Mangorewa Gorge

Type

Part of

Mangorewa Gorge is currently closed to climbing. See www.acat.org.nz for updates.
Mangorewa Gorge is a beautiful place to climb, with relatively long routes for ignimbrite, which is of relatively good quality here. The climbs are well protected with glued in stainless steel bolts.These are new climbs done since the publication of the Rock Delux North guidebook (NZAC 2015), and are referenced to the climb numbers in that guide, and those original climbs are not included here. It catches the sun but often wet in winter.

Walktime

20 mins

Aspect

North

Lat/lon

-37.95831,176.1744813, NZ Topo Map

Topo50

Ngongataha

Approach

See Rock Delux North Guide. Access from SH36 road, between Tauranga and Rotorua. Park at the bottom of the Mangorewa Gorge Scenic Reserve area at the carpark or other pull outs. Walk towards Tauranga, to just before a bridge crossing a subsidiary stream. Between two 35 speed signs walk down the right side of the stream on a defined track through scrub towards the river. At the river level cross this stream and walk down the river for 20 mins or 1.5km. Be careful of slippery rock, and only if it has been fairly dry (not usually good access in winter). The crags are obvious at river level on the right. Preferably a Track has now added through the bush so you can avoid the river walk. Cross the river above the stream and onto a rock ledge. Currently from the down stream end of the ledge wooden stairs lead to a Track marked with tape all the way to the Bush Wall. About two thirds of the way to Bush Wall the track reaches just below the left end of the Wonder Wall (by Appetite for Destruction). Follow the wall to the right to access the Wall of Cheese.

