For a guy whose resumé includes pro snowboarder, filmmaker, pro rock climber, heavy metal guitarist, and now author, Dave Hatchett is one down-to-earth dude. Sure, he’s quick to tell you how rad his day was, but over half the words out of this West Shore local’s mouth will be directed at inspiring you to discover an epic new adventure of your own. The guy simply loves to share his motivation for having as much fun as possible in the coolest places possible.
Hatchett’s knack for sharing the stoke was born in the early ‘90s when he founded the snowboard film production company Standard Films with his twin brother, Mike. Now, 20 years later, Dave has returned to the spotlight with a new media project that’s equally inspiring as Standard’s many movies, only for a different action sport.
Hatchett recently wrote, designed, and self-published a substantial new rock climbing guidebook called “Bouldering Lake Tahoe: North/West Edition.” Bouldering is a sub-sport of rock climbing that focuses on climbing the faces of large boulders without a rope. Each specific bouldering route is called a “problem,” and one boulder may hold a dozen or more problems of varying difficulties. Hatchett’s guidebook is a treasure map to more than 3,200 problems hidden among the bulbous boulders of 25 different areas on the North and West shores of Lake Tahoe stretching from D.L. Bliss State Park to Donner Summit and Dollar Point.
The hefty 540-page book is packed cover-to-cover with logistical information, including driving directions to the zones, GPS locations of the boulders, and descriptions of the nature and difficulty of each problem. The efficiently laid-out text is anchored by impressive images of the boulders and people climbing them that make the book as visually stunning as it is informative.
“Dave’s guidebook looks so nice you almost don’t want to take it off the coffee table and throw it in your backpack,” said Brendan Madigan, owner of Alpenglow Sports.
But leaving the book behind is not an option. Without the info in its glossy pages you’d never find the boulders, let alone clue into the intricacies of the world-class problems that inspired Hatchett to produce the book. A massive new bouldering zone that Hatchett and friends developed at Sugar Pine State Park is one area the guidebook proudly unlocks for the public.
“I couldn’t believe the amount of insane boulders we found at Sugar Pine,” said Hatchett. “We’ve spent the last four years developing one after the other of totally rad problems out there. I’m really excited to finally share all our work with other climbers.”
Hatchett’s penchant for finding undiscovered places to climb is nothing new. Before he was so passionate about bouldering he spent two decades rock climbing with ropes, and established nearly 200 routes in the Tahoe region, including most of the routes at the Big Chief climbing area in Truckee. Searching for a new challenge, Hatchett put away the ropes and trained his intense focus on bouldering about five years ago.
“After 20 years of climbing, I felt like I had done most of the routes in Tahoe that I could do,” said Hatchett. “When I started bouldering, all of a sudden there was this whole new world of climbing to be explored that was right in my backyard.”
Bouldering’s worldwide popularity has exploded along the same timeline as Hatchett’s interest. He believes the minimal investment and the social qualities of bouldering have drawn a lot of fans to the climbing discipline.
“I think bouldering is attractive to people because it’s cheap to get started and there is a great community aspect,” said Hatchett, “All you need is climbing shoes and a chalk bag to start having fun, and there can be eight people at one boulder, all trying the problems, feeding off each other’s energy, and it’s not a big deal.”
The thought of drawing more climbers to his favorite boulders worried Hatchett when he first debated producing the book, but the consensus among the core local bouldering crew was that there are too many boulders in Tahoe, spread out over too wide of an area, for the added traffic to have much of an impact. Hatchett was also apt to share his local knowledge because if there is one thing he’s not humble about, it’s his feelings about the bouldering potential of Lake Tahoe.
“When you consider the number of problems, the variety of rock types, and the beauty of the area, Lake Tahoe should be considered one of the best bouldering destinations in the United States,” said Hatchett.
Under the umbrella of his new company, Tahoe Bouldering Guides, Hatchett is already hard at work on two more bouldering guidebooks. The next book will highlight boulders on the South and East shores of Lake Tahoe, and the third book will feature areas just outside the Tahoe Basin, including the Sierra Buttes, Reno, and Carson City. He hopes to self-publish both of these books in 2014. With deadlines on the mind and hundreds more boulders to document, you can see why this Tahoe sports legend has no time to parade around his accomplishments. Dave Hatchett is still 110 percent focused on leaving an adventure legacy for us all to enjoy.
Pick up a copy of “Bouldering Lake Tahoe” at your favorite local climbing shop or online at laketahoebouldering.com.
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