Weekend Whipper: Bat-S#!% Crazy
Like a bat out of hell.
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Trevor Lynch was trying to onsight Kiddie Table, a 5.11d at Denny Cove, Tennessee, when he had a batshit crazy experience – literally.
Lynch told Rock and Ice, “The first three bolts were pretty stout so I figured I could get a quick shake out on the giant undercling at bolt 4…until I heard a high pitched buzzing and felt something tickle my hand. I pulled my hand out along with a bat! I quickly realized what it was and then flinched again which sent me off the route. My belayer, Phil Gross, was already laughing and so was my girlfriend, Catherine Selin, who had literally just started filming. I hopped back on and continued the route a little more cautious of what could be living in the underclings!”
If you blink you’ll miss it, but you can clearly see the bat fly out of the rock, and if you turn up the volume you can hear it squeaking.
Anyone else ever have grab some critter or creepy-crawly thing from the animal kingdom while climbing a route? We’ve heard of spiders and snakes, and now bats, but surely there are others—post ’em in the comments below!
For more on how climbers can help struggling bat populations, check out our article “Bats in the Cracks!”
Happy Friday and climb safe this weekend!