Jabel Batta (Serrai)
J.Batta (1850m) is situated 1,5 km. North of the Bedouin village El-Malaga, on the West – hand side of Wadi Er- Raha. The cliff faces N and NE and it shaded in the afternoon.
Descent way from Jabel batta:
From summit of J.Batta carefully descent by steeping rocks (passages to III) heading NW and N to pronounced col (pass) connecting two big gullies (valleys) and then turn right heading NE; walk down via this gully to start of climbing (Wadi Er - Raha).
Routes of Jabel Batta:
B1. Seerauber, Dire Straight - overview - picture - picture - topo
First ascent: Yoav Nir, Amnon Shiloni, 1993, 5 pitches, VI+, or more diff, J.Batta NE face
Approach: the route follow hand/finger – jamming crack 20m left from main big gully/chimney (that splitting the cliff to 2 parts)
A very beautiful and impressive short route, 3 pitches only, but difficult and excellent rock. The way is including the two cruxes. The off – width begins as slightly vertical and then straightens up. It is graded as 5.10 unprotected (graded by top-rope), and estimates later as 5.12.
B3. Jethro route - overview - picture - picture - topo
First ascent: Daniele Chiappa, Andrea Anati, 1978, 9 pitches (possible 3 + unroped to summit), V, J.Batta NE face
Approach: The route is up first conspicuous gully/chimney 100m to left from central big gully (Jethro Tull)
Start left of main wide crack and head for thinner crack with conspicuous leaning boulder. Two easy pitches (III) to leaning boulder, then right of this into diaheder (V-). Follows easy pitch to channel with tree at it's base, pass tree (R) into channel, exit to good stance (L), then into left crack, easy except for chockstone (V). Two more easy pitches to summit
B4. Jethro Tull - overview - picture - picture - topo
First ascent: Yoav Nir, Daniel Peikes, 1987, 3 pitches, 5.9+, VI-, J.Batta NE face
Approach: The route is up big gully/chimney by it’s right branch
Start from base of central big gully, scramble (possible unroped - ?) to reach big boulder, and then to right branch of big gully. 3 full pitches, chimney climbing, occasionally slab climbing inside chimney. Good rock. Protected by pitons all way.
B5. Ian Anderson - overview - picture - picture - topo
First ascent: Micha Yaniv, Yaniv Shushan, 1999, 3 pitches, VI+, 5.10+, J.Batta NE face
Approach: The route is up big gully/chimney by it’s left (large) branch
Start at left side of pillar inside gully (just left of the start of Jetro Tull)
Pitch1: 40m, Cumbersome chockstone after about 15m, at the end of the pillar. Continue to base of chimney proper(5.8+)
Pitch2: A 50m chimney with possible face climbing towards the end of the pitch. Belay from left, under overhanging crack (5.9+ at first, then easier)
Pitch3: 20m, Chimney/off-width. The crux of the whole route is a flared, tapering, overhanging crack, just under the exit (5.10+)
Pitch4: Then a 3 min easy scramble to summit
B7. Stolen Mirror *** - overview - picture - picture - topo
First ascent: Andrea Anati, Gil Alexandrovitch, 1987, 6 pitches, IV+, J.Batta NE face
Approach: It is possible to start first 2,5 pitches by one of three separate chimneys of right part of Jabel Batta: first (from left) – unclimbed (possible more difficult), second (recommended), and third (easiest).
Pitch1: 50m, Start at middle chimney. Few meters of IV+ (good protection), then III with a movies of IV to good stance inside chimney/crack.
Pitch2: 40m, up chimney with chockstone (IV-), then easy to stance (III).
Pitch3: 50m, scramble a few meters ahead , then turn left and easy walk to base of wall, heading for crack system.
Pitch4: 40m, up middle crack (IV-), then left and up to base of chimney with characteristic “elephant ear” vertical stone bridge.
Pitch5: 35m, up chimney via “elephant ear” easy, but exposed (IV); exit from chimney to left to sloping ledge covered with loose stones, and follow up and right till base of wall from right with good crack and small tree.
Pitch6: 50m, Continue up and right to consecutive “open books” separated by ledges (III) to end of rope. After that walk to summit.
B9. Andrea's variation of Stolen Mirror * - overview - picture - picture - topo
First ascent: Adrian Hill, Alon Parnes, 1988, 6 pitches, IV+, J.Batta NE face
Approach: Take a next crack/chimney to right from original route and up 2,5 first pitches till giant boulder and turn left to base of wall.
B10. Draw me a sheep variation of Stolen Mirror - overview - picture - picture - topo
First ascent: Alon Hod, Tal Azovlai, Barkai Wolfson, 1998, 6 pitches, 5.10, J.Batta NE face
This is the red crack parallel to the "Stolen Mirror", some meters to its right. Good rock. Reach the shoulder of the mountain by the first two pitches of "Stolen mirror", then follow little gully up and right for about 50m. Two short pitches 5.10 and 5.9 include layback passages. Last easy pitch is a scramble to the top. The layback at the left side of a huge "mammoth ear" is preceded by a short undercling(large friends or tricams come handly at the crux)
B11. Tachtonei HaShahar - overview - picture - picture - topo
First ascent: Shahar Kadmiel, Joel Ettinger 2004, 4 pitches, 7b, A2, J.Batta NE face
Approach: This is the left crack on j.Batta NE face, a few meters left of the "Seerauber". Approach from the Big Gully.
Pitch1: From Big gully (4b,4c) to the base of the crack.
Pitch2: 50m, A2. Start on the flake right of the main crack, 5m, good protection by rocks No1-3. Easy move to crack (piton after 3m will NOT take a fall). 3 more meters of slightly overhanging crack (A2) to good bolt. From here. a (more overhanging) crack (A1) with good protection by camalots(1,5-2,5). Crack becomes vertical (not overhanging), but wider; 2 camalots size 5 required. Then finger width fissure to stance in a widening space allowing 1 person to stand.
Pitch3: 40m, A1. 15m of finger-width fissure, after which wider crack, chimney climb, exit after 4m. Follow direct crack (possible also Left crack) in a 3 meters free climb(4), then 5m of A1, and free(4) again to stance in the little cave to join the final part of "Seerauber". From here, a slim climber can crawl into tight crack, exit, and secure a fixed line on the outside for his "more bulky" partner
Pitch4: Easy scramble to the top
Hightly recommended as an AID-climbing training
