From Gumby to Dirtbag: Bouldering in Bishop for First-timers
Planning a climbing trip to Bishop? This town has a little bit of everything – sport, trad and bouldering – but the bouldering in Bishop stands out above the rest.
When I spent a month in Bishop, I tried everything but ended up bouldering almost the entire time.
It’s just so accessible and SUCH good climbing. My favorite area was the Happy and Sad Boulders, but the Buttermilk Boulders are legendary worldwide.
I wrote this bishop bouldering guide to let you know what a trip there is like. It covers the two main bouldering areas, my favorite climbs, the best campgrounds and some tips I learned during my month bouldering in Bishop.
How to Get to Bishop
Bishop is sort of isolated on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada mountain range in California. It’s right on Highway 395, the Eastern Sierra scenic byway.
Bishop is 4 hours and 15 minutes (270 miles) from Las Vegas and Los Angeles. It’s 7 hours and 15 minutes from San Francisco (357 miles) and 3 hours and 15 minutes (175 miles) from South Lake Tahoe.
Since there isn’t a super convenient airport nearby, the best way to get to Bishop is to make a road trip out of it. The ideal city to start the road trip is Las Vegas because it forces you to go through Death Valley National Park.
After that, you pass Lone Pine, where you can explore the Alabama Hills and the Mount Whitney area. Finally, you pass Big Pine and get to your destination – bouldering in Bishop.
This road trip through the Eastern Sierras is one of the best I’ve ever done.
Travel Tip
Use Discover Cars to rent rental cars for your road trip, choose full coverage insurance, and opt for trusted companies like Hertz and Sixt. Book your car with Discover Cars here.
Bouldering in Bishop
Use the map to see all the climbing close to Bishop, as well as where to camp. Tap the icon on the top left to see the menu and what each point is!
1. Buttermilk Boulders
The Rock
There are two things that make the Buttermilk Boulder so special.
The first is the rock.
It’s a type of really coarse granite called quartz monzonite. It makes it so that some slopey holds have some amazing friction in the cold. In the heat… it’s a whole other story.
But the rock is weird in that it also has really glassy crimps. You go from the most textured, friction-ey holds to glass that just spits you off.
Then, on a more macro scale, not just talking about the holds on the rocks… are the giant boulders themselves. I’m sure you’ve seen photos of the boulders in Bishop.
These giant egg-like and oddly-shaped rocks just lay there in the boulder field. SO many of the climbs end with a slab up into the no-fall zone, even the most overhung ones. These standalone boulders are gorgeous and imposing. I found that almost all the climbing in Bishop requires a strong mental game.
The View
The second thing that makes bouldering in Bishop so special is the view. The Sierra Nevadas are so close you can see details on the mountains.
Being there in the spring, with snow still covering almost everything, was absolutely stunning.
The Buttermilks is by far the most beautiful place I’ve ever rock climbed.
Parking at the Buttermilk Boulders
Getting to the Buttermilk Boulders is easy. Just drive east from Bishop on Highway 168 and turn right onto Buttermilk Road.
Google Maps might want to take you through Starlite Drive, but it’s a closed road. Google thinks it’s faster, but it’s definitely not.
After a few minutes on Buttermilk Road, you’ll see the most famous boulders on the right – the Grandma and Grandpa Peabody Boulders. There are parking spaces there.
But you can keep driving and go right at the fork in the road to get to the main parking lot.
The Best Buttermilk Boulders
Yes, you can just check out the classics on Mountain Project. But here are my favorite climbs at the Buttermilks:
- Inner Sanctum V1: a really fun warm-up! The challenge is to climb through the big hole behind the boulder and then finish… or whatever you want!
- Green Wall Essential V2: body positioning and crimps make for a challenging but gorgeous V2.
- Cave Problem V4: a great way to get on the Grandpa Peabody Boulder without having to get to the top.
- Iron Man Traverse V5: a super classic traverse that goes from jugs to crimps to slopers.
- Devoted Traverse V5: a low-ball for the Buttermilks on good holds… onto nonexistent holds… and back to good holds!
Free Camping near the Buttermilk Boulders
Bouldering in the Buttermilks is cheap because the camping is free.
You can stay right in the main parking lot, which has some dispersed sites. That’s where I stayed with Lala because there are bathrooms (pit toilets).
The campground most people stay at is just a few hundred feet from the parking lot. To get there, you just stay straight on Buttermilk Road after the cattle guard instead of going right to the parking lot.
The camping here has the best view you could ever ask for. You’re right under the gigantic Sierra Nevadas, so close you can see details in the rock.
2. Happy and Sad Boulders
The Rock
The rock at the Happy and Sad Boulders is volcanic tuff. That just means it’s a lot easier on your skin than the granite at the Buttermilks.
The climbing here is also very different from the style at the Buttermilks. Mountain Project says it requires more finger strength and flexibility.
I disagree.
They both require serious finger strength! The Happy and Sad Boulders, in my opinion, just require more power. And I’m all about that. It’s why I liked this crag better (I also hate slab).
