California · Rock climbing · Lone Pine

Southern Blonde

Southern Blonde in California has 7 climbing routes across 5 grades, offering sport and trad options.

Photo: Seth Tisue, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

7 routes

5.8 – 5.10b

Sport · Trad

Best time to visit Southern Blonde

Best months: February–May and October–November. 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
58° / 30°
4 wet
Feb
61° / 33°
4 wet
Mar
69° / 39°
3 wet
Apr
76° / 44°
1 wet
May
85° / 53°
1 wet
Jun
96° / 62°
1 wet
Jul
102° / 67°
1 wet
Aug
101° / 65°
1 wet
Sep
93° / 58°
1 wet
Oct
81° / 48°
1 wet
Nov
67° / 36°
2 wet
Dec
57° / 29°
4 wet

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Independence, CA, 15.6 mi away at 3,950 ft. The station sits about 800 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Southern Blonde is a climbing area on Bureau of Land Management land within the Bishop Field Office in California, about 15 miles from the town of Bishop. It sits in a cluster of climbing spots that includes The Candy Store, The Chocolate Block (aka Rocky Top) and Tootsie Pop Tower, each within a few tenths of a mile. The area is known for its sport routes, with six of its seven climbing routes falling into that style. One route, Cajun Spice Girls, is a trad climb. Grades run from 5.8 up to 5.10b, with Atomic Blonde at 5.10b the hardest listed route. The climbers who first ascended several of these routes are among the names tied to the area's routes, including Ben Chapman for Atomic Blonde and Pam Neal and Ben Chapman for Chuck Chuck Chuckwalla. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Independence run to highs around 76°F in April and 81°F in October, while July and August average highs near 100°F. That station sits roughly 750 feet lower than the climbing area, so temperatures here run a little cooler. Tuttle Creek Campground and Alabama Hills Trail are both within about a mile and a half, and Lone Pine campground lies about 4 miles away.