Diamond Face | ClimbNZ

Type

Face

Part of

Moir's Mate

tba

Aspect

North West

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Routes

Reference	Title	Grade	Length	Pro	Quality
1	1McGregor McGregor Terpstra, 16	16	120m		0
P1 13 40m Trad First corner to right of slabs on Homer Ridge step. Follow a shallow groove just right of the ridge. Climb corner past bulge at 13m, over a small overlap and into a scoop at 30m. Layback on a small rib to the right to a second scoop just above. Belay (or continue up right to a sloping ledge below an overhang.) The crack system branches here. P2 16 40m Take the right branch and climb to sloping ledge below an overhang. Climb the overhang, then traverse left across a slab (crux, 16) to gain a spike in the lefthand crack. Climb the groove above (poorly protected for the first 25m) to a largish sloping grassy ledge. P3 16 40m Continue up the groove until faced with a blankish slab. Traverse a short distance left to beneath a small bulge. Make an awkward pull-up over the bulge (16) then continue up easy slab above trending right over a rounded rib to a groove and belay ledge/foothold. Unrope at pedestal top a few metres further up. Descend by downclimbing or abseiling Homer Ridge.
2	2Keas and Car Thieves, 18	18	130m		0
P1 17 35m Trad Start below the groove left of Strobe Light and follow an easy ramp to the bottom of the groove. Climb the groove, first left then right to belay at a patch of grass. P2 18 45m Trad Follow the easy ramp left until just before the groove on McGregor route. Go directly up the wall above, first right then left. Belay in the groove on MMT below two parallel grooves. P3 16 50m Trad Follow right groove until it ends, then directly up slab to easy ground.
3	3Strobe Light, 21	21	140m		2.01
P1 21 30m Trad The large right to left crack system on the left of the Diamond Face. Scramble 15-20m up ledges to start. Follow initial crack, then step left to a delicate traverse below corner before regaining left-tending crack. P2 20 35m Trad Move up, taking either of the two right-tending cracks. P3 17 40m Trad Continue up through obvious crack system. P4 15 35m Trad Scramble over to the slabs on the northern slopes.
4	4Rough Diamond, 21	21	117m		2.01
P1 20 30m Trad Up easy diagonal slabs to a bolt, which signals the start of the route. Gain crack system on right of bolt. Follow for 20m before moving right five metres to hidden anchors. P2 16 15m Trad Moves up past four bolts and rap anchors to belay out left. P3 21 25m Trad After second bolt go right to a layaway flake, up then back left to clip third bolt. P4 19 12m Trad Follow crack through overlap then head straight up and left. Avoid belaying on rap bolt, but move higher onto broken ledges. P5 21 35m Trad Follow line up slabby rib, moving right after fifth bolt.
5	5Uncut Gem, 21	21	0m		0
P1 21 Trad A variation of Rough Diamond, joining it at the third pitch. Climb initial RD crack for 20m but then continue up instead of stepping right. P2 19 Trad Follow grooves and corners before trending right rejoining Rough Diamond.
6	6Garden Trowel Route, 19	19	120m		3
P1 18 40m Trad The line tackles the steep overlaps on the lower right side of the Diamond Face before moving up a steep wall to the start of the Bowen Allan corner. Follow an initial left facing corner in the centre of the overlaps passing to the left of a prominent horn, moving back right along a weakness then up to a shallow groove and belay. P2 19 45m Trad Follow right-hand corner onto a steep and eerie ramp that leads to a 15m face; head for a body size groove then great fist jamming out and over the bulge. Step right for belay under roofs. P3 17 35m Trad Move up and right into V groove for 10m, then trend right on broken ground to the base of the Bowen Allan Corner.
7	7Garden Trowel Direct, 21	21	162m		3
P1 20 40m Trad The original line has been straightened out by taking a direct start to the right of the original corners and finishing up a beautiful prow on the right side of the Diamond Face. One of the cleanest and most sustained routes on the Mate. Scramble up right-tending ramp towards the right side of the overlaps. Work your way through overlaps to a steep left-tending crack, then right onto ledge and spike belay. The move into the steep left-trending corner is very committing and can be avoided by stepping round to the left. P2 21 45m Trad Move right for five metres to the base of a steep face. Climb the face to meet the second pitch of the GTR. P3 17 35m Trad Move up and right into V-groove for 15m, then trend left along a ramp, scrambling as high as possible until the last headwall is gained. P4 19 30m Trad Climb cracks splitting the centre of a prow then right to slabby country and fine crystalline climbing. P5 15 12m Trad Move up and right to small notch and ramp system leading to descent route.
8	8Brain Dynamics, 24	24	90m	4	2.01
P1 18 40m Trad A two pitch variation to the Garden Trowel Route, tackling the steep wall and overlap directly above the first pitch. Pitch one as for GTR. Belay on slab at base of Diamond Face; single bolt augments natural pro belay. Follow an initial left facing corner in the centre of the overlaps passing to the left of a prominent horn, moving back right along a weakness then up to a shallow groove and belay. P2 21 25m 1 Trad Take highest ramp on right until bridging the large corner. Clip bolt on face and move left into hand crack and up past flakes to bolt belay. P3 24 25m 4 Tackle flake directly above belay before moving up and rightwards past two bolts into corner below roof. Bridge the corner and clip the bolt overhead before moving leftwards along the line of the roof. Exit up parallel cracks to bolt belay on large block below the prow of GTD. Immaculate rock.
9	9Snake Gully, 18	18	0m		0
P1 18 Trad Three pitches. 16, 18, 16. Start on the grassy slabs to the right of the Diamond Face and follow slabs trending up and right to the base of the Bowen Allan Corner. Good climbing on pitches two and three.
10	10Bowen Allan Corner, 17	17	305m		2.01
A Darrans classic due to the combination of slabs and tussock low down, and stupendous crack and corner climbing higher on the face. P1 16 45m Trad Starting on the right-hand end of the slabs, climb the first left-facing corner system to a large spike belay (slings can usually be seen from the ground). P2 14 40m Trad Step left and up a weakness to the first grassy ledge system. Right along this for ten metres until a left-tending corner can be climbed to a belay. P3 17 30m Trad Continue up, tending left to gain a narrow horizontal ledge that leads leftwards across the face. P4 12 45m Trad Traverse easily left along ledge and belay before ledge turns into slabs. P5 16 30m Trad Traverse left across slabs (initially down before up and left) to grassy ledge and stance below groove/left facing corner. P6 16 50m Trad Up corner then left across slabs, tricky moves lead to base of Bowen Allan corner. P7 17 35m Trad Climb corner to belay under large roof. P8 17 30m Trad Climb the roof through the crack (best) or turn it via the face on the right, onto slab above and then up awkward flaring chimney. Finish up crack on right or escape out left. There are three alternative finishes to the Bowen Allan Corner, all of which take lines up the beautiful grey slab: the crack on the left, Geoff's Crack, 17; Between the Lines, 18, which takes the wall between the cracks and contains two bolts; and the Hugh Widdowson Crack, 18.

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Attribution

Craig Jefferies

UUID

cb8c1583-d00c-40d0-893f-86239fd436c6