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 Batman Rock, Batman Pinnacle, Checkerboard Rock, Lightning Rock Main Page

Batman Rock, Batman Pinnacle, Checkerboard Rock, Lightning Rock

Routes:

(Where possible, routes listed west to east, i.e. left to right)

BATMAN ROCK:
- Hand Jive (5.9, 2p)
- Station to Station (5.9, 2p)
- Bat Crack (5.9, 2p)
- Spaziergang (5.8, 3p)
- Cragging at Batman Rock (5.11c, 1 pitch)

BATMAN PINNACLE:
- Batman and Robin (5.6, 2-4p)

CHECKERBOARD ROCK:
- Crystal Catch (5.9, 2p)
- Cragging at Checkerboard Rock (5.9-10d, 5 pitches)

LIGHTNING ROCK:
- Short Circuit (5.9-, 3p)

Region: Colorado
Elev: ~9,000 ft
Rock type: Granite
Type: 
Date(s): various
Partner(s): various

This page contains trip reports for routes I've climbed on Batman Rock, Batman Pinnacle, Checkerboard Rock, and Lightning Rock.

Related trip reports:

Route Overlays

Overlays for the routes I've climbed on Batman Rock, Batman Pinnacle, Checkerboard Rock, and Lightning Rock. Trip reports for these routes can be accessed from this page.

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Batman Rock, Batman Pinnacle, Checkerboard Rock, Lightning Rock
Lightning Rock, Short Circuit
Checkerboard Rock

Climbs I've Done

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Batman Rock

Dates I've climbed this route:
- Date: January 31, 2021 (Sun);  Partner: Nate Arganbright

Intro

This was a fun 6+ pitch link-up of the three main features in the Batman Rock area. We started off with Crystal Catch on Checkerboard Rock. From the top of Checkerboard Rock, a 5 minute scramble brought us to the base of Batman Pinnacle. We climbed the classic Batman and Robin route to the top of the pinnacle, then did a short rap off an anchor on top to the base of Batman Rock across the way, and climbed Hand Jive to the top of Batman Rock. It was one of those unusually warm and calm winter days where Lumpy is just the best place to be.

Pitch-by-Pitch Photos

Previous pitches....

Batman and Robin (5.6, 2-4p) on Batman Pinnacle.

Pitch 5

5.9
Hand Jive
Climb the corner.
Corner of Pitch 1 of Hand Jive.

Pitch 6

5.9
Hand Jive
Continue up the corner system to the top of Batman Rock.
On Pitch 2 of Hand Jive.

Descent

3rd
To descend from the top of Batman Rock, scramble north and then east from the summit and follow a path down and around to the base.

(other trip reports for Batman Rock may have more photos of the descent)
Top of Batman Rock.
A little bit of snow on the descent but not bad. The descent is pretty mellow.
Pinecones.
Sublime view.

Dates I've climbed this route:
- Date: October 15, 2023 (Sun);  Partner: Nate Arganbright

Intro

This route only gets one star in the guidebook, but is quite good. It climbs up into a nice right-facing flake system. There are some heady sections on the first pitch. This was our first route of the day (our second route was Bat Crack further to the right).

Pitch-by-Pitch Photos

Approach

~45 minutes on trail from parking lot to base of Batman Rock.

(other trip reports for the area may have more photos of the approach, but it is quite straightfoward)
(no photos)

Pitch 1

5.9
Make an unprotected heady mantle above a spike up onto a slanting dike from some jumbled rocks just right of a pine tree. Do another bit of runnut into the flake system and climb thee right-facing flake, through yet another runnout section and finally to a nice belay stance.
View up the route from the base. Some nice stone.
The runnout section getting into the flake on Pitch 1.
Flake on Pitch 1. Fun climbing.
Old tat at the anchor at the top of Pitch 1.

Pitch 2

5.7
Move leftwards and up and throught the hedwall at the top of the Hand Jive dihedral. Traverse righta the top. The traverse is common to a few routes.
Pitch 2.

Descent

3rd
To descend from the top of Batman Rock, scramble north and then east from the summit and follow a path down and around to the base.

(other trip reports for Batman Rock may have more photos of the descent)
View from the top. A beautiful fall day.

Dates I've climbed this route:
- Date: October 15, 2023 (Sun);  Partner: Nate Arganbright

Intro

A classic climb on the right side of Batman Rock. This was our second route of the day (our first route was Station to Station further to the left).

