Bishop Area

OV

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 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.

The overwhelming abundance of good rock in the Bishop area is a huge draw for visiting climbers. Not only is there a lot of rock, but what sets Bishop apart from most other climbing destinations is the variety of rock types in a small radius. Volcanic tuff can be found at the bottom of the valley in the Tablelands; quartz monzonite granite litters the Sierra foothills like that in the Buttermilks, and the perfect white compact alpine granite can be found just a bit higher in elevation. It's hard to get bored or burnt out here, because there is always something different to try.

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

For sport and trad climbing: "Bishop Area Rock Climbs", by Peter Croft and Marty Lewis

For bouldering: "Bishop Bouldering", by Wills Young and Mick Ryan

Getting There 

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

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

The Classics

Featured Route For Bishop Area

O.R.G.asam 5.11a  CA : Sierra Eastside : ... : Dihedrals

Boulder up to a high first bolt (optional gear here) and then lieback your way up the splitter crack/flake to finish with a seam on a steep slab. Decent crack climbing skills will negate the need for anything but quickdraws, but if unsure take some gear.Originally done with only a couple of bolts and gear (and rated 10d), this route slowly evolved over time as more bolts were added here and there, and now stands as a fully bolted and totally clas...[more]   Browse More Classics in CA

Photos of Bishop Area Slideshow

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Mt. Tom (13,692 ft.) and storm clouds just west of...	South Fork fall colors	Shadows and light on the White Mountains
Sunset over the Sierras, near Bishop	The Owens Valley near Bishop and the Sierra's fron...	Summer in Round Valley
In Bishop, the boulders are big enough for two	Moonrise over the White Mountains, east of Bishop	Across the Owens Valley from the Sierras is White ...
Look at the luxurious spotters and pads!	The West Face of the Merlin Block, Warlock Boulder...	Peabodies
White Mountain at sunset	Picturesque Pine above the Owens Valley	Mt. Humphreys, part of the skyline west of Bishop
Red-tail Hawk, Buttermilks	Mount Tom and the Sierra just after sunset from th...	The White Mountains, from the Buttermilk camping a...
Bishop Creek, fall 2008	'Dale's Right' v2, Dale's Camp Area, Buttermilks	Downtown Bishop sunset
Fire on the Owens River, 4/08 (Negligent fisherm...	An adolescent bighorn sheep in the White Mountains	Mt. Humphreys, 13,986 ft.
Cottonwoods on the Owens River	Bishop area	Another B-Town local
Wheeler Crest	Face in the clouds (bottom center). Bishop sunset...	Big Pine
Wheeler Crest	Owens River	Aspens along South Fork
Fall '09 near North Lake	Bishop Creek, Fall '09