Spectre

This is a classic testpiece that was established by Dave Graham. I found this to be one of the most striking lines in Bishop-- it climbs directly out of a steep roof on just a few well-spaced holds.

At first glance it honestly doesn't look as hard as some other problems of the grade. 'The Buttermilker' for instance, seems like a much more improbable line than 'The Spectre'. Once you pull off the ground though, the magnitude of the moves hits you. The tension required to keep your feet on is extreme, the moves are long, and the difficulty is unrelenting despite its relatively short length.

At 6'1" I found the opening move to be quite doable, and as with most people the real business starts with the toehook and match before setting up for the big next move.

If you're climbing at this grade then you already know about this problem. It is a significant landmark in Bishop's bouldering landscape and every ascent of it is certainly well-earned.

The obvious roof on the downhill side of the massive 'Spectre Boulder'.

The route follows the contour of the sloping ground underneath, so it is easy to spot and remains a low-ball problem until the topout. A couple of pads are all you need.