Since at least the 1950s¹, rock climbers have sharpened their skills on campus at UC Berkeley in between trips to more well-known climbing destinations such as Yosemite National Park and Lake Tahoe. Many buildings have cracks, ledges, or other features, that make them climbable by those willing to take the risk.

Steve Roper, a Yosemite Valley climbing legend, reportedly tried to climb up the side of the Campanile using various pieces of metal that were wedged into the small cracks that led to the top. Other noteworthy spots for “buildering,” as it is called, include Dwinelle Hall, Wheeler Hall, the Memorial Stadium, Lawrence Hall of Science, and Evans Hall, but the most famous of them all is a tucked away corner outside the Doe Library.²

The Doe Library is famous for being a picturesque study spot for students at UC Berkeley, but for over 60 years², rock climbers have been drawn to the building for a different reason. On the outside of the library, at the northeast corner where the Doe and Bancroft Libraries meet, lies a series of small ledges that climbers call the “Doe Traverse.” Those who attempt the Doe Traverse climb along the side of the building only a few inches above the ground as a way to test themselves and practice their climbing skills without having to go all of the way to the more established climbing spots in Berkeley. With practice, many reach the final move, but this final section is the most challenging on the traverse. It requires climbers to jump along a thin ledge and catch a vertical edge of a building to stop themselves. The number of people who have completed this move is unknown, as the Traverse is rarely documented.⁴

Similarly, the rules of the Doe Traverse are seldom written down. Instead, as climbing knowledge often is, they spread through word of mouth, and those that know about the Traverse are aware of the rules.

1. No horizontal edges can be used by hands; feet may walk along the horizontal edges, but hands must only use vertical corners and cracks of the building.

2. Climbing chalk, often used to dry hands of sweat, is not allowed.

3. Climbing-specific shoes are not allowed.

These rules are in place for multiple reasons. Rule 1 ensures that the climb is done in a challenging, traditional manner. Nothing stops a climber from using any handholds that they want to, including horizontal edges, but doing so would invalidate a true completion of the climb. Rules 2 and 3 exist to minimize the impact of climbers on the building. Climbing chalk leaves white dust on the handholds and is often spilled on the ground, while climbing shoes leave black rubber marks that would tarnish the light gray granite of the Doe Library.