Bats in Ontario Cracks: Be Kind, Downclimb!

0.5 sized bat sleeping in an Ohio sandstone crack. Sorry to bother you, little buddy, I’ll downclimb and let you rest!

Have you ever heard a high-pitched squeaking, clicking, or hissing sound coming from a crack that you were climbing?

If so, then there was a bat in that crack!

In Ontario, 5 of our 8 bat species choose to rest and hibernate in our cliff’s cracks and cave systems.

As we climb past them, they emit sounds to let us know where they are and that they’re stressed out.

So, what should we do when we hear a bat?

-Be kind and downclimb whenever possible.

-If you can’t downclimb, try to climb as far around the source of the sound as possible until you can lower off.

-Climb another route. Many of Ontario’s crags have hundreds of routes within walking distance.

-Let climbers around you know where the bat is so they can avoid the route too. 

-Add the info to the Ontario Climbing Forum and the Ontario climbing Facebook groups so that other climbers can check the route before climbing. You can also let the Ontario Alliance of Climbers know about the sighting and they’ll help spread the word!

What’s the big deal?

We’ve seen a few instances in which climbers were aware of a stressed bat but still chose to climb the route. 

If you’re in this situation, please consider that bats need to rest and recuperate during the day and that they can’t do this when climbers are invading their space. When multiple climbers and climbing groups spend hours climbing near them, the bats get robbed of their precious recuperation time. 

Bats keep the biting insect population in check and are important members of our ecosystem, so let’s do what we can to help keep them healthy!

Did you know that a little brown myotis bat can consume 5,000 mosquitoes per night???

Rabies?

Although very few bats carry rabies, they are the primary source of rabies in humans. So, always try to peer into cracks before you shove your hands and fingers inside. Bats have very sharp teeth and they will absolutely bite you if they have to!

If you’re bitten by a bat, and aren’t able to have the bat tested, doctors will recommend that you receive the rabies vaccine, just in case. 

5 Famously Batty Routes in Ontario:

-It’s Not Every Day (You Get To Put Up a Great 5.9), Metcalfe Rock

-Gangrene, Metcalfe Rock

-Hibernaculum, The Swamp

-Steve's Corner, Mt. Nemo

-Dragline, Kelso

Have you ever seen or heard a bat while climbing in Ontario? If so, which route were you on?