Long slabs and high red faces hidden in a picturesque valley on the south side of the Banks Peninsula. There are three of the longest routes near Christchurch here, with three pitches each. A bit of a drive and bush-bash to get to, but well worth it if you like bolted slabs and exposed sport routes.
The cliffs themselves are in the DoC Devils Gap Reserve, but the paddocks crossed for access are privately owned by the Pattullo family. The farmers, Dave and Ryan, are happy to allow access as long as the usual farm protocols regarding gates, stock, dogs, etc are observed. Avoid this area during lambing (Sep-Oct). PERMISSION IS REQUIRED, so contact the farm before climbing here by phoning Ryan at 325 1126, or Dave at 325 1305.
From Christchurch, just before entering Little River township, turn right onto Kinloch Rd. Drive past the Okuti Valley Road turn off, continuing up Kinloch Road to Bossu Road. Follow Bossu Rd eastward ~5-6 kms to the 4-way intersection. Turn right, down into Peraki Valley. Halfway down the valley park at the stock pens on the left, and cross the paddocks following the fence line. From the stream go up through the manuka, cross the paddocks through a gap in the bush, and head up the end of the paddock to the Reserve. Cross the fence and find the track to the cliffs. Currently (2008!) there are two orange tape markers in the bush about 30 metres from the fence. Past the second tape at a cairn, turn directly up the hill to a clearing, from which orange flagging tape leads to the cliffs at the base of 30 Pieces Of Silver. The track along the base of the cliff is very rough.
Reminder
Permission must be obtained before crossing the farm to the crag.
Farm closure
From 21st March to 4th April 2022 the farm will be closed for mustering wild goats. NO ACCESS DURING THIS PERIOD. There will also be a closure from late April to July for a hunting operation to cull goats that are not caught in the muster.
Routes
| Reference | Title | Grade | Length | Pro | Quality | Alert | Operations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leipziger, 17 | 17 | 30m | 8 |
||||
The first three routes are on the triangular slab on the far left side of the crag. This is the left-most route on the slab. Scramble up a few metres to a ledge just below the first bolt. The route steepens near the top and finishes to the left of the roof. A 60 metre rope will reach the base of the climb. With a 50 metre rope, abseil to the mid station on Stairway. |
|||||||
| Stairway To Heaven, 16 | 16 | 40m | 6 |
||||
A bit right of centre, step out from behind the Manuka tree to find the first bolt. Pretty much self explanatory from there.
Some nice thin moves. Abseil from the fixed sling around a tree. |
|||||||
| Lovin' Lickin' the Lichen, 16 | 16 | 40m | 9 |
||||
The arching route on the right side of the triangular slab. Starting at the far right edge of the slab, climb up the narrow buttress. Traverse left across the very low angled slab and out over the gulley. Continue straight up past the last couple bolts to the trees. Delicate climbing. |
|||||||
| Crown Of Thorns, 21 | 21 | 68m | 6 |
||||
Start up a mossy slab or scramble up on the left to a ledge, and then move up to clip a high first bolt. Some good moves on clean rock lead to the crux at a bulge, which is followed by nice slab climbing with a bit of a run-out to the anchor.
Continue up an easy-angled narrow tongue of rock beside vegetation and move left to steeper pocketed rock, trending left past the scrub and up to the anchor.
Walk about five metres right along the ledge to a broadleaf and set up the anchor here. Climb a crack past a manuka and traverse leftward across the slab, and up to the anchor at the base of the corner. A further pitch is possible. |
|||||||
| 30 Pieces Of Silver, 22 | 22 | 75m | 11 |
||||
Hard start leads to easy slab climbing, followed by a steep bulge.
Up the arete, quality climbing
Scramble up the slab. |
|||||||
| The Unholy Grail, 19 | 19 | 75m | 8 |
||||
About 50m right of the central buttress is this 80m slab. Scramble up the scrubby low angle arete and/or adjacent gully for about 70m to the ledge behind the manukas (fixed line for the upper 30m). nice climbing right off the anchor on well featured slabby terrain.
crux at the small roof.
shortest pitch. Circle the stacked blocks at the base of the overhanging face. Two or three steep moves on the face (V1/2ish?), then easy slab climbing to the last anchors. |
|||||||
Posted by: Grant Piper
Edited by: Lindsay Main
It would be good to update access description. I suggest mentioning that once you have gone through the gap in the trees turn right and head to the top of the paddock where there is a small grass clearing on the reserve side of the fence. Tucked in the bush is the cairn on the boulder. I added another cairn on a large boulder in the small clearing by the fence. Most of the flagging tape has long gone in the bottom section of the track but if you take a direct line up hill you will probably pick them up again.
Introduction to Leipziger expanded; descent information edited.
Thank You
Access details edited for clarification. Grant's topo replaced by Gabe's original topo.