Bishop Bouldering: Milking it

I've been spending quite a bit of time in Bishop this winter.  To be honest there are lots of other places I'd rather be in terms of climbing but when rolling with the family Bishop has proved to be perfect.  The weather has been incredible (as long as you're not considering the serious drought) and with a multitude of bouldering close to the rig you can always squeeze in a climb between snacks, naps, changing diapers, combing hair, etc, etc....

There is lots of rock around Bishop but it is the granite of the Buttermilks that keeps me coming back.  Got to love this place as it's hard to beat the setting.  The view is best appreciated from the top of a giant boulder. 

The Buttermilks are know for amazing highballs and Suspended in Silence in the Pollen Grains is one of them.  This problem has actually broke recently making it a couple notches harder but difficulty is no obstacle for Brian as he shows how it's done.

Not all problems in the Milks are tall.  Chris on the grainy slopers of Brian's Problem.

One of my favorite problems in the Buttermilks is Lydia's Mouth, also at the Pollen Grains.  The unique moves out the giant mouth might reduce shorter climbers to tears.

Also at the Pollen Grains Sarah cranks on Cindy Swank.

Lina styles the Buttermilk Stem, a must do for any climber.

The Solitaire boulder is most known for the problem the boulder is named for but I find some of the other problems on the boulder to be better.  Another One climbs extremely well and comes recommended for anyone visiting the boulder.

Ryan on the slopey topout of Another One.

Judge Not is on the back side of the Solitaire Boulder and despite having no stars in the guidebook is my favorite problem on the boulder.  The crux isn't hitting the jug but matching with your left hand before you spin off.  Here Noah unsuccessfully tries the wet-noodle technique on the dyno.  

Checkerboard is one of my favorite problems ever.  A striking line on beautiful rock in an amazing setting.  4-start problems are extremely rare but this one is a very strong contender.

Getting Psyched for Bishop with some old footage.

Tomorrow we get back on the road and head to Bishop.  Psyched to be back there and circuit the old classics and maybe even manage some new problems.  Here are a couple older videos from previous years.  I should make some more of these.

Back in Sweden and Bishop Highballs

I've made it back to Sweden in one piece and I'm hoping to pickup where I left off this winter.  There is so much rock to explore and off the top of my head I can think of dozens of amazing projects that need to go down.  I better get busy. Unfortunately I'm not sure what my body is up for as the elbow I thoroughly abused in the States is looking to be more serious than I thought.  We'll see how it goes.

In the meantime I'll continue to sort pictures and videos and make retro posts about the States.  It was a scrumptious 4 months and I'm still digesting.  Hmmmmmmm.

Here are some highballing pictures from Bishop.

Lisa finnishing off the super-classic Jedi Mind Tricks

Lisa on Golden Shower.  This one totally shut me down.  Didn't even get a chance to fall from the crux near the top.....maybe that was a good thing

Brian fires another cool highball at the Pollen Grains

Painted Cave

Painted Cave isn't a standard Buttermilk problem.  Located a short walk from the main area it offers fun roof climbing to a sloper crux.  I went there with Andy on a coldish day and after he fired the stand I figured he'd do it from the low with relative ease.  Things don't always go as planned.

Andy standing on the top after warming up on the stand

Pulling out of the roof and preparing for slopers

Showing some grrrrrrr on  granite slopers

The sun began to bake the slopers and Hammie consoles Andy, reminding him that there is always next time

Lydia's Mouth

Lina on the unique Lydia's Mouth

Reaching for the slopey jug

Dad Camp

It has been a week since Hammie and I dropped Lina off at LAX and other than missing her things are great.  We spent our first week of "dad camp" back in Bishop hanging with friends and frolicking among giant granite eggs.  It was a bit hard to leave such a Hammie-friendly area but we have loaded our van and are in route to Joe's Valley to try our luck there.  I'll try to post more frequent updates from our adventures.

Here are a few pictures from before "dad camp".

