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Bouldering Near Bishop

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World-Class Bouldering in Bishop

You have found it! Possibly the greatest location for rock climbing and bouldering in California, America and maybe even the world! From careful beginners to crags that challenge the pros, the climbing opportunities are diverse and many. Start at the Happy and Sad Boulders, head to Buttermilk Country or Alabama Hills, we’ve got you covered. This is just a brief introduction to the opportunities for rock climbing in the area.

This is a great article about bouldering in the Bishop Area!

Guide & Map to the Bouldering in Bishop – Mountain Project

Webcams around Bishop, CA

Climbing Weather App – Buttermilks

The otherworldly scenery of the Volcanic Tablelands is truly a sight to behold, and climbing is an amazing way to experience this Martian landscape ∞ How did these wild features that we climb in the tablelands even form? 750,000 years ago, the Long Valley Caldera violently erupted. ^ The explosion from this event was beyond our comprehension. 125 cubic miles of hot ash rocketed sky high into the atmosphere leaving behind a crater 20 miles long, 10 miles wide, and over a mile deep. Life for miles in every direction was completely annihilated and the ancient rivers and canyons of the former landscape were forever changed. Ash was blown far and wide. Debris from the eruption has been found as far as Kansas and Nebraska ! Over time, the hot ash from the eruption cooled and hardened leaving behind the incredible features in the Bishop Tuff we love. Life slowly returned to reclaim the valley, and the Owen’s River carved out a Gorge hundreds of feet deep. The tablelands are a unique, biologically rich, and fragile ecosystem, because they are where two different floristic provinces (areas of similar plant life) overlap. The Great Basin Floristic Province and the Northern Mojave Floristic Provinces come together right here in Bishop. The boulders and canyons where we climb offer some of the best opportunities to observe the fascinating life that inhabits the area!
 
An incredibly deep human history spanning many thousands of years is also present here. The Volcanic Tableland are the ancestral lands Nuumu (Paiute) and Newe (Shoshone) peoples. Many of the places we climb at are significant cultural areas to indigenous folks that still live and steward the land today. The Paiute Shoshone Cultural Center in town is an amazing place to learn more about the Payahuunadu (Bishop) land! & Next time you come and visit Bishop, please take time to appreciate all of the life and the long human history of this beautiful valley, and help us to take care of this  incredible place. 

 

 

Happy & Sad Boulders

Happy and Sad boulders reached by going north on Highway 6 from bishop and turning west on Five Bridges Road. Follow 5 Bridges road for approx. 1 mile and Sad Boulder is on your left. Happy Boulder is basically the same area, from 5 Bridges Road, follow Chalk Bluff Road for about 1.5 miles and the climbing area is on the North side of the Road.

>> Check out more information on what makes it great!

 

 

Buttermilk Country

Buttermilk Country, AKA “the Buttermilks”, is found about 13 miles west of Bishop. Take Highway 168 (West Line Street) for 12 miles and take the Buttermilk Road into Buttermilk Country. There you will find a wide range of challenges for everyone that is looking for great challenges. Bring all your gear – mountain bike or road bike, binoculars and bird book, climbing shoes and crash pad, credit card or camper van. This is a magical place, see why.

Campground Beta

Coming to Bishop and want to camp? There are a lot of campgrounds with great amenities in Bishop! Here are some to keep in mind:

⛺️ The Pit Campground – the pit is the classic Bishop camping zone – conveniently located near the Happy and Sad boulders with quick access to the 395. For $5 a night you get a campsite with a great view, access to toilets, dumpsters and fire pits, and is a great place to meet climbing partners if you are traveling solo! No reservations required

⛺️ Browns Campgrounds – Brown’s has campgrounds all over Bishop, and their spot in town, “Browns Town” is a great option for warmer months as most of their spots are grassy and shaded! Open March 1st – Nov 30th, they have electricity, hot showers, clean restrooms, coin-op laundry, and amazing homemade pie in their general store. What’s not to like? This is a great spot if you have an RV or trailer, and costs around $30/night to stay

⛺️ Tri-County Fairgrounds – want to camp in town?? Tent camping costs $15/night at the fairgrounds on a grassy setting and includes showers and electricity! No need to reserve in advance unless for an event or a large group

⛺️ Inyo County Campgrounds – these campgrounds are open year round, cost $14/ night, with reservations and walk-ins accepted. There are no hook ups at these campgrounds. Visit inyocounty.us for more info!

