Batman Pinnacle

BETA PHOTO: Batman Pinnacle fron the SW

Description 

Batman Pinnacle is a nice crag with a nice variety of climbing on it. The main face gets mid-day sun all year and sun from at least mid-morning to late day for the warmer months, as it primarily faces South. While the crag is somewhat secluded and guarded by a less-than-discrete trail with many false branches and turns, it still gets heavy traffic for one route: Batman and Robin (5.6). This climb is pretty good, but it has somehow reached the mythical 'classic status' despite having little remarkable about it. Good rock, good pro, good moves... more "accessible" than classic.
Other routes there are infrequently traveled but good, if you like small holds on vertical walls. Robin's Secret and Bat Flake are good butt-kickers. Wear your edging shoes or suffer on these.
Up top and just to the East Side, of the Pinnacle's summit, the short and obscure route "Within Reach" can provide a last minute diversion before hiking down from the rock's summit-notch between this and Batman Rock.

To descend from the summit, rap 50' N (N to the base of "Within Reach" (10a)) and scramble down and East from there to a gully, that if continued SE and then SW will take you back to the base without much effort or danger. Still, hiking shoes are best on this gravel and terrain. From the Bat Flake, rap down once ~27 meters (50m rope doubtable) to the south, staying slightly left, to a set of slings on a horn, then 20 perhaps meters to the ground. Keep and eye on the rope, as there is frequently water at the base here, when a rock-spring runs or weeps down to fill it just left of the rap line.

Note, Bat Flake is separated out for clarity in the database.

Getting There 

Hike in on the higher trail directly from the old Twin Owls parking lot. Continue on the lower trail to the knocked-over sign with the re-directed arrow penciled in indicating Batman Rock up and to the right and Batman Pinnacle and Checkerboard Rock down and left. After crossing a buck and rail fence section, try to stay on trail (difficult) to reach the lower left side of this deceptively-tall cliff. The chunky square-ish top just below the Southern base of Batman Rock is the beacon, about 550' above the base.... Cairns mark the last bit through a talus field after crossing below the base of Checkerboard Rock. Alternatively, start and do the approach as for Batman Rock, but when below its Eastwardly base and about level in elevation (and perhaps 100 meters away) cut down and left above Checkerboard Rock and then down to the South to reach the base. Again, let the square spire atop the pinnacle be your guide and TRY to stay on trail....

Seasonal Closures 

Note, this crag is typically closed March 1 to August 1 for raptor nesting.