Climbing & Bouldering

Bishop Area Bouldering

Casa Diablo Rd. in relation to some of Bishop's classic climbing areas

The Happy/Sad Boulders (Volcanic Tablelands)

Summary - World-class volcanic bouldering offering every variety of hold and climbing technique imaginable. I personally like the Happies even more than the Buttermilks (see below).

This place has hundreds of projects jam-packed into one glorious little valley, ranging from beginner level to seemingly impossible. Without a doubt, every single person in your crew will find a climb that will make them extremely....happy :)

Location - 5-10 minutes north of downtown Bishop, near the start of Casa Diablo Road. It’s also very conveniently located next to the Volcanic Tableland BLM land, if you’re looking for a place to camp.

Seasonal Timing - Basically anytime except for the dead heat of summer. We used to go mid-winter in December/January, and aside from being freezing cold at night (cue: Mammoth Area Hot Springs), the weather was great for climbing.

Type - Bouldering only

Level - All skill levels

Classic Climbs - Celestial Trail (VO), Heavenly Path (V1), Monkey Hang (V3-), Solarium (V4), Bleached Bones (V4), The Hulk (V6), Acid Wash (V7 - V10)

Directions - Heading North on Main St. in Bishop (395), take the junction for Highway 6. Then turn left onto Five Bridges Road and continue until you reach the intersection. From there, turn left onto Chalk Bluff road, and continue for 2.3 miles until you reach the Happy Boulder parking area (37.413675 / -118.4478667).

Approach - From the parking lot, head up roughly a half mile up the hillside from the trailhead, located directly across the road from the parking lot. It's clearly marked--you won't miss it.

Guide Book - Bishop Area Rock Climbs, by Peter Croft and Marty Lewis (this is a great book to own for any SoCal climber); Bishop Bouldering, by By Charlie Barrett and Wills Young

Resources

Mountain Project - Climbing in Happy Boulders
Time to Climb - Climbing in Bishop: The Happy Boulders (excellent blog post with directions & overview)
YouTube - Bouldering in the Happies (featuring several of the V0-V4 classics)
Daniel Windsor Photography - Volcanic Tablelands: Happy and Sad Boulders

The Buttermilk Boulders

Summary - A required visit for any serious climber in the Southwest. Known for some of the most impressive, ballsy and beautiful lines in the world, your two most important items on a day at the Buttermilks will be your crash pad and your camera. Bring anything you can to protect your hands as well. The Quartz monzonite granite you find here is especially sharp and will shred you to pieces.

Time your visit between winter and mid spring, and your pictures with fresh snow in the mountains will be guaranteed to drop jaws.

Location - 20 min. west of downtown Bishop on Buttermilk Rd. (go figure). Also conveniently located next to the hopelessly beautiful Buttermilk BLM camping area.

Seasonal Timing - The Buttermilks are a solid notch higher in elevation than the Happy/Sad Boulders. Sitting right at the base of Mt. Tom, there’s probably a lot of time in the winter where this area isn’t climbable, simply due to snowfall. On the plus side, they’ll be a little cooler in the spring once the weather starts to heat up.

Type - Almost exclusively bouldering with a few fun (but run out) bolted sport climbs on the north end of the territory.

Level - All levels. The Buttermilks are famous for their insane pro-level highball climbs, but beginning climbers can just as easily find fun, challenging problems.

Classic Climbs - A few classic climbs to start out with in the Buttermilks:

Easy/Intermediate: Birthday Boulders (V0-V3), Peabody Boulders (40ft. tall V0), Hero's Roof (V0), Buttermilk Stem (V1), The Hunk (V2), Bowling Pin Boulder (V4), Iron Man Traverse (V4)
Hard: The Mandala (V12-), Evilution (V12-13), Saigon (V6), and High Plains Drifter (V7)

Directions - Just a 15 minute drive from downtown Bishop. Take Highway 168 west straight up toward the Sierras for roughly 7-8 miles. Turn right onto Buttermilk Road--look for a sign covered in stickers leading you onto a random dirt road. Follow the road for approx. 3.5 miles until you see the main area on your right. You'll see a designated parking area along with Buttermilks in direct sight behind it.

Caution - Look out for spiders and snakes, especially when climbing at night. This area is known for its Black Widow spiders (no joke)!

Guidebook - Bishop Bouldering, by Willis Young and Mick Ryan; Bishop Area Rock Climbs, by Peter Croft and Marty Lewis

Resources

MountainProject - Bouldering in Buttermilk Country
TimeToClimb - Climbing in Bishop: The Buttermilks
REI Co-Op Journal - Bouldering in Bishop (the 10 Best 4-star problems)

Up to Climbing Page Index ^

sport climbing

Owens River Gorge

Summary - A 10 mile long canyon made of Bishop's famous volcanic tuff, Owen's River Gorge is one of the most well-developed sport climbing meccas on the west coast. Founded and developed by the legendary Sierras climber Peter Croft, the whole canyon is split up into several sections--the Central Gorge, Upper Gorge, Inner Gorge, Lower Gorge and Sub Gorge. The Central Gorge is the most popular climbing area if you haven't been here before, but also the most crowded.

Location - 25 min. north of downtown Bishop along Hwy 395; 30 min. south of Mammoth.

Seasonal Timing - October through May. The gorge gets hot during the summer, which leads to slick holds due to the nature of the rock. With a lengthy approach and a lot of sun exposure down in the canyon, it’s easy to get that feeling of being trapped in the heat if you’re there anytime after May.

Type - Over 600 total climbing routes, the vast majority set up as bolted sport climbing (530+) with the remainder being mostly trad.

Difficulty - Ranges from 5.8 - 5.13, but most climbs lie in the moderate 5.10-5.11 spectrum.

Classic Climbs - The Warm Up Wall, the Pub, the Social Platform, the China Wall, Eldorado Roof, the Dilithium Crystal.

Directions - From Bishop go North on Hwy. 395 to the Paradise Swall Meadows exit and take a right. Drive approximately 1/2 mile until you find a T intersection, and turn left onto Gorge Rd. From there, you can find three parking areas, depending on which area you want to climb (details here).

Approach - Depends on the parking area. Expect your descent to include some class 3 downhill off-trail conditions, and be extremely careful not to kick rocks or debris on climbers directly below you in the canyon.

NOTE: I've noticed a lot of reports of stinging nettles by the river. Learn to identify these plants, or simply wear long pants and socks.

Guidebook - Owen's River Gorge Climbs, by Marty Lewis. One major challenge you'll face is the guidebook's shocking lack of availability. The publisher no longer carries it, so you'll have to buy a used copy. Everywhere I've noticed, it has been impossibly expensive ($130+). The link above is about the best price I've seen it, but it's likely second-hand, so make sure you know what you're getting before you buy.

Resources