One of the most feared sections of any trail race in North America has a new look. The “Stairway to Heaven,” a bolted ladder pinned to the rock face just below the summit of Washeshu Peak, has been replaced ahead of this week’s Broken Arrow Skyrace.
Race organizers shared video of the new ladder on Instagram earlier this month, confirming that runners arriving at Palisades Tahoe Village will be climbing a freshly installed version when racing begins on Thursday, June 18. The 2026 event runs through Sunday, June 21, and includes a full slate of distances ranging from the 5.8-kilometer Ascent up to the 46-kilometer flagship race.
The ladder sits along Headwall Ridge, one of the most photographed and most dreaded sections of the course. Runners reach it after a long climb, then pull themselves hand-over-hand up the steep rungs to the summit. It has been a fixture of the race since the event began, and a fixture of the mountain itself for far longer. The original ladder is believed to have been installed at Palisades Tahoe in 1965.
For a race that takes pride in its brutally steep terrain, the ladder has become more than a piece of infrastructure. It is the moment that defines the day for many participants, and the one most of them think about long before they reach it. Skyrunning events often hinge on a single feature like this, and Broken Arrow’s ladder is the one that most runners remember.
“For nearly a decade, the ‘Stairway to Heaven’ ladder, along with #RingingDasBell, has represented the defining moment for participants in the Broken Arrow Skyrace. It’s the one that shows up in your pre-race nightmares, the one you can’t stop thinking about on the drive up to Tahoe, the one where your legs keep moving even though your brain says absolutely not. You do it anyway. This is a rite of passage for all Broken Arrow runners.”
Broken Arrow Skyrace, via Instagram
Replacing a fixture that old is not a small thing, and the race acknowledged that some runners would miss the original.
“This wasn’t a decision we made lightly. After years of use and careful evaluation, we knew it was time to invest in something built for the next generation of runners. Safety is not a compromise we’re willing to make, not for aesthetics, not for nostalgia, not for anything.”
Broken Arrow Skyrace organizers
There is still a nod to the old ladder in the works. “For those of you who are nostalgic, don’t worry,” the team added in their Instagram announcement. “It is our hope to paint it the original color for 2027.“
Broken Arrow has grown into one of the more talked-about events on the American trail running calendar. Canadian Olympian Rory Linkletter is making his elite trail debut at the Ascent this year, and the ladder has become part of the event’s identity. Runners post photos of it. First-timers ask veterans how to approach it. Some pause at the bottom before starting up.
The new structure should make that climb steadier, even if it does nothing to ease the nerves. For anyone training to tackle terrain like this, our beginner’s guide to mountain running is a good place to start. Runners will get their first look at the new ladder on race day.
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