East Face
East Face in California has 33 climbing routes.
Photo: cogdogblog, CC0 (via Wikimedia Commons)- 33 routes
- 5.7 – 5.13b/c
- Trad · Sport · Mixed
Is East Face open right now?
Alert in the area
The Forest Service lists 3 alerts for Eldorado National Forest.
Fire Restrictions are in Effect Forest Wide
Agency alert covering Eldorado National Forest · Order 03-26-08 · USFS · Eldorado National Forest
Help Halt Golden Mussel Invasion
Agency alert covering Eldorado National Forest · USFS · Eldorado National Forest
Deer Valley Trail (19E01) & Meadow Lake Road (09N01)
Agency alert covering Eldorado National Forest · Order 03-24-05 · USFS · Eldorado National Forest
As of · Source: USFS · Eldorado National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Best time to visit East Face
Best months: March–June and September–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.
Jan
44° / 32°
12 wet
Feb
50° / 31°
12 wet
Mar
56° / 33°
12 wet
Apr
63° / 36°
9 wet
May
72° / 42°
7 wet
Jun
82° / 47°
3 wet
Jul
90° / 53°
1 wet
Aug
89° / 52°
1 wet
Sep
83° / 49°
2 wet
Oct
66° / 41°
5 wet
Nov
51° / 35°
9 wet
Dec
43° / 31°
12 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Pacific House, CA, 10.6 mi away at 3,450 ft. The station sits about 1,300 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.
Closures we've recorded since August 2026
Fire Restrictions are in Effect Forest Wide
Eldorado National Forest · Order dated September 22, 2026; seen Aug 23, 2026, no lift recorded · Forest Service
East Face is a climbing area in California's Eldorado National Forest, within the Placerville Ranger District. The Forest Service manages the land, and the East Face sits just 0.1 mile from Split Rock and West Face, so the three areas make a natural cluster for a day of climbing. The route count here is 33, with trad climbing the dominant style at 22 routes. Sport climbing accounts for 9 routes. The grade range runs from 5.7 to 5.13b/c, with the median at 5.10c. Some named routes include East Chimney (5.7), Morticia (5.9), Tapestry (5.10b) and Grand Illusion (5.13b/c), which gives a sense of the range of options. Late spring and early fall are the most comfortable times to go. Typical averages from the Pacific House weather station, about 10 miles away, show May highs near 72°F and October highs near 66°F, while July and August average around 90°F. For a change of pace, Sugarloaf Peak is 0.2 mile away and Sand Flat Campground is 1.2 miles off. Harvey West Cabin lies about 2.3 miles away.
Routes (33)
Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive
Photo: cogdogblog, CC0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Sugarloaf Area
~0 min drive
Sugarloaf Area in California has 12 climbing routes across 11 difficulty grades.
Photo: Ben Chun, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Upper Spire
~6 min drive
Upper Spire in California has 22 climbing routes across 14 grades, offering sport and trad options.
Photo: Ben Chun, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Middle Spire
~6 min drive
Middle Spire in California has 22 climbing routes across 11 grades, offering mixed, sport, and trad styles.
Photo: Ben Chun, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Phantom Spires
~6 min drive
Phantom Spires in California has 31 climbing routes across 14 difficulty grades.
Photo: jfdervin, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Lower Buttress
~16 min drive
Lower Buttress in California has 20 climbing routes across 13 grades, offering sport and trad options.
Photo: jfdervin, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Lover's Leap
~16 min drive
Lover's Leap in California has 1 trad climbing route.
Photo: jfdervin, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Campground Boulders
~16 min drive
6 bouldering routes in California spanning 5 difficulty grades.
Photo: jfdervin, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Dear John Buttress
~16 min drive
Dear John Buttress in California has 14 climbing routes with 9 difficulty grades.
Photo: jfdervin, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)South Face
~16 min drive
South Face in California has 5 trad routes spanning 4 difficulty grades.
West Face
~0 min drive
West Face in California has 24 climbing routes with 14 difficulty grades.
