This happened way back in the fall of 2014, but our Bishop climbing weekend was awesome! A big party of our climbers drove all the way up to Bishop, CA to climb at Owens River Gorge, and to do some bouldering at Happy Boulders and Buttermilk Country. Our group was about half and half; half people excited for the top of the line bouldering, and half excited for wonderful new long climbs. We had the whole weekend planned out: Camp Friday, climb most of Saturday with some night bouldering, then Sunday a little more bouldering before heading home.
“The Pleasant Valley Pit” (AKA “The Pit”) is a Bureau of Land Management campground, pretty much just for climbers and boulderers. If you are a dirtbag climber (someone who climbs all the time) it would be pretty great. It’s very cheap, only 2 $ per car per night, and some of the spots are very nice. Being Weekend Warriors and not dirtbaggers, we took what we could get on Friday afternoon. There were only two sites left, and neither of these sites were very big, and neither had a table or firepit. They only had stone rings for a fire. So we had to go to in town to Target to go get a little 10 inch grill to cook food on. It worked out alright for toast, less well for any actual cooking. Everyone else stopped and got food on the way, so we only had a small fire before bedding down for the night.
The next morning we woke up, stoked the fire, toasted some bagels, and set out to Owens River Gorge. This is such a beautiful area.
Driving in through high desert is breathtaking, and the hike down to lower gorge is easy on a well paved road, looking down to the river cutting through the earth.
We went down to the Lower Gorge and started looking around for some likely spots. We went with the first thing we saw (because we are lazy) which was The Big Tower. It is so beautiful there! With the river running next to the climbs, keeping everything cool and fresh. This trip was in November 2014, and it was still fall, with all the foliage was fluttering in the wind.
During most of our day, the wind was very refreshing, especially with the sun on our backs as we were climbing. Crossing the stream to this area was sort of a challenge.There was no marked path to get across, so Ken Lee just jumped a span of four or five feet with a forty pound pack on his back. I looked around to see if there were any animal trails, and found a small foot path down to a tree that had been knocked over, and made a crossing there with the rest of the group.
From our landing points, we walked up the loose, sandy slope to the routes. A couple people in our group lead three routes, and set up top ropes (TR) for everyone else to follow. I lead one of the “classics” of the wall: Coming Attractions (5.8). My friends Dennis and Chris lead Big Screen (5.10b) so they could TR Bust a Move (5.12a). Matthieu basically ran up Anonymous Bolter (5.5) to set up a route for warm ups.
I loved leading Coming Attractions (5.8), it was super simple and straightforward to climb, with little finger pockets that were like little ledges for your fingers. The pockets were not very positive, like a curling your fingers on a crimp, but very strong holds. It helped that the wall was covered in them and you never really had to feel around for a hold. I’m sure that’s what made this a 5.8 and not anything higher. It was also fun because it has a squiggle “S” line, not straight up the wall; but to the right then to the left, then back to the right.
It is a great beginning lead, you got only a little tense over your protection, but it is almost 90* perfectly straight up, so you never really worry about falling too much, and it is very well protected. About the time you start getting really above your protection, you have another bolt. 7 bolts helps to make a beginner leader feel like you accomplished something. We also used the anchor I set to climb Bonus Features (5.7) which was very similar climb, except you start on an easy crack back to the same easy finger pockets on the wall.
Anonymous Bolter (5.5) was a super easy, juggy, big foot hold climb. I would ALMOST climb this free solo, but I maintain “it only takes one mistake to rough up your day”. The climb is that easy though, basically a really high scramble. I sometimes wonder about people that set these sorts of climbs, because they are so easy… kind of like toddlers terrace in Malibu Creek State Park, because when you lead climb, typically you can TR a ‘10a no problem. But then I think “I started climbing outside with my brother, and he had to take me to climbs like this so I could try something.” So thanks Anonymous Bolter, for making the sport approachable to people of all skill levels.
Also, we taught one of our group how to belay with an ATC, a belay device, on this climb. He is usually a boulderer, and climbs in the gym with a grigri, so had never had the chance to try out an ATC. ATC stands for Air Traffic Control, because you are up in the air, get it? It is a friction system that lets you control the descent or arrest the fall of a climber. Many people prefer this to a grigri for lead climbing because you can pay out rope much easier, and it is more traditional to a lot of people.
Bust a Move (5.12a), starts off strong and goes directly into a roof problem, where I got stuck. With such a large group, there were people waiting for the line, I didn’t really want to hang dog it. Swinging out from a roof problem is lots of fun though.
I did complete Big Screen (5.10b) which was really fun and interesting.
You have to really hug the wall for it, and it has some really fun balance-y moves. I had to flag here and there, and dance up the upper quarter of the climb because footing and hands were scarce.
The first bit was pretty much ok, you just have to be patient and feel around. This side was severely lacking the easy finger pockets evident on the other side.
We attempted one more climb, Held Over (5.10c), but couldn’t complete it due to most of the group wanting dinner, and very old shoes that just wouldn’t stick to the crux of the climb. Matthieu had gotten two thirds up the climb, and was up above his protection over a slab that had a nub for his feet and an outward dish sloper for his hands. He took several falls, and eventually decided it just wasn’t the day for that climb. Plus, by this time the wind was starting to pick up, and while it was still fun on the ground, I think it would have been scary leading in it. I was up for cleaning the route, but not leading it. Sport climbing is as much in your head as your hands and feet. It is mentally taxing to say “I know I could fall several feet, but I am going to climb higher.”