Pitch-by-Pitch Photos

Approach

~45 minutes on trail from parking lot to base of Batman Rock.

(other trip reports for the area may have more photos of the approach, but it is quite straightfoward)
(no photos)

Pitch 1

5.8
Face climb up to a finger crack that does not quite reach the ground (either directly or by way of easy knobs on the left) and traverse left at its end, committing 5.8. Wander up an easier face to a hanging belay below a prominent notch in a long roof band. Be prepared for run out 5.6 sections, with the hardest move just before the belay. A 0.75 and 1 are nice to have for the belay.
Nate starting up Pitch 1.
Crack on Pitch 1.
5.6 runnout to the belay. The hardest move is at the end.
Giant roof at the top of Pitch 1.
Giant roof at the top of Pitch 1.

Pitch 2

5.9
Lieback through the double-tiered roof, classic 5.9. Finish with a nice finger crack.
Nate pulling the crux roof. He made it look easy.

Descent

3rd
To descend from the top of Batman Rock, scramble north and then east from the summit and follow a path down and around to the base.

(other trip reports for Batman Rock may have more photos of the descent)
Pinecones and
pizza.

Dates I've climbed this route:
- Date: October 14, 2023 (Sat);  Partner: Nate Arganbright

Intro

One-star route on the right side of Batman Rock with decent rock, interesting movement, some tricky route-finding, and a couple of heads up 5.8 sections. We did this route as a warm-up for the day, but due to cold temperatures and some route-finding issues on Spaziergang, we just ended up climbing Backbone Arete afterwards before calling it a day.

Pitch-by-Pitch Photos

Approach

~45 minutes on trail from parking lot to base of Batman Rock.

(other trip reports for the area may have more photos of the approach, but it is quite straightfoward)
Checkerboard Rock and Batman Pinnalcle left, Batman Rock right.

Pitch 1

5.8
Boulder up to the crack. Move right above the tree to a belay stance.
Pitch 1.

Pitch 2

5.8
Continue right to a short dihedral and overcome a final headwall a bit to the right.
Pitch 2.
This was a bonus pitch traversing left when we couldn't find the correct way to finish Pitch 2, when the terrain seemed harder than 5.8. Upon reading mountainproject beta after the climb, we had been in the correct spot and people report a punchy move directly up that feels more like 5.10 than 5.8.

Descent

3rd
To descend from the top of Batman Rock, scramble north and then east from the summit and follow a path down and around to the base.

(other trip reports for Batman Rock may have more photos of the descent)
(no photos)

Photos

More climbing fun!
Date: October 14, 2023 (Sat)
Partner: Nate Arganbright
Climbed: Backbone Arete (5.11c, 1p)
Right-leaning, white dike with five bolts is a fine face and friction test piece. We climbed this after Spaziergang. Then a wave cloud obscured the sun again and we hiked out.
Looking up the arete.
Nate leading the route.
Anchor at top is a vaguely hollow-sounding-but-likely-solid slung horn. Makes you not want to bounce much on the rope as you lower/rappel/toprope.

Batman Pinnacle

Dates I've climbed this route:
- Date: January 31, 2021 (Sun);  Partner: Nate Arganbright

Intro

This was a fun 6+ pitch link-up of the three main features in the Batman Rock area. We started off with Crystal Catch on Checkerboard Rock. From the top of Checkerboard Rock, a 5 minute scramble brought us to the base of Batman Pinnacle. We climbed the classic Batman and Robin route to the top of the pinnacle, then did a short rap off an anchor on top to the base of Batman Rock across the way, and climbed Hand Jive to the top of Batman Rock. It was one of those unusually warm and calm winter days where Lumpy is just the best place to be.

Pitch-by-Pitch Photos

Previous pitches....

Crystal Catch (5.9, 2p) on Checkerboard Rock.

Pitch 3

5.6
Batman and Robin
Climb up fun and featured granite. (We linked pitches to climb the route in two long pitches.)
View towards Batman Pinnacle and Batman Rock from the top of Checkerboard Rock.
Start of Batman and Robin.

Pitch 4

5.6 (5.8 variation)
Batman and Robin
Continue to the top of Batman Pinnacle. (We linked pitches to climb the route in two long pitches. We did a 5.8 finger crack to start off this pitch.)
5.8 finger-crack variation.
Fun 5.6 crack climbing.
Cool wind-formed bowls on the top of the pinnacle. There is a rap anchor up here.

