Bats in the Belfry  5.8

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Type:  Trad, 1 pitch, 150 feet Consensus:  5.8+ [details] FA:  ?, pre-1981 Submitted By:  Chris Wenker on Jun 30, 2008 You & This Route  |  Other Opinions (8) Your todo list: Your stars: Your rating: -none- [change] Your ticklist: [add new tick]

BETA PHOTO: Bats in the Belfry (5.8), Middle Rock, Tres Piedra...

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Some rocks in this area are on private property. Property owner requests signed waiver. MORE INFO >>> The remainder are on US Forest Service land. A map detailing the public areas can be obtained from the ranger station en route to the rocks from the village of Tres Piedras. According to Jan Studebaker: "The property line runs from approximately the current east corner by the access gate in a straight line over the top of South Rock to the top middle of the Chicken Heads/Mosaic Wall mount, and from there west down the mount slope to the meadow just south of the Alley climbs. Some of the most popular routes are completely on private property. There are survey markers on the top of South rock (the mysterious aluminum stake stuck in the rock) and on top of the Mosaic rock (most of the time buried in water in a pot hole.)" A new online Tres Piedras Route Guide from LA Mountaineers has been updated with the latest access information, and should be read by all Tres Piedras climbers. Group climb leaders, and Climbing Directors (future or past) should take particular note. From the guide: Access Notes: Tres Piedras climbers should sign the waiver found on this page because the popular South Rock is mostly on private land, as is some of the access to the area. The landowner, requests a waiver, NO fires, no chalk and "please close any gates". In order to nurture greater landowner acceptance of climbers, participants of group climbs are requested to organize quick clean up activities before leaving the area; this should include the climbing area as well as the access roads (trip leaders could supply plastic grocery bags). Small parties should practice "leave no trace" principles. On August 19, 2009 the landowner stated: "Yes I still own the property, and yes I'd still like to have waivers on hand - even or perhaps especially from your organization. Only once in awhile do I have problems with climbers, mostly not picking up after themselves. My biggest gripe is that despite repeated requests, the climbers don't remove protection (edit: colored webbing, shiny hardware) from the climbing routes, which is both lazy and unattractive. Your organization could do me a big favor by doing a group climb and removing the crap that others have left on the various routes so that it is both a pristine part of the landscape, and so that each climber must figure out his own route without relying on the handiwork of others." This information is a public crowdsourcing effort between the Access Fund, and Mountain Project. You should confirm closures, restrictions, and/or related dates. Keeping climbing areas open and conserving the climbing environment

Description 

Sort of a schizophrenic route, with the bottom being a 3rd/4th class runout slab and top half being a nice 5.8 crack.

Ascend the easy slab, aiming straight up for the incipient crack. This leads to some horizontal seams at the base of the upper sector of the climb; good stances and placements are available here, before you really start to engage the meaty part of the hand/fist crack. The bulgy crux is passed as you are moving into the base of the crack; past this lies more sustained 5.8 crack climbing in a sort-of-awkward but fun dihedral that wants to keep pushing you off-balance.

Described and illustrated by Foley (2005:85) and Jackson (2006:70). Jackson indicates the option to set up an intermediate belay at the base of the crack, but that is completely unnecessary. Foley points out a harder exit up the face to the left, once you're past the crux.

The 1981 guide lists this route as a 5.7. That description of the climb also splits it into two pitches. It also mentions a "bolt, sans hanger" on the slab below the crack. We saw no bolt, but the older description also sort of suggests that the climb originally angled up and right, so we may have started farther right and may not have been near the bolt's vicinity. Despite the old-school guide's softer rating, this is a fairly burly 5.8 (vs. the 'easier' 5.8's at TP like Serpentine Crack), so leaders at your limit, take note. Falls off the crux bulge would be pretty clean, though.

Alternately, I was advised by one elder TP climber that the route illustrated here is actually the one called "Crowbait" in the 1981 guide. That would match well with the description and rating. But then it's not clear where the "Crowbait Detour" would go (how far down and left?). Or where the original Bats in the Belfry route is located (maybe the next headwall crack to the right, the one up and left of the Albuquerque Route anchors?).

Of course, the 1991 "Taos Rock III" guide doesn't clear things up. It instructs us to "Follow wandering low angle slab to obvious crack at top", but the map places 'Bats' pretty far east, in the area of the Albuquerque route.

Location 

Follow the standard approach trails from the parking lot, around the left side of Mosaic Rock. The user trails pretty much lead you to the base of this climb on the western end of the south face of Middle Rock.

Jackson suggests two descents: "Walk east to the end of Middle Rock (several dicey moves) or work down into the next grotto north, then back west to the west end of Middle Rock."

We followed some version of the second option. This descent is 3rd class, fast, and pretty easy to find. From the top of this climb, head east over the first dome of rock, then over another rise for ~100 feet to where the ridgeline drops and narrows, and you are at a little saddle. Drop north off a low overhang, head down skier's left, aiming for two car-engine-sized boulders next to a spruce tree growing out of a notch in the edge of the slab, zig right and pass by the spruce, and, viola, you are on the ground. Head west in the gully, traverse some slabs around the west end of Middle Rock, and you're back to your packs at the base of the climb.
Apparently the ridgetop traverse all the way to the eastern end of Middle Rock involves some sketchy moves, but I haven't done it and can't comment.

Protection 

Standard TP rack to 4 inches, plus I would have liked to have had doubles in hands-and-bigger-sized cams (#2-#3 camalots).

Belay at the top off of gear, with plenty of options for anchor placements.