All Locations > Colorado > Estes Park Valley > Lumpy Ridge

Bat Flake Rock Climbing

Climbing Area Map This is our best guess at this area's location.
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Routes in Bat Flake

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Robin's Secret T 5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b

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Elevation:	8,000 ft	2,438 m
GPS:	40.4032, -105.5182 Google Map · Climbing Area Map
Page Views:	3,263 total · 15/month
Shared By:	Leo Paik on Sep 7, 2007
Admins:	Leo Paik, John McNamee, Frances Fierst, Monty, Monomaniac, Tyler KC Page Updates (admin only)

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Access Issue: 2024 Partial Seasonal Raptor Closures lifted 7/21/24 Details

From the Denver Post 7/21/24: some of the raptor closures have been lifted, officials announced.

Upper & Lower Twin Owls, Rock One, The Book and access trail, Bookmark, and Left Book were opened based on a park new release.

Closures have been extended for Thunder Buttress, access trail, The Parish, Cathedral Wall.

Closures above the Loch Vale-Sky Pond trail have been extended.

Per Brent Frazier: the raptor closures have been lifted in the Lumpy Ridge and Loch Vale Areas ( nps.gov/romo/raptor-closure…)

Each year, Rocky Mountain National Park initiates temporary closures in certain areas of the park to ensure that birds of prey will be undisturbed during their breeding and nesting seasons. These closures begin on February 15 and continue through July 31, if appropriate. Monitoring by park staff and volunteers have determined that all remaining closures can be lifted on July 28, 2023.

Per Matt Coghill: the Golden eagle nesting activity has extended Lumpy closures through Aug. 15, 2022 on Sundance, Thunder Buttress, and Needle Summit!

Per A.Eaton: the raptor closures have been lifted as of 6/4/2022 at Lumpy for the following formations:

Twin Owls
Rock One
Batman Rock
Batman Pinnacle
Checkerboard
Lightning Rock

Per the Denver Post: as of Feb. 15, 2022, Checkerboard Rock, Lightning Rock, Batman Rock, Batman Pinnacle, Sundance, Thunder Buttress, The Parish, Bookmark Pinnacle, The Left Book, Bookmark, Twin Owls, Rock One, and the Needle are closed for raptor nesting. These closures will continue through July 31, 2022 if needed.

All areas [were] OPEN to climbing for the 2021 post July season.

Closures ending July 31:
Batman Rock, Batman Pinnacle, Lightning Rock, Checkerboard Rock - nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/…
Sundance - nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/…
The Book Area: Left Book, The Bookmark, Bookmark Pinnacle, and the entire Book formation (including Renaissance Wall, Isis Buttress, Pages Wall Area, and J-Crack Slab Area)- nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/…
Thunder Buttress and The Parish - nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/…
Twin Owls and Rock One - nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/…
Cathedral Wall - nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/…

When closed, the closures include the named rock formations and the areas surrounding the base of the formation. This includes all climbing routes, outcroppings, cliffs, faces, ascent and descent routes, and climber's access trails to the formation.

Areas not listed are presumed to be open. These closures will be lifted or extended as conditions dictate.

Description

This entry is simply to improve clarity. The challenge in organizing a database is that there can be multiple ways to look things. In reality, Lightning Rock, Bat Flake, and Batman Pinnacle are really one contiguous piece of rock with 3 distinct summit structures. Thus, some confusion has arisen within the database to make for 2 entries for the route, Robin's Secret. These will be consolidated and route(s) on this portion of the massif will be moved here.

Note, Kimball's 1986 guide doesn't list these routes. Rossiter's 1996 guide lists these under Batman Pinnacle. Gillett's 2001 guide lumps all these routes under the category - Lightning Rock, Bat Flake, Batman Pinnacle.

Bat Flake is a ~200 foot chunk of rock between Batman Pinnacle and Lightning Rock. Its summit is difficult to access except for routes up the less-than-vertical, south face. Two routes and one additional variation are documented to ascend this face. It may be possible for routes to ascend the east, west, or north faces of this summit.

Getting There

The approach is the same as for Lightning Rock & Batman Pinnacle. Hike from the Lumpy parking area west towards the old Twin Owls parking area ~0.6 miles. Take the right fork up towards Batman Rock/Checkerboard/Batman Pinnacle/Lightning. Probably 3/4 the way to Batman Rock, there is a signed fork that goes left towards Checkerboard/Lightning Rock/Batman Pinnacle. Take this below Checkerboard. Continue west, then go up a less distinct trail up talus to the base. The beginnings of Lightning Rock, Bat Flake, and Batman Pinnacle are contiguous. There is usually a water streak between Lightning Rock & Bat Flake. ~50-60 minutes to approach.