Bishop Virgin

I'll be making my first pilgrimage to Bishop with some friends, but only have one day. Any recommendations on where to go? I'm still debating between boulder (V4) or sport (5.11a).

I would say the happies, just because the setting is really cool and the climbing is just so damn fun. Huge concentration of classic problems in that little drainage. Close to town and pretty short approach. There's usually a good amount of people there if the weather is nice (not snowing or 100*) so you can get pads and a spot on some problems if you're social. Check out the sads, if only to explore the chilly caves and get lost in weird chambers!

The owens gorge is pretty cool too but I'm tempted to say its just volcanic sport climbing (edgy, vertical, fun). The canyon is sweet to walk down into but it doesn't have the same feel as the happies/sads or milks for me. Can be a little tricky getting to, not really though.

The buttermilks are cool too, the setting is truly amazing but you'll spend a while getting out there and it always takes me a bit to adjust to the large grained granite for me. I've always gone there bouldering v3-4 in a gym and been totally shut down every time fwiw.

Hard call though. Have fun either way, the area is spectacular!

ORG.... Only if your good at overhanging pockets.... the really good stuff starts around 10C.

Go onsite "The Light Within"...

the bouldering is great, but its just bouldering.

Happy Boulders or Buttermilks. The Milks are truly the gem of Bishop Bouldering, however, at the v2-4 grade, the Happy's may offer a wider range of fun bouldering to explore and not totally wreck your skin. Owen's is super fun, but likely outta season in the dead of winter, and if you've only got one day to see Bishop, go bouldering, climb as much as you can, destroy yourself, and love every minute of it.

Hally13 said " Owen's is super fun, but likely outta season in the dead of winter "...

So your going to listen to somebody from Boulder????

Last Sat/Sun it was T-shirt weather....

If I only had one day there I would be in the Milks.

Eastside Story, Sheepherder, Funky Tut, Bowling Pin, The Hunk, Leary Bard Arete, Essential Peabody, SW Arete.......

Thanks you guys. Now I just want to do everything.

Wait.........
There's a Virgin in Bishop?

Not until I pop my cherry there next weekend. Figuratively, of course. I don't support violence against cherries.

Go to the milks. They're the reason people come from around the world to climb here. It would be like going to Yosemite and not seeing the valley.

Paul Irby wrote:Wait......... There's a Virgin in Bishop?

Not likely.

Mike Brady wrote:If I only had one day there I would be in the Milks. Eastside Story, Sheepherder, Funky Tut, Bowling Pin, The Hunk, Leary Bard Arete, Essential Peabody, SW Arete.......

+1

Halley13 wrote:Happy Boulders or Buttermilks. The Milks are truly the gem of Bishop Bouldering, however, at the v2-4 grade, the Happy's may offer a wider range of fun bouldering to explore and not totally wreck your skin. Owen's is super fun, but likely outta season in the dead of winter, and if you've only got one day to see Bishop, go bouldering, climb as much as you can, destroy yourself, and love every minute of it.

The Owens is certainly in season. Looks to be 55-60 degrees all weekend this weekend...
That said, one day in Bishop and NOT going to the milks would be madness (weather permitting). Plenty to keep the V4 boulder climber busy there (see: Tut boulder, loaf boulder, green wall etc. etc.)

I agree with everyone about the Milks. The Happies are great, and have lots of moderate stuff. You could go and have a blast and not feel like you're missing anything, but you would. The Milks is just that good. The climbing, the settings, the rock--all awesome. As a plus, since this is a low snow year, I imagine access is not going to be an issue either, which is somewhat unusual for January. This time of year also means that you (probably) won't be pestered by the hordes of people standing around (oops, I mean "bouldering"), waiting in line to try the Iron Man Traverse, etc.

I like the Gorge too, but the climbing starts feeling the same to me pretty quickly. I know that might be said of every other area one might go to, but that's just a personal observation. I do think that there are a number of routes below .10c that are pretty fun: Great Wall of China, Sendero Luminoso, Show Us Your Tits, etc. That's just off the top of my head not having been there for a good decade or so.