05 Oct 25 - Trip/Conditions Report: Little Egypt | Frontier Wall Rock Climbing

Last weekend, two staff members (Colin and Tess) headed up Bishop Creek to check out Little Egypt’s Frontier Wall, Tess' longtime favorite crag and a spot Colin had somehow never visited. With a free morning before her shift at the store, they decided to make the most of it and sneak in a few routes in the cool fall air. What they found was quiet granite, beautiful views, and some of the best crack climbing close to Bishop.

Trip Report: 

Current As Of: 05 October 2025*

Activity During Report: On and off trail hiking, traditional and sport climbing

Trip Information:

This week, Tess and I made our way up to Little Egypt, one of the quieter and more underrated crags near Bishop. Tess had to clock in at the shop by 2 p.m., so we hit the road around 8 a.m. to get a good session in at Frontier Wall, a section she knows well but one I’d never visited before.

We followed Bishop Creek Road up past Intake 3 (marked “SCE Bishop Creek 3” on Google Maps) and parked before walking down Skyrock Drive for a couple minutes. From there, we spotted a faint trail dropping down toward Bishop Creek. The bridge is currently out, so the crossing added a little adventure — a mix of rock hopping and log balancing that thankfully left both of us dry. On the far side, the trail climbs steeply up loose dirt before traversing toward the wall. The farther we got from the creek, the more defined the path became. Total approach time, including the crossing, was about 20–25 minutes — roughly what Mountain Project describes as “360 feet of gain over half a mile.”

Little Egypt is known for clean, golden granite that feels gritty a lot like the Buttermilks or Joshua Tree (minus the J-Tree kitty litter), just with bigger formations and some excellent crack systems. You’ll want tape or hand jammies here if you plan to jam. The elevation allows for climbing nearly year-round, and the area rarely sees the kind of traffic you’ll find at the Owens River Gorge or the legendary Buttermilks or Volcanic Tablelands.

We started on the right side of Frontier Wall, which faces north and stays shaded through the morning. Puffy jackets were mandatory early on. Tess led Jammin’ with Jane, a fun, well-protected (but also techy for the grade) crack line that’s a perfect warm-up. I followed, then moved the anchor right to lead Welcome to the Dark Side — a spicy old-school sport route that’s both technical and committing up high, with a couple different options through the upper section.

Next, we moved over to the left side of the wall, where I led Classic Crack, another excellent line that tops out with incredible views across the Sierra skyline. From the anchors, we set a top-rope on Espresso Crack and took a few laps for fitness before wrapping up.

We hiked out just after 1 p.m., the sun finally cresting over the top of the wall. With the light breeze, perfect temps, and total solitude, it was hard to ask for a better winter day out climbing.

If you’re looking for something different this season, Little Egypt is absolutely worth the trip. You can find route details and directions here on Mountain Project.

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Tess in the midst of Jammin' with Jane!

View of the Frontier Wall right with the rope hung on Jammin' with Jane. you can also see the lines for King Tut's Tomb, Caravans, and Welcome to the Darkside in the shot.

The gorgeous Sierra skyline from the top of Classic Crack

The Volcanic Tablelands illuminated by the morning sunlight

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