A Guide to Responsible Climbing in Bishop,CA

Are you willing to stand up for our climbing areas?

As climbers, we have a personal stake in the health of our outdoor landscapes – without them, we have no place to climb. But as our sport continues to grow in popularity, we are loving our climbing areas to death. Join us in protecting our outdoor landscapes and the climbing experience we love. Making a few minor adjustments to your climbing practice is easy to do and will help protect climbing areas for the long haul.

COMMIT TO THE CLIMBER’S PACT:

  • Be considerate of other users
  • Park and camp in designated areas
  • Pack out all trash, crash pads, and gear
  • Dispose of human waste properly
  • Stay on trails whenever possible
  • Respect wildlife, sensitive plants, soils, and cutural resources
  • Place gear and pads on durable surfaces
  • Clean up chalk and tick marks
  • Minimize group size and noise
  • Learn the local ethics for the places you climb
  • Respect regulations and closures
  • Use, install and replace bolts and fixed anchors responsibly
  • Be an upstander, not a bystander
How to be a Conscientious Climber

Bishop area climbing has continued to grow in popularity. Making sure use is sustainable is important to keeping these areas from being loved to death. Land management agencies are sometimes bound by lengthy processes that can hinder their ability to mitigate negative impacts. Responsibility rests on the shoulders of the climbing community. We are all in this together. 

To avoid a tragedy of the commons, we must do our part to tread lightly at our local climbing areas and make a commitment to keeping to the seven Leave No Trace principles: 

Plan Ahead & Prepare 

Some of the roads leading to our climbing areas are rough (i.e. Buttermilk Road). Make sure you are prepared for the conditions of these roads. Cracked oil pans, damaged suspension, and other issues are not uncommon. When  conditions become snowy/icy, vehicles frequently get stuck – and tow services can be very expensive. 

Drive slowly on all dirt roads. High speeds create damage to the road base. Speeding on dirt roads is also a safety concern for yourself, for other drivers, and for the pedestrians that use these roads. 

Weather conditions in this region often change quickly. Make sure you have researched the weather forecast and are prepared. Bishop is known for its arid climate with wide-ranging highs and lows. During the winter season, it’s common to feel hot in the sun and cold in the shade. Windy conditions can also create problems – sand in the eyes or blown away tents and campsite items. Injuries have also resulted from crash pads being blown out from under falling boulderers. 

It is important to be prepared for when nature calls. If a toilet is unavailable at your destination, be sure to use a wag bag and pack out all waste (including toilet paper). 

For additional information, contact the Bishop Visitor Center. 

 

Camp and Travel on Durable Surfaces

If you are planning to camp, please use established campgrounds. The Pleasant Valley “Pit” Campground is an excellent option with maintained toilets and excellent views. Open from September to May, the sites at the Pit do not require reservation, are affordable, and can accommodate larger groups. You can also get a permit to extend your stay if you wish to stay longer than 14 days.

The Tri-County Fairground is another good option – with camping close to town. Sites include showers and electricity – and can be reserved (but reservations are not required). 

Dispersed camping is very delicate in the Bishop region. It is recommended to use an established campground. Areas that have been used for dispersed camping have become degraded with human waste and other trash. It is important to both park and camp only in the areas that have already been impacted. Some folks decide to park a little further into the brush or to place their tent outside the impacted area – expanding the sites by compacting topsoil and hindering plant regrowth. 

 

Dispose of Waste Properly

Pack out all of your trash and dispose of it in a proper receptacle (this usually requires carrying your trash back to town). Unless you are at an established campground, there are no trash services at any of the climbing areas. Used toilet paper or orange peels, for instance, will not biograde until well after they become a nuisance for someone else. If we wish to sustain these natural landscapes, we need to do our part to pack out our waste. 

For human waste, use an established toilet/porta-john (like the ones at the Buttermilks or the Happies trailhead). If you don’t have access to an established toilet, use a wag bag and pack it out with your toilet paper. These areas are far too popular to bury waste. Buried waste and used toilet paper often reemerges in very unpleasant ways. 

 

Leave What You Find

You may find something of natural beauty that you want to take with you. Make sure to leave these items so the next person may also find the same joy when they discover them. 

