Place info
Bobs Bluff
(5 routes)
This is the most distant of all the crags in this guide from any of the road ends.
Ice Climbing.
The Nose, a magnificent crag in winter garb, wouldn’t be out of place in the Cairngorms! As you approach from the Rangitoto Flat the 1km long Bobs Bluff faces you. The right end of this wall is marked by a broad funnel-shaped couloir, just left of that is a narrow gully, the line of Jalapeno. The left skyline gives the line of approach up the lower icefalls. The adventure potential elsewhere is obvious!
- 1900m
Altitude
This is the most distant of all the crags in this guide from any of the road ends.
Ice Climbing.
The Nose, a magnificent crag in winter garb, wouldn’t be out of place in the Cairngorms! As you approach from the Rangitoto Flat the 1km long Bobs Bluff faces you. The right end of this wall is marked by a broad funnel-shaped couloir, just left of that is a narrow gully, the line of Jalapeno. The left skyline gives the line of approach up the lower icefalls. The adventure potential elsewhere is obvious!
It is as accessed from any of the three road ends. To get to this crag climb to the top of Fanthams Peak, the subsidiary peak of Egmont on the south side. Looking to the west, the very large east face of Bobs Bluff can be seen. Move across to the upper end of the face over easy scoria slopes. It is not recommended to traverse the slopes when snow is covering them, unless suitably equipped and experienced.
Looking at Bobs Bluff from the east side the Nose Route almost follows the left (south) end skyline for most of its height. Looking along the wall to the right, just over half way along, a conical gully is visible in the top of the wall. Vagabond finishes in this gully.
Descent is by climbing upwards along the spine of the bluff, and descending scoria slopes.
| Reference | Name | Grade | Quality | Length | Comments | Actions | |||||
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15
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55m
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Climb lower buttress (variety of routes possible) for full rope length belaying near the bottom of the obvious upper corner. Then either traverse left round the nose and move to top on slabs (original route) or finish direct via the upper corner moving over a chockstone (15).
M Andrews, P Boomen, 1976. Direct finish: Andy Harris, Stuart Skene, 1981 |
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16 ,
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58m
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Stuart Skene, Andy Harris, 18/03/81. |
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WI1
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| A straightforward, steep snow climb makes for a convenient descent after a route. | |||||||||||
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WI5
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So called since it’s a spicy little number and was done with ‘The Mexican’ on the first ascent. The first (contrived) pitch ascends steep snow and easy ice to a poor rock belay at the start of the steep section. The gully is then followed over three successively easier steps to the top. May become much easier after very heavy snow.
Iain Young, T Viets and Alec Heilbron, July 1996. |
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WI4
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This is a winter ascent of the summer route. A first pitch with a steep start was manufactured to steep icefalls on the lower bands, then two pitches lead up the crest and via a magnificent finishing groove to the top of the bluff. Good ice for climbing, but an appalling belay and stance at mid-height made for a psychologically demanding first ascent.
Iain Young, Greg Banks and S Miller, Aug. 1995. |
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