Bear's Reach

Last updated
Bear's Reach
Location Lake Tahoe, California, United States
Coordinates 38°47′58″N120°08′06″W / 38.79940°N 120.135°W / 38.79940; -120.135
Climbing Area Lover's Leap, East Wall
Route Type Trad
Vertical Gain400 feet (120 m)
Pitches 3
Grade 5.7  (5a)
First ascent Phil Berry & Robin Linnett, 1956. [1]
Fastest Ascent Alex Honnold 00:04:15.

The Bear's Reach is a technical rock climbing route on Lover's Leap near Lake Tahoe, California. [2] Considered a classic for its grade, it includes both face and crack climbing. The route is named for the crux of the second pitch, a long reach between two large holds. The route is best known in popular culture through a viral video featuring Dan Osman speed climbing the route in 4 min 25 sec, and completing a famous ropeless double dyno between two holds. [3] [4] The video was featured in Masters of Stone IV, 1997.

This mark was bettered when Alex Honnold completed it in 4:15. [5] [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hans Florine</span> American rock climber (born 1964)

Hans Florine is an American rock climber, who holds the record for the number of ascents of Yosemite Valley's El Capitan and is known for holding the speed record on The Nose of Yosemite’s El Capitan 8 different times. Hans' last speed record on The Nose was accomplished with Alex Honnold for climbing The Nose in 2:23:46, on June 17, 2012. In addition to climbing El Capitan over 175 times, Hans also holds the record for the number of ascents of The Nose, climbing it more than 111 times.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">El Capitan</span> Vertical rock formation in Yosemite National Park

El Capitan is a vertical rock formation in Yosemite National Park, on the north side of Yosemite Valley, near its western end. The granite monolith is about 3,000 feet (914 m) from base to summit along its tallest face and is a world-famous location for big wall climbing, including the disciplines of aid climbing, free climbing, and more recently for free solo climbing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black Rocks (Derbyshire)</span> Rock climbing area in England

Black Rocks, is a small outcrop of ashover gritstone, between Cromford and Wirksworth in Derbyshire, the Peak District, England. It is an important crag in the history of British rock climbing, and has some of the most extreme climbing routes in Britain, including Gaia E8 6c.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tommy Caldwell</span> American rock climber

Tommy Caldwell is an American rock climber who has set records in sport climbing, traditional climbing, and in big-wall climbing. Caldwell made the first free ascents of several major routes on El Capitan in Yosemite National Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Free solo climbing</span> Form of climbing without protection

Free solo climbing, or free soloing, is a form of rock climbing where the climbers climb solo without ropes or other protective equipment, using only their climbing shoes and their climbing chalk. Free soloing is the most dangerous form of climbing, and, unlike bouldering, free soloists climb above safe heights, where a fall can be fatal. Though many climbers have free soloed climbing grades they are very comfortable on, only a tiny group free solo regularly, and at grades closer to the limit of their abilities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fitz Roy</span> Mountain in the Southern Andes; part of the Argentina-Chile border

Monte Fitz Roy is a mountain in Patagonia, on the border between Argentina and Chile. It is located in the Southern Patagonian Ice Field, near El Chaltén village and Viedma Lake. It was first climbed in 1952 by French alpinists Lionel Terray and Guido Magnone.

<i>Regular Northwest Face of Half Dome</i> Multi-pitch climbing route in Yosemite, US

The Regular Northwest Face of Half Dome was the first Grade VI big wall climbing route in the United States. It was first climbed in 1957 by a team consisting of Royal Robbins, Mike Sherrick, and Jerry Gallwas. Its current aid climbing rating is VI 5.9 A1 or 5.12 for the free climbing variation. It is recognized in the historic climbing text Fifty Classic Climbs of North America and considered a classic around the world.

Daniel Eugene Osman was an American extreme sport practitioner, known for the dangerous sport of free-soloing, rock climbing without ropes or other safety gear. He participated in rope jumping, falling several hundred feet from a cliff then being caught by a safety rope, for which his record was over 1,000 feet (300 m).

