California · Rock climbing · Bishop

Misery Area

Misery Area in California offers 6 bouldering routes with 6 distinct difficulty grades.

6 routes

V0+ – V6

Bouldering

Best time to visit Misery Area

Best months: April–May and 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.

Jan
56° / 24°
4 wet
Feb
59° / 26°
4 wet
Mar
67° / 31°
3 wet
Apr
74° / 37°
2 wet
May
83° / 44°
2 wet
Jun
94° / 51°
1 wet
Jul
100° / 57°
1 wet
Aug
98° / 54°
1 wet
Sep
90° / 47°
1 wet
Oct
78° / 37°
1 wet
Nov
64° / 27°
2 wet
Dec
55° / 22°
3 wet

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Bishop Ap, CA, 5.3 mi away at 4,102 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Misery Area is a bouldering area on Bureau of Land Management land in California's Bishop Field Office, about 5 miles from Bishop. It sits among a cluster of climbing spots, with Sad Boulders and Death Star Cave each about 0.1 mile away. The area is a bouldering destination, with six routes all rated on the V scale. The easiest are President Bush at V0 and Any Which Way But Loose at V0+, and the hardest is French Press at V6. The Black Stuff is V1, Hovercraft is V3 and Oceania is V5. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Bishop show April highs around 74°F and October highs around 78°F, while July averages about 100°F. Pleasant Valley Pit Campground is about 4.5 miles away, and Happy Boulders Trail is about 0.9 mile away. South Fork Bishop Creek, a paddling spot, is about 3.9 miles off.