The many steep endurance test pieces in the Cave make it the steep sportclimbing crag in New Zealand. Beware the native Cave climbing Troglodyte. The best time to climb here is summer as it turns into a giant seeping mess in winter.
Subway map
Park at the end of Bay View Road and walk up the Barnett Park walkway for 20 minutes on the right hand side of the valley until you get to a slightly hidden turnoff in an alcove of the track, you should see steep rock above you at this point.
Routes
Reference | Title | Grade | Length | Pro | Quality | Alert | Operations |
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Super Glue, 27 | 27 | 11m | 7 | ||||
Short but requires plenty of ooze. Begin at the far left of the cave and traverse right on big holds to a big move to a big plate hold. Now head straight up on small edges until over the lip of the cave |
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Shrubble (The Warm Up), 26 | 26 | 12m | 7 | ||||
Start on the first 5 bolts of "She Devil" except after clipping 5th bolt go up and into the second half of "Rubble" Finish in a small slot with no anchors so just jump off |
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She Devil, 28 | 28 | 16m | 10 | ||||
Climb Past the first 4 bolts of "Super Glue but continue traversing right to "Gorilla Grip" |
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Centrifuge, 32 | 32 | 18m | 12 | ||||
The horizontal line which traverses almost half of The Cave. Start as for "She Devil", pass "Gorilla Grip" and continue along the seam which leads to "Bogus Machismo". A mediocre rest after the long traverse provides some recovery for the weird and very wide crux |
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Rubble, 27 | 27 | 14m | 7 | ||||
Starts left of the small slab. Steep climbing crosses the traverse line to holds that are hopefully better then the name suggests. |
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Gorilla Grip, 27 | 27 | 15m | 7 | ||||
One of the cave classics and always climbed on. Start up the mini slab and climb through three distinct cruxes. |
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Troglodyte, 30 | 30 | 15m | |||||
Start in the steep corner 5m right of Gorilla Grip. Climb up and then left to join Gorilla Grip near the top. |
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Hydroplaning, 34 | 34 | 0m | |||||
Start up Trog and finish at the chains of Bogus. A few hard moves in-between. |
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Kaz's Project, 32 | 32 | 16m | 9 | ||||
Starts the back corner. A balancey section to start leads to a tricky dyno then hard steep moves to the lip. New school beta has a excellent double kneebar just before the shouldery crux. At top boulder avoid climbing left onto Gorilla Grip. |
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Hung Like Elvis, 26 | 26 | 12m | 7 | ||||
Follow the route "Snake Charmer" but route finishes at the Pidgeon Pod |
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Snake Charmer, 29 | 29 | 18m | 13 | ||||
Up the left-leaning crack thing. Set up on small crimps to power up for a big dyno. Traverse right to the pigeon pod and enjoy the rest before joining "Bogus Machismo" via some campusing. Really long but ingenious rests can be found |
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Ride of the Valkyries, 32 | 32 | 17m | 9 | ||||
The first half of this route is on excellent rock. It involves a dyno and intense fingers moves into the pigeon pod. After a decadent rest, enjoy some wild moves to link up to the crux of "Bogus Machismo" |
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Bogus Machismo, 29 | 29 | 18m | 11 | ||||
Great flowing moves make this New Zealand's endurance testpiece! Starts in the central, deepest part of the cave. Climb straight up the veer left at 4th bolt. The draining start gives way to big holds. Two cruxes are placed conveniently at the very end for when you are completely pumped. |
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The Enigma of Kasper Hauser, 31 | 31 | 17m | 12 | ||||
Climb up the distinct straight crack that cuts the cave in half. Kneebars have dropped the start section from V10 to V6. |
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Kaiser Soze, 31 | 31 | 18m | 11 | ||||
Same start as "Bogus Machismo" but head right at 4th bolt to the no-hands kneebar. From here the crux goes for the next five bolts with no decent rest. |
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The Doomsday Clock, 34 | 34 | 18m | 11 | ||||
Bolted by Sefton. Left of Spaceboy, joining that route to rest in the Pod. |
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Space Boy, 32 | 32 | 16m | 10 | ||||
Interesting and varied technical moves up the vague arête to the rest hole. Persevere through another bouldery section to a final rest before the last crux. Pumpy finish on good holds. |
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Buffy, 31 | 31 | 17m | 9 | ||||
Climb route "Nosferatu" except traverse left from anchor and finish up "Space Boy" |
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Dracula, 30 | 30 | 14m | 7 | ||||
Start on the right side of the arête-like feature via superb bouldery moves to the 4th bolt. Now go right to join "Nosferatu". Shake out, get demoralised and for the best on the Run-out, pumpy finish |
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Nosferatu, 30 | 30 | 15m | 8 | ||||
A blood sucker. The moves seem alright but putting it together doesn't come easily. After a fingery burst to the only rest, charge left to the cranky crux. Poor footholds require lots of tension and stamina. |
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Urge, 26 | 26 | 13m | 7 |
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The Big, blocky, Bulging Beast. An Edgy and cruxy start through the mini roof to chunky jugs and an excellent rest at half height. Another finger crux leads to jugs, then go right to the anchor |
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Let There Be Bolts, 28 | 28 | 13m | 6 | ||||
Start right of the big blob on "Urge" You'll find fantastic, Dynamic moves up this sustained and classic route. Its less steep than most other Cave routes but it really sustained due to poor rests. Awesome, Interesting moves |
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Groundhog Day, 27 | 27 | 0m | |||||
Start up LTBB and go right at 4th bolt then up to finish at the chains for Attack Mode. |
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Retrograde, 30 | 30 | 0m | 6 | ||||
The line between Bolts and Attack Mode, sharing the anchors with AM. Funky bouldery moves down low may give pause for thought. |
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Choss Muncher, 29 | 29 | 12m | 7 | ||||
Weird and very strenuous bouldering leads to the crux of "Attack Mode". Cunning strong fingers will definitely help. |
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Attack Mode, 28 | 28 | 13m | 7 | ||||
After the tricky start, head left to a wee rest before committing to serious business on edges through the roof |
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Straight No Chaser, 25 | 25 | 13m | 5 | ||||
Start as for "Attack Mode" and keep going straight up. A draining bouldery start to a quick rest and steep edge cranking until over the lip |
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Ice Man, 26 | 26 | 13m | 5 | ||||
Just left of the waterfall, start as for "Attack Mode" but at the ledge head right through a difficult roof |
How do you reorder the climbs?
In reply to How do you reorder the… by derekthatcher
I've sent you a message.
In reply to I've sent you a message. by Richard Thomson
Thanks for your terrific sustained effort getting the project to public launch. Hope that you are getting warm praise from site visitors.