Woman dies while rock climbing famous Royal Robbins route in Tahoe region

An Ohio woman was killed last week while climbing a popular route in El Dorado County made famous by legendary California climbers.

The El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office was called about 5 p.m. Thursday to the area of Lover’s Leap, near the town of Strawberry along Highway 50, said Sheriff’s Office spokesman Sgt. Kyle Parker.

The 30-year-old victim and her partner were climbing on the east face of Lover’s Leap when an accident happened on an expert level route called Fantasia. The woman died from injuries she suffered.

She has been identified as Janel Mathews of Ohio, Parker said.

“By all indications, Ms. Mathews was an experienced climber,” he said.

Lover’s Leap contains “world-class climbing” very popular among outdoor enthusiasts, said Petch Pietrolungo, the owner of Lover’s Leap Guides . It’s a business that helps novices and experts alike traverse a place dotted with about 150 routes.

“It’s a really good area because it has such a great variety” of climbs, Pietrolungo said.

He said the route Fantasia is one of his favorites and it took him years to navigate the correct path. Mathew’s death is the first fatality to happen on Fantasia in his 31 years of climbing Lover’s Leap, Pietrolungo said.

Fantasia’s first accent was completed by American rock climbing pioneer Royal Robbins, Pietrolungo said. Robbins, a Modesto resident, notched his place in history as the first person to ascend several routes in Yosemite.

Robbins died March 14, 2017, after a long illness, according to previous reporting. His family called him a leading figure in the Golden Age of Yosemite Valley and one of the most vocal proponents of clean climbing, a practice in which climbers avoid damaging the rock.

Fantasia boasts beautiful views, but has few chances for outdoor enthusiasts to protect themselves from falling, Pietrolungo said.

Helicopters whirred around Highway 50 on Thursday over the 400-feet nearly straight ascent as El Dorado County’s search and rescue team fanned out. The investigation by the Sheriff’s Office is closed, Parker said.

He noted climbing is a high-risk activity, and accidents can happen even while wearing all the right gear.

“It’s unfortunate,” Parker said.