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Batman Wall

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Summary

Great Limestone Wall requiring the Batman Start.

Description

Batman wall is the crown jewel among Sarawak’s climbing places. If you can confidently climb 6b or harder you will have plenty of fun: More than 20 routes plus variants side-by-side, which can be climbed year round and even when it rains heavily.

How to do the Batman start

https://youtu.be/GEwG-uJyUYs

Access issues

Since 2015 Tiger Wall, Orchid Wall, Stage Wall and Batman Wall are under the Kampong Krokong “Koperasi Fairy Cave Heritage Kuching Bhd” and the price is RM10 per climber per day. Call Lipik at +60 11-1407 6540 to arrange opening the gate.

Approach

Just drive into the gated area and park your car.

Where to stay

Most visitor stay in Kuching and rent a car.

Ethic

Only one route has a normal ground-up start: Two Egg Bacon Burger. All other routes require a “Batman Start” with a clip-stick and hoisting by you and your partner. It is difficult to locate the climbs without the help of a local climber – even with the nice topo of a climbing guide. Presently routes Happy Feet, Triple Nine, Bas Laici, Laba Laba and Robin are labeled with a sign – you best start from there. All routes are equipped with ss glue-in bolts. Double-bolt chain anchors are equipped with 2 permanent keylock carabiners - so just clip and lower off.

History

History timeline chart

First bolting activity started in 1999 by a team of Australian Climbers organized by Malcolm Jitam and his wife Junice supported by state funding. A few years later Expats Chi'en Lee and Glenn MacNair added a few lines. Then Alexander Hölke from 2007 over the course of 13 years developed most of the rest of the wall while he stayed in Kuching.

Routes

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Grade Route

Shares the starting bolt and 2nd bold with "The Joker" then climb left and up.

FA: Beverly Tam, 2012

Starting bolt is to the left of the tufa of Two Egg Bacon Burger. Climb up and slightly left to the overhanging section to a rest point inside a chimney. Then finish up with a few moves through a steep wall to the chain anchor.

FA: Alexander Hölke, 2012

This is the only ground-up start at Batman up the obvious tufa pillar. Climb up to good pockets and awkward moves. You may find the anchor hard to clip when on-sighting.

Set: Alexander Hölke & Asang Nikander, 2008

FA: Alexander Hölke, 2009

Climb up tho the ledge then the overhanging wall at the left hand side of the alcove.

Set: Alexander Hölke & Noh Muhammad, 2011

FA: Noh Muhammad, 2011

Climb up to the ledge and stem up inside the corner. Move right to avoid the roof and climb up the face passed a huge jug to the anchor.

FA: Alexander Hölke, 2011

Batman start is just to the right of Happy Feet. The lower chimney used to be covered with a black grime but has been cleaned in 2011 and again in 2020. Climb up the short wall then further an offwidth/chimney crack on large holds. A layback move to the right gets you to another chimney section and a balancy finish to the anchor chain.

FA: Ateng Safardi, 2011

Starts to the left of "Holy Thundering Meteorite, Batman!" - and just left of the finishing bolts of the roof climb "Show Pony". Climb up some pockets to the obvious ledge with the large blackish rock bridge (this is the horse) then slightly right up the fist crack to another ledge. Climb the roof and continue to the anchor.

FA: Mel Jitam, 2011

1 6a+
2 6b+

A 2 pitch extension of "Rodeo Jitam".

FA: Andy Popeye & Yi Chuan, 2013

Thuggy start leads to a little bit techy mid section followed by a easier finish. Use the leftmost starting bolt.

FA: Ch’ien Lee & Glen McNair, 2003

Extension to Meteorite. Avoid the anchor but continue upwards to a rest point inside a small cave. Climb up further passed some tricky moves (crux) to the anchor of Kapur Chimney.

FA: DS, 2012

Extension of Meet Your Maker. Continue up the same extension of Kapur Chimney until the anchor.

One of the easiest route at batman wall and often used as a top rope for beginners trying to get a feel for a hanging start. Cool moves and as usual the start is always tricky and will throw some people off. Not that easy to onsight but once u know all the moves it's a 30sec climb.

