A beautiful dome perched atop the Ridge, with an assortment of two pitch routes. Like Twin Owls, it is flanked by other cliffs, including Checkerboard Rock, Lightning Rock, and the Batman Pinnacle, all of which have fine routes and are approached by the same trail. The dome is host to some of the Ridge's best moderate routes, such as Batman and Robin (5.6) and Hand over Hand (5.7). Checkerboard has some very challenging, very trad climbs, notably Ziggie's Day Out and Checkerboard Crack, both 5.10. Clowntime is Over and Bat Crack are must-do 5.9s on Batman itself.
Getting There
From the new parking lot, take the west trail towards the old Twin Owls parking lot ~0.6 miles. Somewhat confusing-take the right of two trails from the west end of old Twin Owls parking lot, bear left shortly thereafter at the first branch, then right after a little ways (these last two branches are unmarked). Checkerboard is the first rock, after about 15 minutes, then the trail effectively disappears, but the other rocks become obvious.
Descent
Head N/NE from the top and scramble easily down around to the base. Other descents may be described for individual routes.
The Classics
Mountain Project's determination of some of the classic, most popular, highest rated routes for Batman Rock:
Truly a wacky, original route! Hike up to Batman Rock, scramble up to the center of the cliff (just right of a vertical, reddish wall) and find a long chimney formed by a rock which sits in [front] of the main face. Go through the chimney and belay on top of the rock.P1-Lean across the chimney (unzip your fly first), and balance onto a small stance on the main cliff. Go up a flake on the left, and wander left up a slab to a belay 20 feet below ...[more]Browse More Classics in CO
I've had the opportunity to climb a couple of cool very moderate routes here including Hand Over Hand (5.7), Globs of Blobs (5.6), Clowntime is Over (5.9) and Batman and Robin (5.6). Really cool, but rather short routes for a long (for Lumpy) approach. Great rock, like you'd expect anything less on Lumpy. The original start on Globs of Blobs is Rad!
I would have to say that Batman and Robin is THE best mod free solo around. It has great exposure, it is some what isolated, compared to Lumpy standards, and the rock is, and has to be for a solo, perfect. With out a doubt, the best solo around...#2 goes to Tennis Shoe Tango on Lens Rock.
By Brad Killough IV Administrator From: hartselle, Alabama May 1, 2008
My son and I are going to RMNP and are going to be at Lumpy Ridge area and would like to do Batman & Robin 5.6 and would like any info on this area and this route because we've never been there.
It's a bit frustrating sometimes, in that I'm pretty sure they don't list all the closures at the trailhead. I could have just missed it, or maybe someone had torn down one of them or something. Anyway, the other day I didn't see the Batman area closure posted at the trailhead, so I started heading up that way and then, at the junction where the trail goes up that way, there was a posting. Had to turn around and change course. They should post these things better, IMO -- for example, if you're coming over to Batman from another formation (which I've done often myself), as opposed to going up the main Batman trail, and the closure wasn't posted at a place as logical as the trailhead, you'd have no way of knowing that you were violating the closure. Certainly if you aren't already familiar with some of the closures and knew to check the web first, you'd unknowningly violate the closure. Sure, it's our responsibility to know what's going on, but to know what's going on we need reasonable postings/info.
Anyway, have a great one with your son, and maybe look at some of the climbs on the Left Book or the Pear for comparable climbs. Rock One and Twin Owls are also closed (the Sky/Pin route on T.O. would've been a blast for your son, I'm sure!).
The signs at the parking lot and the trail head for Batman rock all said that it was open (concerning Raptor nesting). However, when we had reached the bottom of the rock, the sign there said that it was closed. We climbed anyways, assuming that the ranger simply hadn't gotten around to changing the sign at the top. It's kind of a long approach to be shut down when you reach the top. We decided it was worth risking a citation at that point.
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