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Fawlty Towers

Type
Altitude
150m
Part of

Compiled by Lindsay Main, Also previously hosted on a website by John Davis
Half way up the Purau Valley on the west side, a mass of rock crags are visible from the road to the Monument. Two reasonable crags are amongst these - Fawlty Towers and Dawn Wall. The right cliff, Fawlty Towers, was first visited by Murray Judge and Hugh Logan in 1976. Then Tim Wethey, Nigel Perry, and Peter Cleary visited in 1986.
Dawn Wall is 100m L of Fawlty Towers.
ClimateThe cliff gets full sun until early afternoon, and is shaded thereafter. The aspect varies a little so extra use can be made of sun or shade as desired. It is climbable year-round, but suits moderate weather - otherwise it can be too hot in the morning or too cold in the afternoon. There is good shelter from nor-west winds, and some shelter from southerlies. It is exposed to nor-easters. As the crag is clean it dries fast after rain.

Walktime
30 min
Aspect
North East
Lat/lon
-43.65335059,172.7370627, NZ Topo Map
Topo50
BX24 788 666
Approach

Ownership
The owner is Zac Kyle of Bayview Road. Please text 027 604 1485, and only proceed once you have a reply.
Approach routes
Drive through Diamond Harbour and just past the road down to the shops and jetty turn right on to Waipapa Ave. Follow this up the hill to the end, where Bayview Road starts. Park at the entrance to the farm (marked "Chalfont") clear of the road and walk up the drive past the hedge, and follow the track up the spur past the hayshed and trees. Continue about 200 metres past a wooden gate. Angle up to the crest of the ridge where you should meet a steel gate, about 200 metres before another wooden gate. From the crest of the ridge sidle southward to a spur, drop down a bit, and descend a gully trending southward to the north end of the crag.
Access restrictions
Closed for lambing from mid-August to October. The farmer must be telephoned for permission the previous day.

Add Place Add Route

Routes

Reference Title Grade Length Pro Quality Alert Operations
 Fifty Guillotines, 17 17 20m
0

  • P1
  • 17
  • 20m
  • Trad

The obvious wide chimney with a square roof. Climb the chimney, starting on the right side at the crack, and bridge past the roof. Finish up the steep crack above. Two ropes needed to reduce friction, and in case of cutting in a fall on the numerous sharp edges. An impressive route. At the top move right and abseil from the tree above Scorpion.


 Face Off, 23 23 20m 5
3

  • P1
  • 23
  • 20m
  • 5

Approach from the left side of the ledge, or climb the corner directly below, with one bolt. There's a belay station on the ledge, then five bolts up the wall, deviating slightly to the right after the third bolt.


 Scorpion, 18 18 20m
1.02

  • P1
  • 18
  • 20m
  • Trad

The L-facing corner. A nice bridging route on good rock, with a little nip in its tail.


 The Snarl, 16 16 20m
0

  • P1
  • 16
  • 20m
  • Trad

A steep left-facing corner, lower down to the right of Scorpion. Start left to avoid the nettle, climb the corner and bulge and the crack above to a right-facing corner. Over a protruding block to the top. The main problem is getting to a suitable abseil tree (by crashing through scrub five metres to the right).


 Possum Patrol, 15 15
0

  • P1
  • 15
  • Trad

Takes the obvious left-facing corner. Step right around the roof with great holds, climb the crack past bushes (tie one off with a sling), and around another roof, moving right and back left to finish. Anchor to a tree.


 Dead-eye Dick, 17 17 20m
0

  • P1
  • 17
  • 20m
  • Trad

Start up a crack on the left of a narrow face and follow it through a small bulge. At the overhang move left and gain a ledge. Finish right-ward up a short face, and then over a block to anchor to the right. Good protection.


 Bomb-bay Chimney, 16 16 20m
1.02

  • P1
  • 16
  • 20m
  • Trad

The prominent wide chimney on the prow of the cliff, with a large roof at the top. Climb straight up the crack to the chimney and bridge around the overhang. Good protection.


 Pugwash, 19 19 20m 6
0

  • P1
  • 19
  • 20m
  • 6
  • Trad

Climb halfway up the chimney and at the bolt swing out and cross the wall below the second bolt to good side-holds, then up.


 Dead Kippers, 20 20 20m 4
0

  • P1
  • 20
  • 20m
  • 4
  • Trad

Start up a crack just left of a rib and move right past a bush onto the rib. Up a crack through a small bulge and pull through the overhang (crux) and up the wall past the first bolt. Move left to the arête with the second bolt at knee level, and climb the arête past two more bolts.


