Rock Climbs of Placerville, 1st Edition, 2003
by William H. Cottrell. Price $13.95. 62 pages.

Overview: This guide covers the rock climbing around the city of Placerville. Located off of Highway 50, on the way to South Lake Tahoe, from the bay area. This guide covers 2 primary climbing areas. These are Cosumnes River Gorge and Mosquito Coast. Climbing in these areas is on Tahoe granite. Climbing is best in Spring and Fall with Summers reaching temperatures in excess of 100 degrees regularly. Style of climbing is comprised of TR, sport & some multi-pitch trad. Climbing areas are prone to poison Oak and rattlesnakes so be careful. Driving time from San Jose is about 2.5-3 hrs depending on time of day and traffic. From the East Bay it’s about the same.

Reviewers Opinion: Overall the guide is nicely done and includes driving, parking and approach information that is easily followed. Maps and directions to each climbing area are well done. I had no problem using this guide to find either the Mosquito Coast or the Cosumnes River Gorge routes. Route Topo's are detailed but are missing height information. This is covered in general in the introduction section but it would be nice to add the pitch lengths and estimate of the routes length for TR’s. Type of climbing involved and some beta is included on most routes, which the reviewer found helpful.

Rating - 4 star ****(5 is best 1 is worst). If you plan on a day trip or weekend in Placerville for climbing this guide is a must.