Walking out, we decided that with no proper pit to cook in, it was too windy to make food at the campsite. We went into Bishop to find some dinner, and found a great pizza place, called The Upper Crust Pizza. Sometimes it is really nice to camp next to civilization.
After dinner we went and got crash pads and headlamps, and drove to the Happy Boulders. We were a large enough group that we had to take two separate cars. One sedan full of five people, and one jeep full of three people and a bunch of crash pads. Due to miscommunication, the cars got separated and lost. Finally, after waiting a half hour for each-other, we got some cell phone signal (the whole area is terribly spotty) and sorted everything out. Clearly having walkie talkies, is the way to go. The 90’s must have been rough.
I am not normally a boulder-er. Bouldering has some courage moves that require you to just commit and move your weight in a power move. But I can see the appeal of night bouldering. It’s like bouldering, plus the excitement of being out in the wilderness at night. It pushes a little closer to recklessness without actually being stupid. In the jeep, we had watched everyone leave the area as the sun set, no more groups waiting for a set, or directions to routes.
No one in our group knew which boulders were which, so we just did what we thought looked fun. I am sorry that I don’t know the names of the boulder routes that we did. The rocks there were glassy sharp, especially on our cold fingers! But the night sky was breath-taking, and down in the boulder field we did not feel the wind so much. It was a very exciting experience.
Driving back we could feel the wind again, pushing our cars on the road. When we got back to our tents, our worst fears were confirmed! The wind had actually snapped the poles of one of the tents! And another was seriously in danger of being blown away. Half our group was going to stay in the knocked over tent, so they had to squirm into the tent and grab out all their stuff. They had set everything up to be able to just get into bed when they got back. Their backpacks were unzipped, sleeping bags were unrolled, it was a mess. The other half were staying in the other big dome tent that was bending over in the wind. So we went and found big rocks to tie down all the strings to the tent fly to. This seemed to work ok, so we found more and more rocks to tie everything down to. But they had to be big rocks or a pile or they too would be pulled over by the wind. As the guys were putting up their new tent it almost got blown right out of their freaking hands! This tent had a really nice tent fly that had a million places to tie down to. Finally, after a day of climbing, night bouldering, and disaster we laid down in our respective sleeping bags and listened to the wind howling over us.
The next morning we woke up and most of the wind was gone. Whipping its way to the mountains, and away from us.
This meant that we could finally have the Korean BBQ we were going to have the night before, but couldn’t due to the aforementioned wind. We made up the fire and Ken Lee made us ten pounds of Korean barbeque. Which was delicious, and time consuming, but mostly delicious.
I also have a new joke about “how many engineers does it take to boil rice?” Most of the group of climbers and boulderers I climb with work in engineering in some way. The only exceptions are Ken Lee, and me. So, to go with the KBBQ we boil instant rice bowls in a pot of water so the rice will be properly cooked and not burned. This has worked great before, in a pot with a lid on it. We have to put the pot of water down *into* the fire though, so it will be consistently hot enough to boil. This morning, some of the engineers did not want to put the lid onto the pot, because they thought the glass would crack. It meant that the million packets of rice weren’t properly submerged in the water to warm up. The rice kept being al dente, which no one likes. Finally, one of the other Engineers (who shall forever remain nameless) says to “put a rock on top of the rice, it will hold the rice down”. So, someone picks up a fist size rock, and delicately balances it on top of the rice packet on top of the boiling water. And it worked! For a second. Before the rice moved and the rock slipped off and fell into the water! Everyone was so stunned thinking, “how could we not see that coming?”, that for a moment the whole site was quiet, before be all burst out laughing! Waiting for the BBQ meant that we got to Buttermilk Country to boulder a little late, but full of protein to energize us for the day.
The Buttermilks is a boulder field that is very well known and, every one of the boulders had at least one group of boulderers around it.
I was astounded by just how big some of the boulders were, the first ones we saw were over two stories tall- you basically had to rappel down them.
We walked past these to go warm up on the Hero Roof (v0), which was really fun- I actually completed it! Well, basically, I didn’t top out (climb to the top of the boulder) because I am scared of heights and I didn’t want to down climb the side. So I got to the last move and dropped down.
It was still fun though, as was scrambling around the area north of there, a small hill of rocks.
You have to be careful at Buttermilk Country, it has gotten so popular that now there are some set paths, and the rangers are trying to regrow the native plants. There is tape and markers all over the place to remind you about this. We were there at Buttermilk country though to let some of our group attempt the Iron Man Traverse (v4).
It looked so cool, just one sliver of rock to hold on to, all the way across. I watched so many people try so many different ways to get across it. One of my favorites was a girl that heel hooked, walked her hands to her heel, switched heels, and walked her hands towards the end. (You always go left to right). She did not quite make it, but it was very interesting to watch. I did not attempt it, to my shame, there were just too many people waiting and watching. Not only my group, who I don’t mind looking a fool in front of, but two other groups of five to eight people were crowded around this one traverse. This was the place to be. Honestly, it was just too many people for me.
After everyone who had wanted to attempt the Traverse had done so, we walked out with our crash pads. We squeezed in one more route on the back of one of the two gigantic boulders we had seen walking in.
It was fun and relaxed with yet another group of boulderers that were working next to us and eating lunch. Everyone piled in the cars and we all drove home safely from an awesome Bishop weekend. I would totally go back to Owens River Gorge, to try some new places there. I haven’t even touched on Upper Gorge or other areas there. What are some favorite classics I should hit up next time? Are they worth more of a hike in?
Special thanks to Ryan and Dennis for taking all these wonderful photos!