Desolate Peaks
Always double-check with the organizer's website! This page may contain affiliate links.
Desolate Peaks : Desolation Wilderness peak-bagging event
Desolate Peaks is a loosely supported, self-navigated mountain endurance event held in the Desolation Wilderness near South Lake Tahoe. Participants assemble at Twin Lakes Trailhead, Kyburz, CA, and navigate from peak to peak until they either complete the selected circuit within a 30 hour time limit or withdraw. The event is free and offers minimal support such as drop bags at Echo Lakes parking.
The event is explicitly not a marked trail run. Most travel is off trail across talus fields, granite ledges, sections that require hands-and-feet scrambling, and swift creek crossings. Route choice and navigation are the responsibility of each participant; prior experience with off-trail mountain navigation and extended mountain travel is emphasized.
Three course options are offered: an 11-peak fun run with a shuttle return from Fallen Leaf, the original 17-peak route, and a 21-peak option that adds four additional peaks referred to as Lucifer’s Frolic. The route includes named summits such as Mount Price, Agassiz, Pyramid Peak, Cracked Crag, Ralston Peak, Echo Peak, Cathedral Peak, Mount Tallac, Dick’s Peak, Jack’s Peak, and others. Fallen Leaf Trailhead serves as the last bailout point for some routes. Registration closes on August 15 prior to the event date. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.
