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Pick Pocket
5.11a,
Sport, 60 ft (18 m),
Avg: 3.7 from 201
votes
FA: John Bachar, Rick Cashner, 1988
California
> Eastern Sierra
> Bishop Area
> Owens River Gorge
> Upper Gorge
> Holy Trinity
Access Issue: Bridges Out! IMPORTANT LADWP NEGOTIATIONS!!
Details
Due to liability concerns, bridges are being removed in the Owens River Gorge at the request of LADWP. The Bishop Area Climbers Coalition and the Access Fund are currently in negotiations with LADWP to get this issue resolved. In the meantime, please continue to be good land stewards by respecting these bridge closures and finding alternate crossing points until this issue is resolved.
1) Never park or camp overnight at the access points.
2) Always park off the pavement, taking great care to avoid blocking the gates.
3) Clean up after your dogs. (Local climbers are finding abandoned doggie poop bags.)
4) Pack out all trash and TP, including picking up after others.
5) Use the outhouses if at all possible.
Description
The first sport route in the gorge. Ground up bolted by John Bachar in the late 80's. This route is easily identified but its copious amounts of chalk. Start off of the boulder and crank hard starting moves up the pocketed face. Halfway up move a little left to gain a good ledge. From the ledge either bust out left to a juggy flake system or continue up and right and then back left on pockets (harder but not as good). The pockets on this climb are amazing.
Protection
5 quickdraws to lowering anchor
![Chris Borg on Pick Pocket. October 2021]()
[Hide Photo] Chris Borg on Pick Pocket. October 2021
![Here I am blatantly violating the 'No Posing' rule at Owens. Pick Pocket, .11a.]()
[Hide Photo] Here I am blatantly violating the 'No Posing' rule at Owens. Pick Pocket, .11a.
![Pick Pocket, Photo by David Morse]()
[Hide Photo] Pick Pocket, Photo by David Morse
![After blowing it on lead again, I TR-ed to get the scoop. The right hand variation at bolt six is indeed the hard way to go.<br>
E Neff photo]()
[Hide Photo] After blowing it on lead again, I TR-ed to get the scoop. The right hand variation at bolt six is indeed the hard way to go. E Neff photo
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The crux occurs down low after that it is 10c pulling on some of the finest pockets anywhere. Jul 29, 2006
Joshua Tree
Also, the description states Ayers/Bachar. I believe it was Rick Cashner & John Bachar who put it up in the late 80's.
Good on ya!
~Susan Jun 9, 2008
Mammoth Lakes, CA
Big Bear Lake
Bishop, CA
It's a sport route because it's all bolts to a bolt anchor and they are nice and close together. A high percentage of sport routes are put in ground up. The style of FA doesn't change the fact that a route with a bolt every 8 feet is a sport route, even if it was put up by Bachar. Nov 3, 2011
Big Bear Lake
Chad Jun 12, 2015
Graz