Lisa Rands Boulders Mandala (V12)

Lisa Rands has climbed The Mandala (V12) in the Buttermilks near her home in Bishop, California.  Rands first started trying the overhanging granite prow last season.  This year, she succeeded on the third try on her third day of attempts. 

The Mandala was first climbed by Chris Sharma in 2000.  In 2002, Tony Lamiche added a V14 sit start to the problem, and last week Canadian Sean McColl repeated The Mandala SDS , adding to a remarkable string of ascents near Bishop this winter, despite persistent snowy, wet conditions. ( Climbers have been carrying snow shovels to the Buttermilks, to dig out both the problems and their cars.)  Since Climbing.com last reported on McColl’s Bishop rampage, he also has added two very hard link-ups on the north side of the Grandma Peabody boulder in the Buttermilks : The Oracle (V13, linking Baburre into Mystery), and True North (V13, linking Baburre into Direction).  McColl originally graded True North V14, but then changed his mind after comparing it to Mandala SDS and Goldfish Trombone; he now thinks “hard V13.”