FA: Jimen, 1999

The Classic at Batman wall, make sure you get on this when you're here. The start is tricky and crimpy - get through that and what follows is fantastic climbing.

FA: John Norman, 1999

FA: Alexander Hölke, 2008

Continue from the Chimney anchor (no-hands) further up through the wall and tufas (crux). Better use long draws for the lower part to avoid rope drag.

FA: Alexander Hölke, Feb 2019

Follow "Cicak", 1st to 3rd Clip, then Traverse across "Simtoi", "Bas Laici" and "Johnny be Good" to end at "Jansson's Temptation".

FA: Garth Miller, 1999

Powerful start and sustained climbing to the ledge. The climbing continues up the face (crux) keeping left of Simtoi. Cicak is Gecko in Malay.

FA: Simon Wilson, 1999

Batman start and climb through the technical and pumpy overhang (crux right at the start) to the ledge. Further up through a few shared moves with "Bas Laici" but then keep to the left. The route is named after a local dog which was omnipresent during the 1999 bolting activities.

FA: Garth Miller, 1999

Variations and Traverse.

Start on "Bas Laici" then "Simtoi" and across "Cicak" to "Kapur Chimney". There are a few Original moves between "Cicak" and "Kapur Chimney" protected by a bolt.

FA: Monique Forestier, 1999

The classic 7a at Batman Wall. Climb through the juggy overhang to a rest point at the ledge. Move further up then stay right. Shares Batman starting bolts with "Johnny B. Goode" and a few moves with "Simtoi" after the ledge. Named after the not-so-white bus, which was taking the Australien team to the wall.

FA: Simon Wilson, 1999

Shares the starting bolts with as "Bas Laici" but goes to the right then up through the overhanging wall. Named after the famous song by Chuck Berry, and the only western one the local band new and played again and again.

FA: Garth Miller, 1999

Long moves on overhanging rock with a good rest at about the center of the climb. This route was left as a project by the Australian Team in 1999. Chi'en Lee was working on it when Swedish climber Jansson made a visit and unknowingly snatched the route from him.

FA: Christer Jansson, 2000

Another project left by the original Australien bolters. Unfortunately the crux hold is always grimy and hence, aspirants need to be prepared to do some cleaning.

FA: Ch’ien Lee, 2007

Pumpy lower section and less steep but technical upper section. Laba Laba means Spider in Malay. The route has two enxensions in 2012, a left variant called "Titu-Titu" and a right one called "Rama-Rama".

FA: Alexander Hölke, 2009

Extension to Laba Laba, Climb all the way right towards the Big Staglatite. Use Long Draws for less Rope drag.

FA: Yi Chuan, 2013

Warning Fixed Gear: anchor

Right extension of Laba Laba. The final moves is for chimney-lovers.

FA: Andy Popeye Su, 2014

The start is to the right of Laba Laba. Sustained with interesting moves. Off starting bolt climb through overhanging rock to the 3rd bolt for a sitting rest on a lump. Climb further up with more tricky and balancy moves to the chain anchor.

FA: Alexander Hölke, 2009

This route has a sign board. Climb the overhanging rock using pockets and tufas with long and powerful moves.

FA: Asang Nikander, 2010

One of the longer routes on the wall. Batman start just to the right of "Robin". Sustained.

FA: Alexander Hölke, 2011

Batman start to the right of Buzz Lightyear. Sustained climbing throught the overhanging wall.

FA: Noh Muhammad, 2011

Sustained, pumpy and technical. Has an interestingly-shaped hold looking like a shark fin about halfway up.

FA: Alexander Hölke, 2013

The route batman-starts fairly low then traverses right and up. The anchor is just below the large and sometimes wet tufa.

FA: Noh Muhammad, 2012

The routed follows the line just to the right of the large (and often wet)stalactite.

FA: Alexander Hölke, 2014

This climb may be wet during the wet season (Dec-April). Pumpy and technical.

Set: DS & Alexander Hölke, Feb 2016

FA: Alexander Hölke, Dec 2019

Last line at the right far end of Batman Wall. 2 anchor bolts were set in September 2016 by Alexander Hölke, top rope can be set up from "Bye-Bye Kuching". Batman start off a solid sling also left in 2016.

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Fri 2 Jun
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