 Ivory Corner, 14 14
0

  • P1
  • 14
  • Trad

The major V-corner. Best started by swinging on to the rib on the right, then bridge back to the corner and climb through a bulge to good climbing in the corner. Abseil from the tree above.


 Swift, 17 17
1.02

  • P1
  • 17
  • Trad

Start on the right side of a prominent rib and climb to a shallow chimney and cracks. When the cracks thin down at 2/3 height, move right from a bush to gain the arête. Up delicately on good holds with a bolt to the right.


 The Yellow Peril, 19 19 20m
0

  • P1
  • 19
  • 20m
  • Trad

Climb a right-angled corner to a big flake below the large roof. Bridge up the corner past the flake to reach left for a large hold and move across the wall to the top corner. Easy climbing to finish.


 Strip Mining, 20 20 20m
0

  • P1
  • 20
  • 20m
  • Trad

Start a metre right of Yellow Peril and bridge up over a bulging block, then up the broken orange corner to the roof. Move right and up the corner, then layback into the niche above the two smaller roofs. Anchor to the Ama Dablam abseil rings.


 Cracked Up, 20 20 20m
0

  • P1
  • 20
  • 20m
  • Trad

Start in a wide crack two metres right. Follow the left-leaning thin crack over flakes and up to a bulge. Step right and cross the slab to finish up the Ama Dablam chimney and anchor at the rings.


 Ama Dablam, 17 17 20m
1.02

  • P1
  • 17
  • 20m
  • Trad

Takes the thin crack (crux) on the left side of a low roof on a prow (start directly). Continue up the chimney and cracks with reasonable protection and good positions to the top. Anchor to double bolts and rings.


 The Rat's Rest Home, 21 21 20m 2
0

  • P1
  • 21
  • 20m
  • 2
  • Trad

Climbs directly through the big roof using the central crack. Above the roof move through a friable pocketed area with two bolts to finish up cracks, tending left to the top of Ama Dablam.


 Manual's Rat, 16 16
0

  • P1
  • 16
  • Trad

The corner on the right side of the undercut buttress. Up the right-facing corner, then through the roof and continue to the top.


 On The Face Of It, 18 18 20m
0

  • P1
  • 18
  • 20m
  • Trad

Starts on a small undercut rib beside a coprosma bush. Boulder up the rib and continue on the same line on easy-angled rock. Overcome an odd section of hollow rock left of a small cave, and place gear left by the corner to protect the crux moves over a small bulge. Move right slightly and gain the crack beside a hanging orange pillar. Anchor to the Ama Dablam rings, 5 metres left.


 The Flying Dustman, 18 18 25m
0

  • P1
  • 18
  • 25m
  • Trad

Starts at the transition to orange rock and climb the V-corner to a sharp bulge (crux). Pull through on good holds with useful protection and climb the cracks above, moving right in a small corner at the top to anchor rings on the right.


 Stinka, 18 18 25m 3
1.02

  • P1
  • 18
  • 25m
  • 3
  • Trad

Start in a left-facing corner and move left to a yellow wall. Climb past two bolts to a knobbly area below the roof; move left to the arête (bolt runner and a high wire), then back right to the crack through to the top Exit left, right, or direct to the broadleaf tree. Anchor rings a few metres higher (25 metre abseil).


 Amnesia, 20 20 25m 2
0

  • P1
  • 20
  • 25m
  • 2
  • Trad

Surmount the overhang to a bolt still to be placed, move left and clip a bolt. Climb past these on the rib to the left, moving right to gain an overhung niche. Reach high to surmount this (bolt), then up to another overhang with wire pro – easiest on the right. Finish up easy cracks to the anchor rings.


 Starfish, 16 16 20m 3
1.02

  • P1
  • 16
  • 20m
  • 3
  • Trad

To the right of the prow, start up a sharp brown V-corner. Up past the bolts through the bulge on good holds, then spaced cams in shallow cracks and another bolt with easy climbing to anchor rings.


 Splash, 16 16 20m
0

  • P1
  • 16
  • 20m
  • Trad

Start as for previous route, but below the bolt move right past a bush, then over a large spike to a tricky exit on to the grass, which is the only hard move and not well protected.


Comments
steven.fortune

Retrieved a stuck cam from base of Ama Dablam. Old HB green one. If it's your's I'll get it back to you.

Sun, 28/04/2013 - 21:03 Permalink
Lindsay Main
content_editor

Additional route info completed.

Thu, 25/10/2012 - 21:53 Permalink
UUID
 
10def91c-a77a-44ad-bd05-0b2c778f5395