Add Place Add Route

Routes

Reference	Title	Grade	Length	Pro	Quality
River Wall Left Hand End	River Wall Left Hand EndBeers & Occasional Climbing Club, 21	21	20m	9	1.02
Left of Springbok Sushi. Start in the right facing corner, follow the line of bolts through the heavily featured face to a ledge. Turn the bulge on the left then finish. P1 21 20m 9
Minus 1	Minus 1Springbok Sushi, 19	19			0
P1 19 Left of Wingsuit is a line of bolts to a lower off.
6a	6aToo Good Foot, 18	18	20m	8	0
P1 18 20m 8 Line of bolts right of top pitch of Chuffa Chuffa, off the access chain. Climb the wall and bulge.
6b	6bLa Petit Feet, 18	18	20m	8	0
P1 18 20m 8 Next right line of bolts. Start up a groove and then a series of bulges, to lower off.
6c	6c Fluffy Pink Unicorn, 18	18	28m	12	0
P1 18 28m 12 the line of bolts left of Potomania. A hard start up a bulge to crack line, or move across from Potomania. Climb up into the left facing corner and over a bulge on the right to finish. Lower off.
9a	9aDadda got Stuck, 22	22	28m	9	0
P1 22 28m 9 Left of the Chickenator. Start above the chain and climb though easy ground to the roof. Look for bolt over the roof to the left. Climb up towards the overhanging prow (crux) finish right at the shared anchor as the Chickenator extension. You can clip the Chickenator anchor and avoid the top moves for a grade 20, but you will miss the fun...
15a	15aDouble Happy, 17	17	25m	10	0
P1 17 25m 10 Starts 2m round the corner to the right of Breezeblock. Climb the lower wall into the cave feature and up the right side of a sharp ridge to the overhang. Climb leftwards through this along the handrail, then up to anchor.
15b	15bGunpowder, Treason and Plot, 17	17	27m	13	0
P1 17 27m 13 About six meters right of Breeze Block, accessed by following a track from the terrace and right through the bush (looking in) to a cleaned and bolted groove line. Climb the groove (faces right), moving left to another groove and onto a balanced block. Climb the slabby wall then follow the featured rock up the right edge of the cave and then up to steeper ground to the chains. To improve rope drag on this route extend the ninth bolts with a 60cm sling, and 30cm on the seventh.
15c	15cAt The Going Down of the Sun, 18	18	28m	11	0
P1 18 28m 11 Start up the face a couple of metres right of GTP, and up the scooped groove and over the bulge to a slab and ledge. Then climb the featured rock rightwards, and then back left through featureless bulges (crux), to the chains. The first ascentionists exited with a head torch up the river on Remembrance Day. Original start shared with GTP.
16a	16aThe Understanding, 17	17			0
P1 17 an access route, bolted
18a	18aThe Outstanding, 24	24	18m	10	0
P1 24 18m 10 A bolted line right of Sexual Camping, with hard moves through the initial overhangs.
18b	18bTower of Babel, 26	26	25m		0
P1 26 25m Bolted line right of Sexual Camping. Burly moves through the hanging block in the roof.
20a	20aMing King, 27	27	35m		0
P1 27 35m A direct line to Drag Queen.
Wonder Wall 1	Wonder Wall 1War Pigs, 26	26	20m	7	0
P1 26 20m 7 The left arete. Delicate start to burly middle and cunning top
Wonder Wall 2	Wonder Wall 2Appetite For Destruction, 22	22	20m	8	3
P1 22 20m 8 Brilliant line with technical start and then over bulge. Easier groove leads to brilliant climbing to the chains with sting in the tail.
Wonder Wall3	Wonder Wall3Out of the Blue, 23	23	12m	4	0
P1 23 12m 4 Start right of the prow right of AoD, to chains on ledge two thirds up. Hard project above.
Wonder Wall 4	Wonder Wall 4Rattle and Hum, 16	16	12m	4	0
P1 16 12m 4 Climb groove line right of OotB to the same belay, with move left to the rib and tricky mantle to finish
Wonder Wall 5	Wonder Wall 5Ground Control, 25	25		4	2.01
Right hand bolted line from the ground. Start standing on the small stump, Chains at mid height.
Wonder Wall 6	Wonder Wall 6Major Tom, 27	27			3
Second pitch above Rattle and Hum ledge. Clip anchor as a runner and climb to your right. Follow line of bolts up the steep face. Powerful boulder style moves on good sized holds.
Sector Sang, or Blood Buttress 1	Sector Sang, or Blood Buttress 1Blood and Chocolate, 18	18	17m	9	0
P1 18 17m 9 This area is 30m right of Wonder Wall, through the bush. Start up dirty roots for a couple of meters. Climb left to tricky reddish groove, to easier ground, then the final steepening groove to DBCB. The rock degenerates above. Climb left of first few bolts and right of the last few.
Sector Sang, or Blood Buttress 2	Sector Sang, or Blood Buttress 2Under a Blood Red Sky, 17	17	20m	9	0
P1 17 20m 9 Start as BaC, up the access rope, and up the right hand groove. Traverse left then the crux is moving back right onto the headwall, leads to DBCB. Wonderful sunset.
Wall of Cheese	Wall of CheeseDeath From Above, 17	17			0
Left hand end of The Wall of Cheese. Nice climbing up blocky terrain to mid height anchors. Crux near the top.
The Wall of Cheese, Left Hand End.	The Wall of Cheese, Left Hand End.Burnt Chops, 21	21	12m	6	2.01
Boulder start through the bulge towards a steep top section. Packs in a lot of climbing for a short climb. Finish on Double bolt and Ring. P1 21 12m 6
Wall of Cheese	Wall of CheeseChez Royale, 24	24			2.01
In the middle of the wall, snakes from right to left up the blank looking slab to a steep headwall. Great variety of moves.
Wall of Cheese	Wall of CheeseSticky Fingers, 25	25			2.01
Right of Chez Royal, easy start to a steep face full of interesting holds. Perma-draw near the top to help cleaning. Suits those with strong fingers and fresh skin.
The Wall of Cheese Right Hand End	The Wall of Cheese Right Hand EndBavarian Blue, 17	17	12m	7	0
Right hand side of the Wall of Cheese. Follow the right trending line of bolts through heavily featured face to a Ring Anchor under the roof. P1 17 12m 7
Wall of Cheese	Wall of CheeseGene Therapy, 19	19	13m	6	0
Right of Bavarian Blue, climb the right strand of the chromosome like feature in the wall, with increasing difficulty. P1 19 13m 6
Wall of Cheese	Wall of CheeseThe Laughing Cow, 19	19			0
Right of Gene Therapy, climbs up the slab to the DBB anchor under the roof. Crux at the top.

Images

Comments

This place appears in

Rock Deluxe North, 2013

Buy this guidebook

UUID

dd616a9f-c2a0-4c58-bde5-93ffff78fbcf