California · Rock climbing · Bishop

The Checkerboard Boulder

Checkerboard Boulder, The in California has 5 bouldering routes.

The Checkerboard BoulderPhoto: Kunstee, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
5 routes
V5 – V10
Bouldering

Is Checkerboard Boulder, The open right now?

Alert in the area

The Forest Service lists 4 alerts for Inyo National Forest.

As of · Source: USFS · Inyo National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Best time to visit The Checkerboard Boulder

Best months: May–October. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

  1. Jan

    43° / 24°

    11 wet

  2. Feb

    44° / 23°

    11 wet

  3. Mar

    46° / 26°

    10 wet

  4. Apr

    50° / 29°

    8 wet

  5. May

    56° / 36°

    6 wet

  6. Jun

    66° / 42°

    3 wet

  7. Jul

    74° / 49°

    2 wet

  8. Aug

    74° / 49°

    1 wet

  9. Sep

    68° / 44°

    2 wet

  10. Oct

    58° / 37°

    4 wet

  11. Nov

    49° / 31°

    8 wet

  12. Dec

    44° / 25°

    10 wet

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Huntington Lake, CA, 35.9 mi away at 7,020 ft. The station sits about 500 ft higher than this place, so expect it a little warmer here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

The Checkerboard Boulder is a bouldering area on Forest Service land in the White Mountain Ranger District of Inyo National Forest in California. It sits within a cluster of climbing spots, with the Checkerboard Area just 0.1 mile away and Painted Cave Boulder 0.2 mile off. Summer is the most comfortable time to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Huntington Lake show July and August highs around 74°F with lows near 49°F and only a day or two of precipitation each month. Winter highs there typically sit in the low 40s. The boulder's climbing is all bouldering, with five routes ranging from V5 to V10. Checkerboard is a V8- route with a first ascent by Chris Sharma, and King Me is a V10 with a first ascent by Chris Shulte. The Checkerboard Crack is a V5. Nearby options include the Checkerboard Area and Painted Cave Boulder for more climbing, Horton Lakes and Mount Tom for hiking, and Bitterbrush Campground for camping.

Routes (5)

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Checkerboard AreaPhoto: dret, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

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