This is the second route in from the left on the east-facing wall as you head up the slidey slope after rounding the bend of the big arete. It climbs through some pockets down low, onto a slab, into a tan/orange scoop, then over a small roof onto grey, water-droppy stone.

This probably climbs more like a Shelf Road route than anything, with lots of vertical trickery and small crimps. Through the scoop, beware of the loose-looking rock off to the right, which is ... loose.

Though it's a bit runout to the cold-shut anchors (shared in common with the 11c to the right), I didn't want to add another bolt and infringe on that line. The climbing is 5.8 or so if you pick the path of least resistance above the last bolt, heading straight up, then diagonalling right on big incuts. In the shade all afternoon after one or so.

La Melange

Caped Crusader

Orange Mechanique

Aquaman

Tripping the Light Fantastic

Boys Don’t Cry

Boy Wonder

This is the first route you'll come to in this sector, and climbs a very orange vertical face past 10 bolts. As you round the bend past the second big pillar, you'll head steeply uphill on a slidey scree slope into an alcove with four routes. This is the leftmost route.

Yup, yup, I know, there's a much more famous (and probably much better) Orange Mechanique in Cimai, France (8a), but I couldn't come up with a better name.

The bolts are a little more closely spaced on this one than most Fortress routes due to the stucco-like texture of the rock, which could tear your knees up and elbows up pretty good in a fall. The holds themselves, however, aren't too sharp. This sort of climbs like a Shelf Road route.

Treating the crumbly pockets gently, stretch high for the first bolt, clip a second, then move slightly up and left to the third. Turn a small roof, then onto the orange face, which grows increasingly harder and more technical the higher you get. (It begins to overhang just a bit, too.)

A decent pocket near the arete gives you a shake before the redpoint (pump) crux moving into the grey rock. Climbing on water pockets and grey incuts takes you to the anchors, at the base of a dihedral.

Best done on cool-weather days and with a good, stiff pair of shoes. Sustained.

This is the center-most route in the Bat Cave. It is easily identifiable by the big hueco at 17 feet.

The route starts out with 3 bolts of pretty bouldery crimping to access the hueco. Pull over the roof via the corner to the right. Rest (left kneebar) then punch it through the last 2 bolts to the top. It is somewhat run out to gain the anchors. If you want to work it out & take a direct fall, Dave added a dogging bolt 4 feet left of the last bolt.

This is a really great route in a beautiful, remote cave.

Aquaman is a picturesque blue route at the furthest east end of The Fortress. It was envisioned & established by John Weaver. This is a short route for the area, though, eventually Weaver plans to extend the route to the top of the cliff. The route starts off with 2 bolts of tricky climbing to a real neat threader hueco. There is a bit of a run out to the 3rd bolt (jugs), & you begin an interesting crux sequence with pockets & pinches passing a hard to clip bolt. Thankfully the route ends with a jug.

This route starts just to the right of the big, beautiful, dead tree on an obvious feature. The first 4 bolts are really bouldery followed by mid-5.13 power endurance to the anchors. I started with the first 2 bolts stickclipped.

Maybe 150 yards beyond the Bat Cave is this obvious route of faults first envisioned by Dave Pegg. It almost looks easy, but then you realize the first 5 bolts are 60 degrees overhung. The first 10 feet route are hollow choss as with most of the routes in this area, so use caution. My breakdown of the route would be a boulder in the V8/9 range to a good but steep resting position at about half height followed by a technical extended boulder in the V7/8 range to the anchor. Enjoy.

This is the first route you come to in the Bat Cave proper. It can be identified by a low, horizontal roof.

Start with the 1st 2 bolts stick clipped.

This satisfying route starts off with a slight boulder problem to get over the roof (V4ish). Clip the 3rd draw, & begin the business. The crux is about 9 moves on small, incut crimps, a sloper, & a big punch to a hueco. From the 5th bolt to the top is in the 5.12- range offering just enough resistance to potentially punt off.

This is one of Dave Pegg's finest additions to the Western slope.

Description

Protection

Routes in East Walls/Bat Cave