50 www.roadbikeaction.com
By Neil Shirley
CHALLENGING
THE GIANTS OF THE
EASTERN
SIERRA
How to put a three-day climbing
camp to good use
Along a 60-mile stretch of Highway 395 (that connects Los Angeles with Reno, Nevada) between the towns Lone Pine
and Bishop, California, the Owens Valley sits
deep in the shadows of two monstrous
mountain ranges—the jagged, granite Sierra
Nevada to the west and the stark White
Mountains to the east. Along this stretch,
dozens of roads begin their circuitous routes
at Highway 395, then disappear deep into the
mountains on either side of the highway, with
a number of them ranking as some of the most
difficult climbs in the U.S. and straight-up outclassing many of the fabled European ascents.
Photos: OPP Creative