of easy climbing on the unique horizontal dikes the rock is composed of. Topping out after a casual 2 hours, we loaded the gear in our pack and jogged down the trail to meet Stan and head home for the day. Next time we head back, we hope to take Stan on Bear's Reach, the famous climb with a video from Dan Osman and also get on some more challenging routes on the magnificent climbing area just an hour from our home for the week!