Climbing area at Donner Summit being protected

The Truckee Donner Land Trust and the Access Fund, a national climbing advocacy organization, have signed an agreement with a private landowner to purchase a significant climbing area on Donner Summit.

The 10-acre acquisition will protect the popular and historic Black Wall, Peanut Gallery, and Road Cut climbing areas, as well as the access trail to the popular Space Wall, Shark Wall, and Grouse Slabs, all easily accessible from Old Highway 40.

The climbing routes were established more than 50 years ago and range from deep chimneys and low-angle slabs for beginners, to overhanging test pieces for experts, and splitter cracks and sport routes for all skill levels.

The property has been privately owned since the mid-1800s, but concerns about liability have led to the current owner’s need to sell the property. The Land Trust and the Access Fund are working with the landowners to protect this climbing resource and landmark forever. Truckee Donner Land Trust has a purchase and sale agreement to fundraise and acquire the property by December. Access Fund has a lease agreement to address liability concerns raised by the private landowners and assist in stewardship.

An adjacent 65-acre parcel owned by the Land Trust will also provide access to Black Wall and adjacent crags as part of Truckee’s trail network. The parcel has a creek that typically flows year-round and will be part of a multi-use non-motorized recreational trail from Donner Lake toward the climbing wall and continuing up to the summit area.

With support from the Access Fund and local climbers, the Land Trust will steward and provide public access to the property, minimize environmental and visual impacts from climbers, build new trails and trailheads, provide informative signage, and protect nesting peregrine falcons in the area. The Land Trust and the Access Fund will work with the local climbing community to create a volunteer climber coalition that will help implement a recreation and stewardship management plan for the greater Donner Summit area to ensure best practices.

The Land Trust has raised $50,000 toward the total fundraising goal of $280,000.