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Lava Torri Wall

(18 routes)

Place info

Lava Torri Wall

(18 routes)

The great orange-coloured wall south of the Pinnacle is still a quite intimidating venue. There are several good easy to moderate routes here, and if dodgy runners don't appeal top-ropes can be set up by scrambling around the scree slopes south of the Second Ugly Sister. A few bolts protect the traverse above the main wall. Be careful between late November and March, as these slopes are a major nesting site for black-backed gulls.

  • North West

    Aspect

New Zealand map
Type: 
Wall
Aspect: 
North West

The great orange-coloured wall south of the Pinnacle is still a quite intimidating venue. There are several good easy to moderate routes here, and if dodgy runners don't appeal top-ropes can be set up by scrambling around the scree slopes south of the Second Ugly Sister. A few bolts protect the traverse above the main wall. Be careful between late November and March, as these slopes are a major nesting site for black-backed gulls.

Reference Name Grade Quality Length Comments Actions
1
14
0
30m
Natural gear required
  Below and right of the big roof. Climb the wall beneath the overhangs to just below some loose rock, then traverse right to a double bolt belay.
2
15
0
20m
Natural gear required
  The left-hand arête of the main wall. Climb the ramps and face to the double bolt belay. The route originally continued up the loose chimney.
3
19
0
19m
Natural gear required
  The diagonal crack and groove. A little loose in places. Belay as for 2
4
17
0
19m
Natural gear required
  The main groove in the middle of the wall. Start beside the cave and climb the groove to the double bolt belay.
5
0
22m
  The wall between Transition and Dysentery Groove is a nice top-rope.
6
17
2.01
25m
Natural gear required
  The long groove on the very right of the main wall. Climb to the ledge at half height then up a small slab to the top corner (crux) and good gear. Then up to a double bolt belay. The gear in the lower half of the route is fiddly and not as good as it may look. A classic of its time

Graeme Dingle, c1970
7
16
0
25m
2X bolts
Natural gear required
  Start up Dysentery Groove, then climb straight up to the top of High Street’s first slab and follow the crack left. At the loose blocks, move up and on to the arete. Up this past two bolts to a double bolt belay.

Alan Silva (roped solo), December 1995
8
12
2.01
20m
Natural gear required
  A superb outing! This is the large slab above and right of Dysentery Groove the runs to the top of the cliff. Start either up the small slab to the left, then back along small ledges to the main slab, or climb a small steep corner in to the bottom of the slab. Good protection, double bolt belay.
9
A3
1.02
18m
  From a small cave a third of the way up the First Ugly Sister, climb the thin crack to a groove and rivets. Hook left and up to a small roof, passing this on the right, then up to a ledge and crack. Belay over the lip at a double bolt belay. Gear needed includes pins, hooks, wires, cams, RP hangers and a few copperheads. The rivets were placed to hold body weight only; on a repeat ascent Jon Rosemergy straightened a fifi hook and hit the deck from 20 metres up – and survived!

Jon Rosemergy (roped solo), mid 1990s
10
A2
0
15m
  Start up Cinderella but quickly move left into a diagonal seam. Up this (rather loose) to a fixed copperhead and then some free moves to the belay. Small pins, hooks, copperheads and sawn-off angles were found to be useful on the first ascent.

Jon Rosemergy (roped solo), mid 1990s
11
20
1.02
15m
1X bolts
Natural gear required
  This gem of a climb follows a thin seam. A few small wires tolerably protect the wall to a ring-bolt at half height. Hang on to place wires and/or small cams on the steepening wall above.

Graeme Dingle (aided at around A2), c1970; Robin Cooper (FFA), c1980
12
22
0
15m
2X bolts
Natural gear required
  Good holds lead to a bolt, then head up and right to a crack (small cams). Now pause to think about what to do next: the second bolt is a reachy clip from unobvious holds, followed by a technical and pumpy finish.

Jon Rosemergy, mid-1990s
13
19
0
15m
1X bolts
Natural gear required
1
  Climb the crack on the prow of the buttress, protectable with good wires, to a bolt. A reachy crux follows, then trend right on to the slab and up to the belay. (Has been aided at A2.)

Jon Rosemergy, Grant Singleton, mid-1990s
14
14
0
16m
Natural gear required
  Climb blocky ground to finish up the Second Ugly Sister slab.

Dave Orsman (solo)
15
11 ,13
1.02
45m
Natural gear required
 
  1. Scamper up the slab to a double bolt belay.
  2. Climb the crack to the top of the wall and another double bolt belay.
19 , A0, ,
1.02
90m
Natural gear required
 

This route traverses the whole wall at about mid height.

  1. Start at the small slab just right of Dysentery Groove. Climb this for 5–6 metres, then step around into Dysentery Groove. Climb this past an old peg, then traverse left across a narrow ledge and climb the top half of Transition to the belay.
  2. Abseil straight down the wall to where it is possible to make a belay.
  3. Climb slightly ascending line, traversing across the wall to just above the crux of Cistern. Step around the arete, then down a little to a belay stance.
  4. Cross the wall until you have passed Dolly Varden. Climb a metre, then traverse left again under the big roof and down a corner. Now you deserve a beer!
V2
1.02
  This will test your stamina. The low traverse of the whole wall is usually done left to right. The crux comes after Transition, as you climb over the top of the cave and along some small flakes.
VM
1.02
  Shag Rock is the large pinnacle between Lava Torri Wall and the sea. Baby Shag Rock is the triangular rock below Shag Rock and opposite the First Ugly Sister. A popular, moderate and polished boulder problem.
This place appears in: 
Wellington Rock cover
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