Next pitches....

Hand Jive (5.9, 2p) on Batman Rock.

Checkerboard Rock

Dates I've climbed this route:
- Date: January 31, 2021 (Sun);  Partner: Nate Arganbright

Intro

This was a fun 6+ pitch link-up of the three main features in the Batman Rock area. We started off with Crystal Catch on Checkerboard Rock. From the top of Checkerboard Rock, a 5 minute scramble brought us to the base of Batman Pinnacle. We climbed the classic Batman and Robin route to the top of the pinnacle, then did a short rap off an anchor on top to the base of Batman Rock across the way, and climbed Hand Jive to the top of Batman Rock. It was one of those unusually warm and calm winter days where Lumpy is just the best place to be.

Pitch-by-Pitch Photos

Approach

~30 minutes on trail from parking lot to base of Checkerboard Rock. The turnoff is signed.

(other trip reports for the area may have more photos of the approach, but it is quite straightfoward)
The approach is well-signed.

Pitch 1

5.9
Crystal Catch
Climb the crystal-studded crack and face.
Looking up Pitch 1 from the base of the route.
Crystal-studded face.
Nearing the top of the pitch.

Pitch 2

5.9
Crystal Catch
Make an awkward move or two at the start and continue to the top of Checkerboard Rock.
Start of Pitch 2. A bit awkward here.

Next pitches....

Batman and Robin (5.6, 2-4p) on Batman Pinnacle.

Photos

More climbing fun!
Date: November 4, 2023 (Sat)
Partner: Nate Arganbright
Climbed: Ziggie's Day Out (5.10d, 1p, toprope), Three of a Perfect Pair (5.10+, 1p, toprope), Ziggie's Brother Hank (5.10a, 1p, toprope), Rainy Day Women first half + Checkerboard Crack finish (5.9, 1p, toprope), Checkerboard Crack Pitch 1 (5.10a, 1p, toprope)
A fun, warm, and productive day of November cragging at Lumpy Ridge. My favorite way to spend a fall day.
Bear scat on the trail. The bears are fattening up for their encroaching hibernation.
Trail juncion.
Ziggie's Day Out (5.10d, 1p). A classic.
New bolt on Three of a Perfect Pair (5.10+, 1p), a nice new route on the wall with some cryptic face climbing at the crux.
ohn toprope soling Rainy Day Woman (5.9+) to Checkerboard Crack (5.10a). John put up Three of a Perfect Pair (5.10+, 1p).
Looking up Start of Rainy Day Woman (5.9+).
Starting up Checkerboard Crack Pitch 1 (5.10a). A great pitch.
Finishing Checkerboard Crack Pitch 1 (5.10a).

Lightning Rock

Dates I've climbed this route:
- Date: August 22, 2023 (Tue);  Partner: Nate Arganbright

Intro

A fun mid-day work break.

Pitch-by-Pitch Photos

Approach

~30 minutes on trail from parking lot to base of Lightning Rock. The turnoff is signed for Checkerboard Rock. Begin under a small pine growing fifty feet off the ground in the middle of the south face of Lightning Rock.

(other trip reports for the area may have more photos of the approach, but it is quite straightfoward)
(no photos)

Pitch 1

5.9-
Climb a thin corner using a tiny crack on the right for pro - bring RPs. Undercling left, and master a short slab. An easy ramp leads up and left from the pine.
Nate leading Pitch 1.
A good ball-nut placement.
A good RP.
Easy upper ramp on Pitch 1.

Pitch 2

5.8
Fire up a splendid hand crack and over a bulge.
The spendid hand crack.
Crux roof.

Pitch 3

5.7
Escape left after a second bulge or take the final bulge on the right with a hand crack.
Looking up the start of the pitch.
Belaying off a rock horn a the top of the route.

Descent

Scramble + Rappel
To descend, scramble down a gully to the west of Lightning Rock. We made a rappel off a tree.
Nate enjoying a soft bed of Kinnikinnick at the top of Lightning Rock.
Me enjoying a soft bed of Kinnikinnick at the top of Lightning Rock.
We made one rappel as we desceded a gully west of Lightning Rock.

Comments Pertaining to this Page / Trip Report

Useful beta. Updated route information. Corrections. Historical notes. Interesting facts. No fluff please.
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