California · Rock climbing · South Lake Tahoe

Blind Man's Bluff

Blind Man's Bluff in California has 7 climbing routes across 6 grades.

Blind Man's BluffPhoto: brewbooks from near Seattle, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
7 routes
5.8 – 5.12c
Trad · Sport

Is Blind Man's Bluff open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit. It doesn't name Blind Man's Bluff, so check the source for the area it covers.

As of · Source: USFS · Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Best time to visit Blind Man's Bluff

Best months: May–October. 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

    36° / 23°

    9 wet

  2. Feb

    37° / 23°

    8 wet

  3. Mar

    42° / 26°

    7 wet

  4. Apr

    48° / 29°

    5 wet

  5. May

    56° / 35°

    4 wet

  6. Jun

    66° / 42°

    2 wet

  7. Jul

    75° / 49°

    2 wet

  8. Aug

    74° / 49°

    1 wet

  9. Sep

    67° / 44°

    2 wet

  10. Oct

    55° / 36°

    3 wet

  11. Nov

    43° / 28°

    5 wet

  12. Dec

    35° / 23°

    7 wet

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Dagget Pass, NV, 12.9 mi away at 7,334 ft. The station sits about 500 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.

Blind Man's Bluff is a climbing area in California's Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, managed by the Forest Service. It sits among a cluster of climbing spots, with the 5.12 Wall just 0.1 mile away and the Flagpole Peak Area about 0.3 mile off. The Saucer Lake Trail starts roughly 0.6 mile away for anyone who wants to pair a climb with a hike. Summer is the most comfortable time to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Dagget Pass, Nevada, show July highs around 75°F with lows near 49°F, and only about two wet days a month from June through September. That station sits about 500 feet lower than the bluff, so temperatures here run a little cooler. The area has seven routes, six of them trad and one sport. Grades range from 5.8 to 5.12c, with Magic Book at 5.8 and Aesop at 5.12c. The sport route Aesop was first climbed by Paul Crawford in September 1990.

Routes (7)

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5.12 WallPhoto: brewbooks, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

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