You may also find crafted rock or a shard of obsidian, for instance. If you find anything like this please leave them where you find them. These items are protected cultural resources that are historic to the native people that have roamed these lands for generations. 

We strongly suggest you visit the Paiute Shoshone Cultural Center to learn more about the history of these lands and its people. 

 

Minimize Campfire Impacts

What is the difference between a campfire and a wildfire? Your skills and how responsible you are. A single mismanaged and mishandled campfire can destroy our vulnerable landscape. 

Use only existing fire rings and do not expand or modify these fire rings. Do not scavenge from the landscape for material to burn. Plant life may appear dead, but it is in fact alive and dormant. Before leaving any fire unattended, the fire must be put out – this means cold to the touch. Have extra water with you for that purpose. 

Learn how and when to have a campfire responsibly by getting a free campfire permit. A California Campfire Permit is a required permit for campfires on any public lands – including campfires in established campgrounds. Better yet, consider not having a campfire. Most of the time, a campfire is not necessary. Consider how important a campfire is to your experience before creating one. 

 

Respect Wildlife

All kinds of wildlife roam these areas. Respect their home. Give all wildlife their space – keep control of pets (always leash pets in high use areas), and avoid quick movements/loud noises. Also, be sure not to leave out food and pack out all trash (especially human waste). 

 

Be Considerate of Others

Respect the experiences of others while climbing. Drones, unruly dogs, playing music, and large groups can all have an impact on others’ experiences. You can do your part by striving to reduce loud noises and keeping your party-size small. 

There are many boulders in every main area. If a party is at a boulder that you want to climb at, consider going to another boulder that isn’t occupied. If you can’t do that, ask them if you may join – and accept that they may ask for you to wait. While you might be driven toward your ticklist, understand that others may be enjoying their space. At the same time, no one has a claim to any route, boulder, or problem. If you are nested at a popular boulder or at the base of a classic problem, respect that others also deserve the opportunity to climb there. In any case, be considerate and maintain respect.  If the feeling of solitude in the outdoors is important to you, avoid taking trips on holidays and weekends. The Buttermilks, the Happies, and Sads are all often well-visited during these times. 

Park respectfully. Do not create a bottleneck on any roads (if a large emergency services vehicle cannot comfortably pass around your parked vehicle, that is a bottleneck) and do not make your own parking spot by parking on top of any plant life. If neither of these can be achieved, park elsewhere and walk. The mild inconvenience of walking a longer distance can help to reduce big issues and help to prevent negative perceptions of climbers. 

It is important to recognize and have consideration for all people, not just climbers. Many different user groups and members of local communities often enjoy the areas around where we climb. The actions of climbers inform their perceptions of the climbing community. These perceptions are often what inform decision-makers. If the climbing community is respectful and considerate, that goes a long way. We are all in this together. There is a lot of nuance to each principle and we all need to do the deeper work of understanding how to reduce our impacts with informed decision-making. If you haven’t already, familiarize yourself with Access Fund and dive deeper into climbing ethics. 

Last but not least, if you are traveling to the Bishop area or to other rural areas to climb – consider the local gateway communities that you may be passing through. Many rural communities lack resources and are often neglected by visitors passing through to their destinations. There is a lot you can do to help – regardless the duration of your visit: 

Support local businesses and artists in the towns you are visiting. Instead of buying everything from the nearest city and driving in, consider buying goods locally. Bishop has plenty of grocery stores and restaurants, and some excellent shops that feature works of local artists. 

Support local nonprofits. Consider supporting youth/cultural organizations (such as AkaMya Cultural Group), local domestic crisis centers (for instance, Wild Iris), search and rescue teams (i.e. Inyo County SAR), local climbing organizations (like Bishop Climbers Coalition), or one of the many other local environmental/social nonprofits that are doing meaningful work (such as Friends of the Inyo or Eastern Sierra Interpretive Association). Do some research. Your contributions are meaningful. 

– Expand your circle. Step outside the climbing scene and explore different activities, restaurants, shops, and events. Take the time to visit the Paiute Shoshone Cultural Center, hire a fishing or mountain guide and spend a day on the river or in the backcountry, or visit some of the unique events in the region or shops on Main Street. Connect with people from the local community with openness and learn about their ways of life and the things that are important to them, without judgment. Sierra Mountain Center and Sierra Mountain Guides have superior reputations for great alpine guide services in the Eastern Sierra.