Bat Girl

I had another name picked out for this route but, a recent event changed that. Spiders are a common resident at the crag - to the chagrin of many. However, bats are a different story. I once came up over a ledge near the top of Damnation Wall and found my face a mere foot or so from a sleeping bat warming in the sun. He never budged and I cut left and left him alone. Not so uneventful was my friend Michele’s meeting with a bat.About 10 feet up this route there is a prominent “nose” feature that can be solidly grabbed at both sides as well as underneath. Well, Michele chose the latter as her handhold. Once locked in she felt what she thought was a bee sting. She came off the rock with a shriek and searing pain in her hand and realized it was not a bee but a bat! Her friend Mike investigated, and sure enough, a little brown bat was roosting behind the nose and was NOT happy. Neither was Michele, and she had to be rushed to the hospital. After a series of treatments she's all better and back on the rocks! Well maybe not this route for a while!This is a great route sans bat! The nose is fun, and if you work your way up the arête to the slab block you’ll find that to be a bit tricky to get up and over. From there it’s an easy climb to the top anchors back and above.Update: Apparently Michele now sleeps upside down and can climb even better at night! :DNote: If you're a climber and you care about bats, please visit Climbers For Bat Conservation

or check out the info below.

At the big rock with the practice sport anchors

Anchors at top.