The Daily Bishop

It's coming together.

Yesterday I did "Fuelled By Hate" at the Sad boulders and "Serengeti" at the Happies, my first V6 and V5 respectively, and my most successful day of bouldering so far in the grade stakes. A few days before I'd come heartbreakingly close on "Mr Witty", a V5/6 at the Happies, but ran out of cojones for the top foot of air time required to top out. The crux is the first few moves. I'll be back for that one. At the Buttermilks, I was pleased to get "Naan Bread", V4. With that, I think the doable part of the Buttermilks classics tick list is done.

Sarah completed a long-standing project, "Haunch A Loogle" (V3) at the Sads in fine style. She also came very close, thus surprising herself, on another V3 up at the Checkerboard. This problem wasn't really her style, a powerful sit start and long dynamic moves up an overhanging wall. We're all getting stronger. Sadly, Bruno bust a tendon in his arm and will be out of action for a while, which put a dampener on the proceedings.

Anyway. The weather is becoming more wintery. Days are still warm in the sun, but nights are now below freezing and the mountains around us are all beautifully snow-clad. All the high road passes in and out of Bishop are closed for the season, and we only just made it across from Yosemite. Tioga Pass is now snow-bound. After more than a month in the states, it has been a surprisingly positive experience. Sure, we're only spending time in the saner parts of the US, even if Bishop is at least in spirit part mid-west. White middle class America isn't that far off white middle class Europe. Steaks are bigger. Cars are way bigger. Beef is cheaper than bread. Bread is crap unless you seek out the smaller bakeries. Everything's sweet. However, with an eye on the ingredients lists one can eat like a king for not very much. Fruit and veg are of an exceptional quality in the state of California. The people we meet are friendly, open and polite. Climbers are climbers wherever you go, of course, but non-climbers, too, approach for a chat and seem genuinely interested when they realise we're Euros. Jen's dulcet Edinburgh tones draw attention wherever we go.

We've decided to hang out in Bishop for the duration and sack the Vegas/Red Rocks trip as the place is cool and the bouldering great.