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Bishop Area Climbing

Climbing Area Map

Areas in Bishop Area

Bitterbrush Campground 1 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 1

Buttermilk Country 48 / 13 / 5 / 475 / 1 / 2 / 0 / 10 / 538

Cardinal Pinnacle 19 / 1 / 1 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 20

Druid Stones 0 / 0 / 0 / 157 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 157

Elderberry Canyon 4 / 2 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 6

Hurd Lake 0 / 0 / 2 / 22 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 24 / 24

Little Egypt 24 / 20 / 0 / 3 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 45

Lower Rock Creek Wall 0 / 2 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 2

Mountain Light Wall 7 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 7

Owens River Gorge 86 / 914 / 12 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 1,000

Pine Creek Canyon 238 / 316 / 15 / 4 / 0 / 1 / 0 / 32 / 547

Sabrina Basin Bouldering 0 / 0 / 0 / 12 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 12

South Lake 16 / 4 / 3 / 9 / 1 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 31

Tungsten Hills Circuit 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0

Volcanic Tablelands (Happy/Sad Boulders) 3 / 0 / 3 / 757 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 760

Wheeler Crest 16 / 2 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 3 / 0 / 18 / 18

Elevation:	4,141 ft
GPS:	37.36119, -118.39539 Google Map · Climbing Area Map
Page Views:	5,930,143 total · 30,715/month
Shared By:	Euan Cameron on Nov 18, 2007 · Updates
Admins:	Aron Quiter, Euan Cameron, Mike Morley, Adam Stackhouse, Salamanizer Ski, Justin Johnsen, Vicki Schwantes Page Updates (admin only)

Description

Bishop is blessed with perfect climbing conditions. Not only is the climate perfect for climbing with only 6" average annual rainfall, and over 300 days of sunshine, the crags and boulders that surround the town are world-class.

The Owens River Gorge (ORG) has hundreds of top quality sport routes, and the Happy and Buttermilks bouldering venues both have world class problems. Each of the areas have distinct characteristics, the ORG has long pumpy routes, the Happy Boulders have fun boulders that suit strong fingers and flexibility, while the Buttermilks offer fine technical challenges that reward good technique and hard callouses in one of the most scenic settings in the country.

There are many more areas than these mentioned to go climb at - just as well the weather won't let you down - 'cause you'll be busy.

In the summer months when the valley is hot there are always the higher elevations of the Mammoth and June areas no further than 1 hour away, or you can cool off with a float down the Owens River, just east of Bishop.

Need a guidebook? See here mountainproject.com/books/1…

Tape? Chalk? Check out Wilson's Eastside Sports on Main St., downtown Bishop for all your outdoorsy needs.

Unknown climber getting to grips with the last hold before the throw on Stained Glass

Photo by Micah Bryan Humphrey

Getting There

Bishop is located on US 395, about 4 hours North of Los Angeles and about 4 hours South of Reno.

Fly into the Bishop Airport and be climbing in no time! United Express began service to BIH in December 2021. Currently flights are available seasonally - daily direct flights from Denver and San Francisco from mid-December through March and six day/week flights to San Francisco from mid-June through Labor Day. Service will likely expand to year round flights in the coming years.

It is a trek no matter where you come from, but one well worth making.

Camping out at The Pit. Can't say I've been to many campgrounds with better scenery than this one.

Buttermilks afternoon

Access

Bishop Area Climbers Coalition (FB group).

3,168 Total Climbs

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Classic Climbing Routes at Bishop Area

Mountain Project's determination of the classic, most popular, highest rated climbing routes in this area.

V0 4 568 ● Hero Roof Boulder Buttermilk Country > … > Iron Man Area > Hero Roof Boulder
V1 5 PG13 633 ● Heavenly Path Boulder Volcanic Tablel… > … > Central Happine… > Heavenly Path Boulder
V4 6B 488 ● Iron Man Traverse Boulder Buttermilk Country > … > Iron Man Area > Iron Man Boulder
V4 6B 566 ● Solarium Boulder Volcanic Tablel… > … > Central Happine… > Solarium Boulder
V4 6B 446 ● Ketron Classic Boulder Volcanic Tablel… > … > Savannah Area > Savannah Boulder
5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c 342 ● Babushka Sport Owens River Gorge > Central Gorge > Warm Up Wall
5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a 361 ● West Face Trad 4 pitches Cardinal Pinnacle
5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b 322 ● Gorgeous Sport Owens River Gorge > Upper Gorge > Gorgeous Towers
5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b 342 ● Sheila Trad Pine Creek Canyon > Scheelite Canyo… > Pratt's Crack / Dihed…
5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b 317 ● Hardly Wallbanger Sport Owens River Gorge > Central Gorge > Pub Wall
5.11b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c 218 ● Expressway Sport Owens River Gorge > Central Gorge > Upper Crust
5.11b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c 186 ● Grindrite Sport Owens River Gorge > Upper Gorge > Gotham City
5.11b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c 221 ● Coven (Seriously Though) Sport Pine Creek Canyon > Scheelite Canyo… > Mustache Wall
5.11c 6c+ 24 VIII- 24 E4 6a 209 ● Flame Thrower Sport Pine Creek Canyon > Scheelite Canyo… > Mustache Wall
5.11d 7a 24 VIII 25 E5 6a 170 ● From Chocolate to Morphine Sport Owens River Gorge > Central Gorge > Faulty Tower