Wall of Dragons

Type

Altitude

1800m

Part of

This is the upper tier cliff line in the Mangatoetoenui Gorge. It runs above the White Dragon Wall, broken by an access ledge running the entire base of the cliff and which runs up to a gradual access gully to the top, west end of the cliff. Rock is brittle and loose in places but very solid with good gear in the obvious lines of weaknesses.

Walktime

30-40mins

Aspect

North

Approach

As for the rest of the Mangatoetoenui Gorge either down in the head of the valley or the access gully west of the Rehab wall or 150m to east and down the access gully on to mid tier ledge system.
Both of these gully acess points have been marked with stone cairns.

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Routes

Reference	Title	Grade	Length	Quality
1	1Afternoon Tea, 21	21	55m	2.01
Extra Beta: First Pitch: 35-40m, Grade 21, Protection Size: Camalots #0.5-2 Start 5m downhill and left of "Morning Glory" start. Staunch overhung unprotected start in middle of choppy base, with first piece (#0.5 camalot) about 6m up in the widening crack below vegetation. Crux is trending left and up around the corner bulge to progress further upwards. Scramble up first ledge with many loose rocks, careful of your belayer. Make your way up to the largely in-tact face of the left pillar, and follow the obvious crack up the face using the chimney to the right as needed. Pull up the last overhanging moves to finish (belay on top using cams and/or bollard sligns). Second Pitch: 15-20m, Grade 18, Protection Size: Camalots #0.25-2 From the belay position, climb down the backside of the pillar and up slightly right at the base of the next wall. Aim for the obvious crack to the right of the waterfall (may vary in size and dampness depending on seasonal weather). This crack mirrors the left edge of the pillar behind you. First protection about 5m up (#2 Camalot). Aim straight up angling vaguely right through solid boulders and flakes. Mind the waterfall and moss. Belay bollard 5m left from finish. Leave last piece of protection in place as a re-direct for belaying. P1 21 40m Trad Start 3-4m left of Morning Glory, angle left-ish up between bulges to a roof, step left then up (crux) through bulges and up onto ledge, head up big left corner crack and directly through roof to find belay on edge of central buttress P2 18 15m Trad Drop into gully behind the buttress and directly up headwall just to the right of water line & belay off boulders a few meters back from top, alternatively scramble further up gully to join Morning Glory under the chock-stone
2	2Morning Glory, 18	18	60m	2.01
Pitch-1 Climb the chimney system of cracks, flakes and chock stones belay back of central pillar and the obvious suspened chock stone. Pitch-2 From top of chock stone move right ward over a curvy bulge flake and through steeper ground exit the right gully as left offers little protection. Belay using large boulder set back from cliff top. P1 16 45m Trad This is the first climb to link through from the white dragon wall to the cliff top, climb done onsite. This climbs the right side of the main obvious central buttress. Start 6-7m left of the top of Blue eyes white dragon climb this can be done as your 1st pitch. The climb offers a big wall atmosphere, it follows a chimney system of large cracks, flakes and chock stones. Good gear take at least two large pieces 4,5 camalot size, plenty of hex placments. Belay at behind the top of central buttress below a large chock stone wedge between the headwall and the gendarme pillar of rock which is the top of central buttress. P2 18 15m Trad Climb on to the chock stone. At this point your can detour and stand ontop of the free standing pillar yahoo! Then climb rightward over a convexed curved flake gear here is thin, small stacked wires back of horizontal flake move right and take second gully exit up steep but good placements mid size gear at this point. Belay off two huge boulders set 4m back from top.
3	3Tip toe into the dragons cave, 18	18	60m	0
P1 16 45m Trad Pitch-1 16 45m Start couple of metre right of morning Glory next obvious crack lines shows to cracks either side of a flat face this is just above a blocky stepped start follow right crack continue up around a flake up to a broken ledge belay just below the obvious head wall with a shallow corner crack P2 18 15m Trad Pitch-2 18 15mget established in crack lay back the corner and gain a high ledge the crux then tend left to a free standing flake more solid than it looks move behind this then up to a couple of grunty moves to top out.
4	4Brunch, 17	17	45m	0
P1 17 45m Trad Start at the top of Blue eyes white dragon, head straight up the crack system towards a dark recess, when the crack thins out head out right onto steeper terrain then up into the recess, exiting to the left and up the final steep wall before an easy scramble to find an anchor boulder [SM cams + wires].
5	5Descaling the dragon, 18	18	45m	0
This starts roughly 6m left of the top of the Deception anchors or left of walking the plank. This is a intresting climb good gear but sparse in sections so make your placments count! P1 18 45m Trad The climb follows a series of broken crack lines and wanders a little from ledge to ledge, once about 3/4 up around 35m there is a small head wall with two obvious cracks either side take the right move up and pull around flake and move up left side of the prominent top out head stones of walking the plank.
6	6Walking the Plank, 17	17	45m	1.02
This makes a splendid follow on pitch from deception on the lower tier. Follow up the obvious weakness straight up from the Deception anchors this climb tops out at the obvious over hanging rock feature like a plank hence the name and has a wonderfull airy exposed finish. P1 17 45m Trad This follows the obvious weakness of crack lines starting straight up in line from the climb Deception fairly consistant for its grade and has good gear on it follow the obvious line up to the over hanging flakes pull up and top out left side of the plank rock. Gear med size wires and cams.
7	7Smoko Catch, 19	19	22m	1.02
This is nearer the descent route down from top this is more on the second buttress outcrop with two obvious crack lines and takes the left one when looking at the face. This was done as a quick interlude from doing the walking the plank and the next route and turns out to be a little punchy number! P1 19 22m Trad Starts far right end of main face or just below the decent access route from top, follows the obvious left crack on that Buttress out crop. Gain crack move slighly right over crazed brick looking face high reach then climb into flake corner then move right up around flake crux then follow crack ledge flakes to top.

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