California · Rock climbing · Truckee

East Face Main

East Face Main in California has 11 climbing routes on the East Face cliff, ranging across 9 difficulty grades.

11 routes
5.9+ – 5.13b
Trad · Sport

Is East Face Main open right now?

Alert in the area

The Forest Service lists 2 alerts for Tahoe National Forest.

As of · Source: USFS · Tahoe National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Best time to visit East Face Main

Best months: May–September. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

  1. Jan

    41° / 17°

    11 wet

  2. Feb

    43° / 18°

    10 wet

  3. Mar

    48° / 22°

    10 wet

  4. Apr

    53° / 26°

    7 wet

  5. May

    63° / 33°

    6 wet

  6. Jun

    73° / 38°

    3 wet

  7. Jul

    82° / 44°

    2 wet

  8. Aug

    81° / 42°

    2 wet

  9. Sep

    74° / 36°

    2 wet

  10. Oct

    63° / 29°

    4 wet

  11. Nov

    49° / 23°

    7 wet

  12. Dec

    39° / 17°

    10 wet

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Donner Mem Sp, CA, 4.6 mi away at 5,937 ft. The station sits about 1,000 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

East Face Main is a climbing area in the Truckee Ranger District of Tahoe National Forest in California. It sits among a cluster of climbing spots, with Brain Block and Cannibals Gully each about 0.1 mile away. The climbing here runs from about 5.9+ up to 5.13, with 11 routes in total. Eight are trad and three are sport. The YDS median is 5.11-. Nova Express is a trad route at 5.9+, and Nice Dreams is a trad route at 5.12d. Narcoleptic, a sport route at 5.13, was first climbed by Fan Yang. Summer is the driest and warmest stretch for a visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show July highs around 82°F with lows near 44°F and only about two wet days, while winter highs there sit in the low 40s. That station sits roughly 1,000 feet below the area, so temperatures on the cliff run cooler. The Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail #2000 passes about 0.4 mile away, and the Lake Mary Trail is about 0.9 mile off. Milton Reservoir is about 1.4 miles away for fishing. Granite Flat campground is about 6 miles away.

Routes (11)

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Grouse #6Photo: Jonathan Fox, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

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East FacePhoto: Jonathan Fox, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

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