Trip Report: Bishop, CA

For the past few weeks, I’ve been trying to come up with a witty, concise, inspiring first-ever blog post. I gave up. So without further adieu – welcome to the Pursuit of Sunburns.

Climbing on  “More Water, Less Power” in the Happies, Volcanic Tablelands – Bishop, CA.

Chicken-noodle-soup-flavored coffee. Questing for hot springs. Flat tires. Good company.

Leese and I both arrived in Bishop at the crack of noon, promptly picked up our silly-looking rented domino pads, and headed for the Volcanic Tablelands. After heading the exact opposite direction several times, we finally were able to pull on some rocks.

Let me preface all this with: I haven’t bouldered outside in a long, long time. After sustaining a bouldering-related injury some years ago, I took to trad climbing. Traditional climbing is known for it’s plethora of complicated camming devices, nuts, hexes, and even tricams for the mountain-hard men. Trad climbing helped me to get my head in the right place and get back onto the rock by testing my skill rather than strength.

But I’d put off the inevitable long enough – a bouldering trip was in the books. And who better to do it with than my childhood friend, Leese? I owe a lot to Leese and her family. I still remember her dad teaching me how to clean a sport route years ago in Vantage (Frenchman Coulee), Washington. Since then, I’ve climbed across multiple countries in a range of disciplines – growing my knowledge and love of the sport.

And if there’s one thing I’ve learned – it’s that the climbing community is pretty darn small. One finds themselves running into old friends at just about any destination. I’m beginning to realize the importance appreciating each person’s impact on your climbing repertoire and maintaining your ‘belationships’.

All that to say, there is nothing like the good company of an old friend in a such a beautiful place as Bishop. While the nostalgic days of messing around on our alma mater’s greasy gym wall are gone, we both have many years of making new and improved climbing memories to look forward to (and this week was a great start).

Leese setting up to crush the gnar in the Happies, Volcanic Tablelands – Bishop, CA.