Though there are some high balls at the Happies, and classic ones at that, there are more options for people who appreciate their ankles. I also loved that.
Getting to the Happy and Sad Boulders
The boulders are just 15 minutes north of Bishop.
The important thing you need to know about getting to the Happy and Sad Boulders is to stay on Chalk Bluff Road. This is especially true about the Happies.
From the ample parking on Chalk Bluff Road, you have to walk up the Happy and Sad canyons to the boulders. But sometimes Google Maps takes you to the road above, so you walk down to them.
That’s OK for the Sads, although the parking is limited (there’s also dispersed camping up there). But the road above the Happies goes through private property, so you definitely shouldn’t approach the boulders from above.
Best Climbs at the Happy and Sad Boulders
Here are my favorite climbs at the Happy and Sad Boulders. There’s one that I’m SO surprised made it onto the list:
- Heavenly Path V1: I know I said I hate slab… and I also hate highballs. But I really liked this PG13 climb. It’s the only PG13 I’ve ever done.
- Weekender V4: yet another traverse in a steep cave. It’s really pumpy!
- Ketron Classic V4: reachy and slopey, with a flat landing. Just what I like!
- The Flying Zebra V4: hard to find the beta, but really fun!
- Hulk V6: Lala’s project, which I also loved. I have yet to get my beta, so I’ll be back to keep trying someday. Gotta strengthen my right bicep!
Camping near the Happy and Sad Boulders
The Pleasant Valley Pit Campground is 12 minutes away from the Happy and Sad Boulders. It costs $5 per site and is first-come first-served. Every site has a picnic table and there are communal pit toilets in the middle of the campground.
I stayed there a lot of nights because it’s warmer than in the Buttermilks (it’s 2,000 feet lower). There was a cold front coming in, so I was thankful both to sleep in warmer conditions and climb without freezing my fingers off.
There are campgrounds closer to the boulders, but they cost $25+ per night so I didn’t even consider them.
Tips for Bouldering in Bishop
- Bring lots of tape to the Buttermilks. The rock is coarse, the crimps are sharp and the air is dry. It’s perfect! But it’s SO hard on your skin.
- If you’re climbing multiple days on, go to the Happy and Sad Boulders once your skin feels thin. The rock there is much more friendly.
- There’s another amazing boulder field close to Bishop called Druid Stones. It’s close to the Buttermilks and also has amazing views, but the approach takes 20-45 minutes. I didn’t go, which is why I didn’t include it in this guide!
- It’s best to have a lot of pads, as many as you can, and confidence. The climbing gym rents crash pads.
- The climbing gym also rents guide books!
Working Remotely in Bishop
- The library: it’s not very welcoming, but it works.
- Black Sheep Coffee Roasters: extremely welcoming and delicious coffee.
- The park: great signal and wonderful people-watching when you’re not working, but no outlets, of course.
Where to Eat in Bishop
Here’s a list of some great places to eat in Bishop:
- Meals: Aaron Schat’s Roadhouse, Holy Smoke Texas Style BBQ, Indiego Tasting House
- Coffee: Black Sheep Coffee Roasters, Looney Bean, McDonalds (I love getting $1 coffee with the app)
- Bakery: Eric Schat’s Bakery, Great Basin Bakery
- Groceries: Smart and Final and Grocery Outlet. I was amazed by their prices and deals. They have great prices on the stuff that’s expiring soon (ahh, the dirtbag life). There’s also a Von’s.
Where to Spend your Rest Day
- Keough’s Hot Springs: spend $10 for a day at the hot springs. You can also find some secret hot springs, but you’ll have to befriend a local and have them tell you where they are.
- Lake Sabrina: visit a gorgeous lake deep in the mountains, close to the town of Aspendell. The road was still closed due to snow when I went in the spring, but Lala and I parked where it was closed and walked about 2 miles to the lake. When it’s open, you can park right at the lake and then hike from there.
- Mammoth Lakes: this ski town is about 45 minutes from Bishop and has so much to do. You can explore bunches of lakes, go to cool ski-town restaurants, bike and hike and ski (during the season). We biked the town loop and biked to Twin Lakes Vista.
Road Trip Material
I already mentioned this, but Bishop is right in the middle of one of America’s best road trips.
And I can’t recommend it enough.
The Eastern Sierras road trip goes from Las Vegas to Lake Tahoe (or vice versa). You take Highway 395 and drive next to enormous mountains the entire time.
On the way, you see deserts, lakes, the alpine, boulder fields, dune fields and so much more. And from there, you can continue the road trip in Northern California or finish by exploring San Francisco.
It’s an awesome way to do more than just climb during your climbing trip to Bishop and back.
Final Thoughts
I hope this Bishop bouldering guide was useful for your planning!
I know Mountain Project exists and is all a climber really needs, but the world needs more of a personal touch nowadays.
And if you were wondering, yes there is WAY more than just bouldering in Bishop. It also has world-class routes! The rock climbing in Bishop, CA is some of the best and most varied in the world.
Whatever questions you might have, ask them in the comments and I’ll be sure to answer!