Middle Triple Peak is the second highest peak in the Kichatna Mountains, a subrange of the Alaska Range in Alaska, United States. It is a striking rock tower, with immense, sheer walls on the east and west sides.

Meyers is a small unincorporated community in El Dorado County, California, United States, along U.S. Route 50 in the northern Sierra Nevada. It is 6 miles (10 km) south of South Lake Tahoe in the Lake Tahoe area and lies at an elevation of 6,352 feet. Established in 1851, Meyers started out as a stagecoach stop, trading post and Pony Express station. The town is now registered as California Historical Landmark #708. It serves as a popular stop on the way into and out of the Tahoe Basin for travelers on Highway 50 and Highway 89.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Speed climbing</span> Type of climbing

Speed climbing is a climbing discipline in which speed is the ultimate goal. Speed climbing is done on rocks, walls and poles and is only recommended for highly skilled and experienced climbers.

<i>The Nose</i> (El Capitan) Multi-pitch climbing route in Yosemite, US

The Nose is a big wall climbing route up El Capitan. Once considered impossible to climb, El Capitan is now the standard for big wall climbing. It is recognized in the historic climbing text Fifty Classic Climbs of North America and considered a classic around the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lover's Leap (Tahoe, California)</span>

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 Traveler Buttress is a technical rock climbing on Lover's Leap route near Tahoe, California, USA, and is featured in Fifty Classic Climbs of North America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Face (Mount Whitney)</span>

The East Face of Mount Whitney is a technical alpine rock climbing route and is featured in Fifty Classic Climbs of North America. Mount Whitney is the highest peak in the contiguous United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corrugation Corner</span> Traditional climbing route at Lovers Leap, Lake Tahoe

Corrugation Corner is a technical rock climb at Lover's Leap near Lake Tahoe, CA first established in the 1960s. It is recognized for its high level of exposure as well as its pleasing aesthetics. Chris McNamara describes it as "one of the steepest granite 5.7s anywhere.".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alex Honnold</span> American rock climber (born 1985)

Alex Honnold is an American rock climber best known for his free solo ascents of big walls. Honnold rose to worldwide fame in June 2017 when he became the first person to free solo a route on El Capitan in Yosemite National Park, a climb described in The New York Times as "one of the great athletic feats of any kind, ever". Honnold also holds the record for the fastest ascent of the "Yosemite Triple Crown", an 18-hour, 50-minute link-up of Mount Watkins, The Nose, and the Regular Northwest Face of Half Dome. In 2015, he won a Piolet d'Or in alpine climbing with Tommy Caldwell for their completion of the enchainment of the Cerro Chaltén Group in Patagonia over 5 days.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emily Harrington</span> American rock climber and mountaineer

Emily Harrington is an American professional rock climber and mountaineer. She is a five-time US National Champion in sport lead climbing, runner-up in the 2005 IFSC Climbing World Championships, and has made the first female free ascents of several 5.14 (8c/+) routes.

<i>Free Solo</i> 2018 film by Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi

Free Solo is a 2018 American documentary film directed by Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin that profiles rock climber Alex Honnold on his quest to perform the first-ever free solo climb of a route on El Capitan, in Yosemite National Park, in June 2017.

Brad Gobright was an American rock climber known for free solo climbing.

References

  1. California Climber, Issue 12, Tales from the Leap, Dean Flemming https://issuu.com/agrphoto/docs/cc12_spring15_web_master_w_cover/40
  2. South Lake Tahoe Climbing, by Chris McNamara, Supertopo LLC, March 2004 ISBN   0-9672391-7-6
  3. Julie Ellison (20 July 2017). "The Peanut Gallery: The 50 Greatest Climbing Achievements by Americans in the Last 25 Years". Climbing Magazine. Retrieved March 17, 2018.
  4. Dan Osman- Lover's Leap This video is no longer available due to a copyright claim by Eric Perlman Productions.
  5. "Alex Honnold Breaks Dan Osman's Lover's Leap Record in "Classic" Fashion". Outside Online. Retrieved March 17, 2018.
  6. "Alex Honnold interview after Dan Osman speed solo tribute on Bear's Reach" . Retrieved March 17, 2018.