Lina and Hammie hiking to the Pollen Grains

Hanging at the boulders

Lina gives Hammie a tight spot

 Lina on one of her projects in the Happies

Bubba Gump

Bubba Gump is one of those boulder problems I was certain I would do the first day on it but then continued to fail over multiple days until finally excepting defeat.  Maybe next year

 Lisa dispatching Bubba Gump

Magnetic North

One of the cooler new problems I did in Bishop was an awesome highball on the Grandma Peabody.  Magnetic North was put up a few years ago and I'm not sure it gets the traffic it deserves.  The height deters most suitors as the crux requires a big move off a tenuous heel-hook.  Fortunately a good spot and a couple pads actually make a fall from the crux quite safe and while I highly recommend this problem I don't advice falling after the crux.

 Gearing up for the crux of Magnetic North

Post crux is a few big moves of jugs before a couple easy slab moves way off the deck.  Falling is highly improbably for anyone that can get to that point

The Buttermilk top-out

My Backyard

Outside my front door in Bishop, CA.

Bishop Bouldering

The giant granite blocks of the Buttermilks have been working us.  We've been here for under a week and our skin is totally wrecked.  It's hard to pencil in an off day when there are so many things I want to climb but I'll have to show some restraint if I want to send anything new.  We'll see how it goes.

I've been a bit behind on updating the blog as my computer seems to be on the way out.  I just hope it doesn't take my whole harddrive with it when it dies.

For the time being here is a repost of a couple videos I made from bishop back in the day.

Bishop Bouldering: Drifter Classics

Another video from this winter.  This one captures the three standard classics on perhaps the most popular/famous rock in Bishop, the Drifter Boulder.  Hope you enjoy.

Triplets on the Drifter Boulder

I ran into some a couple super cool guys while I was in Bishop this winter and we decided to all climb on the Drifter Boulder at the same time.

High Plains Drifter

High Plains Drifter is one of Bishop's best know classics. A good line with superb movement and an endless slab top-out, it should be on everyone's to-do list.

Prairie snags the granite sloper before the crux move

Antonio gearing up for the send

Prairie once again

Bishop

It was nice to make it to Bishop this trip, even if it was only for a few days. Lina had the misfortune of a sudden work deadline and spent most of the days in front of a computer while Hammie joined us for rock gripping.

Here are a couple picture from the Buttermilks

The Hunk

Chris fires Change of Heart

Chris on Soul Slinger Right

Got to love the setting

More Bishop Pics

Lina in the Pollen Grains

Lina on the Ruckus

Dev on Saigon Direct

Me on Finders Keepers

The Drifter

The first time I saw Chris on High Plains Drifter I prematurely congratulated him on the send, naively throwing in a "good job!" after he stuck what I believed to be the crux. While I was ready to organize a victory parade the rest of the crew continued to cheer with a fervor that suggested the problem was far from over and I proceeded to watch as Chris punted off the last move. Apparently this had been going on for several sessions and after Chris punted a few more times we walked away from the boulder with Chris enduring our ridicule and planning to return another day.

Fortunately Chris did go back to the Drifter and managed to overcome the mental block that had stymied previous attempts. The send came hours before Gord and he loaded the supervan and hit the road. A good way to end a road trip. Well done

Here are a few pics of the send.

Cruising the beginning

Sticking the move that had spit him off for days

One happy Canadian

Falling

While I've managed to scrape myself up a fair number of boulder problems in Bishop I feel I've been doing a whole lot of falling. Maybe it's just that the boulders here are big so you feel the impact so much more.
Here is a fall sequence on Saigon Direct. I eventually summed the courage to stand on top of this boulder.

Milking It

Bishop has been fantastic. Blue skies and giant granite boulders have been the norm and will continue to be so for the next week or so. The boulders have been packed as spring breakers have invaded Bishop in droves. While pads can be found under most of the classics you might need to elbow your way threw the crowds to actually climb something. Fortunately the areas slightly off the beaten path remain fairly quite and early mornings provide a couple hours of climbing in solitude (the hordes generally start to appear after 1000 am).

Here are a couple pics.

Jenny warms up on the Green Wall

Brooke displays a total lack of accuracy as she over-shoots the jug on Go Granny Go

Andrea tries hard on Bowling Pin

Lina grappling Birthday Direct