Critters in cracks

Yesterday I was leading a 5.10+ in the gunks, and I reached into a good horizontal crack after the crux only to have what I grabbed slither away. Upon closer inspection the resident I rudely woke up was an 8’ long black rat snake, with another 6’ rat snake 4’ to her right. I haven’t seen too many wildlife encounters posted here, but they make for great stories and I am interested in what other critters y’all have encountered while climbing. Can’t wait to hear some of your stories

I once was govelling deep for some hand jams on a hot humid day, when I felt the tickle of sweat dripping down my arm. I cranked one more move and then pulled my arm out to shake the sweat off only to see that the ‘sweat’ I felt was dozens of fat ticks. I slammed in a cam, took, then freaked tf out and rained the devil spawn onto my belayer and pack below. Must of jammed a nest? 

I met someone recently who got bit by a rattlesnake climbing high up at El Potrero Chico and a climbing partner saw one 30 feet up a route here in NM a few years ago. 

While laybacking a huge flake I started hearing a squeaking sound and immediately thought the flake was starting to detach from the wall until I realized it was just a bunch of bats in the back of the crack.  

On more than a few occasions I’ve encountered rattlesnakes in cracks.  

Loads of rats on bivy ledges and portaledges at night.  

I had an barn owl fly out of a small opening and hit me in the shoulder once. It was a lower angle section in the middle of the climb so I was just running it out. I collected myself and quickly got some pro in. My last piece was probably 20’ away, so I probably would’ve taken a pretty good beating.

Between that and volunteering to do animal rehab for raptors. I really don’t like barn owls anymore, they’re the worst to work with. 

Reaching and jamming behind the flake on C’est La Vie in Eldo. Lots of squeaking. Took a peak in there.  About 12-15 bats squawking at me. 

Thousands upon THOUSANDS of caterpillars in New Hampshire right now. 

I got pretty intimate with an angry bat in a crack at the RRG.

Climbing in Ogden in the fall. Every crack was filled with box elder bugs. Putting your hand on any hold consisted of crunching noises.

Sport route in the Owen’s River Gorge that had a short section of perfect hand crack - heard the bats squeaking as I quickly jammed by. 

stuck my hand in a bees nest while run out in the daks.   Interesting.  climbed through.  several really cool milk snakes over the years and bats with beady eyes and little chattering humanoid teeth. pigeon flew out of a crack and scared the piss out of me on  the upper part  of crack of Dawn Seneca. i think that part is marshals maddness?  same thing happened 3rd classing up the chimny above the Meadows on  Devils Tower. 

Adam blocwrote:

I once was govelling deep for some hand jams on a hot humid day, when I felt the tickle of sweat dripping down my arm. I cranked one more move and then pulled my arm out to shake the sweat off only to see that the ‘sweat’ I felt was dozens of fat ticks. Freaked, I slammed a cam, took, then freaked tf out and rained the devil spawn onto my belayer and pack below. Must of jammed a nest? 

This is really the stuff of nightmares!!!

Poked a bat in Clear Creek Canyon. If you find yourself tickling a bat, reach out to https://climbersforbats.colostate.edu/ and let them know! You can get a rad shirt if you do.

Had several lizards fall out of cracks or running in horizontal cracks always good for a scare.

Box elders bugs sometimes in the thousands can be found climbing out of cracks at North Table Mountain. (In before nbrown says he hates north table)

Had some close encounters with moose and black bears at Vedauwoo. Not while climbing but while approaching and camping.

The crux of several routes at Devils Lake are pigeons. 

Warning found at RRG.

One time at Devil's Lake my friend had led a route (don't remember which), and when the second went to clean it a rattlesnake had wrapped itself around one of the cams. We had to come back several hours later hoping it would leave, which it did.

Years ago there used to be a fair number of flying squirrels living in various cracks and pockets at Seneca. I haven't seen them recently when out there.

Not in a crack, but I got repeatedly dive-bombed by a giant seagull while belaying on In scio bolesomme 

Timely thread. I just posted a photo of a chuckwalla in a crack at a new crag in Red Rock, NV called Chuck Wall.

Pulled up to a ledge at Lovers' Leap and found myself eyeball-to-eyeball with two baby eagles. 

Had a perfect 0.5 placement and I refused to try another spot. Kept jamming it in and finally after too many tries a frog leaps out of the crack. I plugged the cam and yelled down to my belayer to let him know to be on the lookout for the frog. When he got up to the anchor he told me he cleaned the cam and the frog hopped right back in.