Owner Petch Pietrolungo and lead guide Steve Schwortz have built Lover’s Leap Guides (LLG) into more than a successful company. They are on a mission to support the climbing community as passionate, dedicated, and hard-working advocates and stewards. It’s rare that a summer climbing trip to the Lake Tahoe region and Lover’s Leap wouldn’t include a tip from Petch or a reminder to stay on the trail from Steve.

Petch and Steve go above and beyond to take care of the places where they recreate. They collaborate with local climbing organizations to rally volunteers, provide logistical support for stewardship events, and are the base camp for the Access Fund Conservation Team when they’re in town. In addition to their outward-facing work, these two advocates also do a significant amount of trail work: re-routing unsustainable trails, maintaining clear trail corridors, and building stone staircases and retaining walls on their off days. They maintain up-to-date access information, monitor cliff-dwelling birds, and routinely update trail signage.

In the wake of the Caldor Fire that scorched the Highway 50 corridor in the summer of 2021, Petch and Steve were instrumental in safely reopening Lover’s Leap. They collaborated closely with the Eldorado National Forest to address impacts from the fire, ensuring that access could be reinstated safely, sustainably, and swiftly. If you climb anywhere in the region, these guides have likely played a critical role in securing and protecting climbing access.

This year, LLG celebrated its 20th anniversary offering guided rock climbing and educational courses in the Lake Tahoe region. Thanks to Petch and Steve’s ongoing advocacy, the future of climbing in the area looks bright.

Six Questions for Petch and Steve:

Petch and Steve at Lover’s Leap. Ancestral lands of the Central Sierra Miwok and Washoe. © Chris Vultaggio.

What’s your favorite cause in climbing advocacy right now?
Petch: Restoring Lover’s Leap after the massive Caldor Fire. Being fortunate to call the Leap my home and to be able to run a business here, my energies are focused here right now.

Steve: I agree—acting locally and stepping up to manage our home crag is my focus as well.

What does it mean to you to be a climbing advocate?
Steve: I think of it in two ways: Putting my money where my mouth is, and managing issues now in order to keep climbing areas open and usable for the future.

Petch: I really haven’t thought of myself as an advocate. I feel a responsibility living here and running a business. We have had such great support over the years, I feel that this is one the best ways to give back to the community.

What’s your advice to new advocates?
Petch: Watch those fingers and knees! Patience is definitely required. Navigating the process to get projects going can be challenging.

Steve: Play the long game, and do your homework. Don’t be afraid to get in touch with someone doing work and volunteer to help.

What challenged you the most about getting into the advocacy world?
Steve: For me the biggest challenge is getting and keeping all of the many and diverse stakeholders on the same page at the same time including both land managers and climbers.

Petch: In our area, land managers are understaffed and the damage caused by the Caldor Fire has been overwhelming. This is where Climbing Resource Advocates of Greater Sacramento (CRAGS) and Access Fund have played a huge role in getting projects approved with land managers.

Who is another climbing advocate whose work is really inspiring you right now?
Petch: I have been really impressed with the crews that have come through here from the Access Fund Conservation Team. Their hard work and dedication to improving climbing areas shows. The group of volunteers that would come out on the weekends and those who would show up mid-week was awesome.

Steve: I’d echo Petch for sure (shout out to Loryn and Kyle!) but I’m going to go with my friend, Access Fund Stewardship Manager Andrea Hassler. Andrea’s passion and understanding of the broader context in which climbing conservation projects happen are really good influences for a curmudgeon like me.

Anything else you want to add?
Steve: Always! It’s hard to overstate how much work Petch has done for the climbing areas on Highway 50: Sugarloaf, the Phantom Spires, and especially Lover’s Leap. He’s probably done more trailwork, route development, and anchor maintenance in the last 30 years than the next 10 people combined, and he’s never asked for anything in return. It’s refreshingly selfless and a truly honorable way to give back to a place where we live and work. But it also sets the standard for the rest of us in working and climbing here. I appreciate just being included here alongside him and a huge thanks to Access Fund for working with us at the Leap.