Pukekaikiore Lower Tier Right

Type

Altitude

1300m

Part of

Of the two tiers of cliff, the lower is much the friendlier, with clean slabs and appealing cracklines beckoning amidst the vegetation.
To descend, scramble down vegetated banks at either end of the cliff. Choose the end closest to where your climb tops out, but be wary of getting bluffed. There is a better track at the west end of the cliff, at the downstream end of the valley. An abseil descent is possible from the top of Ta-Lo, which will take you back to the track.
Climbs are described from left to right.

Aspect

North

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Routes

Reference	Title	Grade	Length	Pro	Quality
1	190 Degrees In My Shades, 21	21	30m		1.02
P1 21 30m Trad An excellent climb up a system of clean cracks followed by a small groove. Start on the left of the big corner and climb past two pegs (be very wary of these) as you move right on good holds across the bulging wall to a ledge. To reach the next ledge climb the crack on the left (crux), then finish up a layback/jam crack.
2	2Big Greenie, 15	15	40m		0
P1 15 40m Trad Surprisingly good if you ever find it dry, apparently. Begin at the bottom of the dark – and normally damp – indentation at the left end of this wall. Climb a short chimney on the left, then either move right into the main corner system or, alternatively, up parallel cracks in the face to the right, and then back left into the main corner. Take the corner easily to a small ledge and climb the prominent hand crack. Finish up steep bulges to reach easier ground.
3	3Gossamer Groove, 17	17	40m		0
P1 17 40m Trad A few metres right of Big Greenie is a phallic spike of rock. Protection is hard to arrange on initial broken ground to the base of a prominent groove. Continue up the groove to a ledge, and escape the ledge either up the thin wall to the left, or by moving right into the easier but vegetated groove.
4	4Vege Groove, 15	15	40m		0
Best climbed as two pitches. P1 15 20m Trad Climb groove systems, heading for the vegetated groove right of Gossamer Groove. Climb this groove to a spike, then traverse a few metres right to a ledge. P2 14 20m Trad Finish up the slab above, or alternatively take the top of Jemmett’s Jam Crack at grade 17.
5	5Jemmetts Jam Crack, 17	17	40m		1.02
P1 17 40m Trad A remarkably straight line, with a nice jam crack at half height. Start directly below prominent flakes that stick out like the bread of a sandwich. Climb the wall into a groove and up to the crack separating the flakes. Climb this crack and the wall above, past an antique leeper piton, exiting right onto a ledge at the top.
6	6Grease Trap, 14	14	55m		0
P1 14 30m Trad Although it is described here as a variation on the next, more direct line, this was probably the original route on the cliff, climbed as early as 1965. Climb up and right to join Vee Grovel And Groovey below its first belay. P2 14 25m Trad Continue up Vee Grovel And Groovey.
7	7Vee Groove, 16	16	40m		0
P1 16 40m Trad Start as for Jemmett’s Jam Crack until the V-groove is reached. Climb this (crux), exiting right at the top on good holds. Delicate moves up a slab lead to easier ground.
8	8Vee Grovel And Groovey, 16	16	55m		0
P1 16 30m Trad Start a few metres left of the lowest point of the crag, at a sort of broken rib. Climb the wall immediately left of this rib, over thin ground to reach easier going up broken grooves. Belay on a ledge directly beneath a small roof. P2 14 25m Trad Climb straight up from the ledge and left under the overhang on to a rib. Climb up into a V-chimney and out from it to the right. A short wall is surmounted to reach easier ground and the top.
9	9Cirrus Minor, 17	17	50m		1.02
P1 17 40m Trad Climb to the large vegetated groove, which leads left past the overhang and up to the crux slab move on to a vegetated belay ledge. P2 10 10m Trad Scramble easily on up right of the belay to the top of the cliff.
10	10Pow R Toc H, 21	21	50m		1.02
Once something of a test piece. The short sequence of technical hand-jamming takes the prime position through the roof. P1 13 20m Trad Start up Cirrus Minor, and climb awkward sloping formations to reach a bush below the crack in the roof. Protection is tricky to find. P2 21 30m Trad The crack through the overhang (crux) and groove above. Climb past two bulges of vegetation, turning the last on the right.
11	11The Tempest, 20	20	50m	5	2.01
P1 20 50m 5 Trad Fine moves on clean solid rock. Start up Cirrus Minor and move right to the arête. Use the crack (small CDs), then climb the arête itself past five bolts with hangers.
12	12Powderfingers, 22	22			0
P1 22 Trad About 30m further right from the last climb is a black wall with two cracks in it. This is the finger crack.
13	13Marginal Pro, 23	23			0
P1 23 Trad An eliminate using only the thinner crack, avoiding holds on Grantchester Meadows. A pre-placed peg was employed for protection but it’s not there any more.
14	14Grantchester Meadows, 16	16	40m		0
P1 16 40m Trad Start below the black wall in a small recess in the bottom buttress. Choose the easiest way possible up the buttress, veering right on the more vegetated ground. Traverse left at the second major piece of rock, then straight up to the top.

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