Today’s episode brings us to one of California’s most iconic granite crags: Lover’s Leap. If you’ve ever climbed here, you already know what makes it special—600 feet of mostly vertical granite laced with splitter cracks and wild horizontal dikes that jut out up to a foot. The featured nature of the rock makes the climbing feel surprisingly secure and approachable, even on steep terrain. But beyond the rock itself, there’s another reason Lover’s Leap is such a memorable place—and that is the local legend who’s made it his home: Petch Pietrolungo.

Petch is the founder and operator of Lover’s Leap Guides, the longest-running local guide service in the area. But beyond that, he’s played a huge role in protecting and maintaining the area—working with the Access Fund, CRAGS, and the Forest Service to preserve trails, support nesting raptors, and ultimately give back to the climbing community If that weren’t enough, he’s also put up more than 50 routes at The Leap—ranging from 5.5 all the way to 5.12d—and some of them have already become modern classics. It is safe to say that Petch is a true steward of the land.

But what Petch is maybe best known for besides his contagious level of stoke for climbing is his deep relationship with free soloing. For him, it’s not about risk or ego. It’s a methodical, meditative experience. It’s also very efficient—Petch holds a personal record of climbing 112 pitches in a single day. That same love for big linkups spills over into his guiding, where he offers “birthday pitch” days—where clients climb the number of pitches that match their age. Some have climbed over 50 pitches in a day.
But Petch didn’t always live in the small town of Strawberry. He didn’t even start as a climber.

This is part one of my conversation with Petch—and in this episode, we go way back. From his early days as a surfer to a near-fatal rappelling accident that shaped his relationship with risk. We explore his eight month climbing road trip that took him to iconic places like Red Rock Canyon, Joshua Tree, Devils Tower, and the Wind River Range. A trip that would eventually land him in the small town of Strawberry and his now home crag… Lover’s Leap.

We close off this part of the conversation with his firsthand account of the 2021 Caldor Fire, and how close it came to wiping Strawberry off the map.
This is the first time Petch has ever spoken publicly about his life on a podcast, and I’m honored to bring it to you. So without further ado, here is The Leap’s local legend…Petch Pietrolungo

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Resources

Petch's IG

Hire Petch As A Guide