2. NZ
  3. North Island
  4. Taupo
  5. Kawakawa Bay
  6. Lower Bluff

Lower Bluff

(24 routes)

“The Bluff” is the set of cliffs that can be seen from the beach. The Upper Bluff, Predator and the climbs around Aliens are shaded from noon.

Altitude: 
500m
Type: 
Wall
Aspect: 
East
Access: 

Follow the track past the long drop toilet for 2 minutes until you reach a rock cairn at the top of a small rise. From here walk uphill to an overgrown slab and head left to Jug Addiction, or right to Predator and Aliens.

Reference Title Grade Length Quality Bolts Gone Natural pro Link to edit content
1 Bi’lingual 17 20m
0
 4bolts wire representing trad
Climb the crack left of Jug Addiction. Move back right and join Jug Addiction at the 4th bolt. [Pro Trad & 4 bolts]
Erick Johnnson 5-11-06
2 Jug Addiction 16 20m
1.02
 8bolts
To get to the next routes go left instead of right at the overgrown slab. Follow the rock around until you reach a clean looking slab. This route climbs the left side of this slab. Start in the corner up to the left and ascend the face just right of the edge to a DBC belay. [Pro 8 bolts]
Heather Brockway 29-7-06
3 Unknown 19 20m
0
 7bolts
Immediately right of Jug Addiction
4 Pimple 17 18m
1.02
 6bolts
Arete in the gully right of Jug Addiction, start in the cool scoop on the right.
Gerard Tarr, November 2015
A Kykkeliky 17 25m
1.02
 wire representing trad
(pronounced KOO-ke-lee-KOO) Bilingual's trad finish. Flaring chimney to hand crack to chimney with a steep lay back exit a nice little adventure. Walk off via The Upper Bluff track.
Gerard Tarr, Mia Kvale Lovmo Apr 2012
Iboga 17 30m
0
 1bolts wire representing trad
Start as for The Medicine but go left at the big flake. Belay off tree roots. [Pro 1 bolt + Trad]
Ryan Von Haesley, Matt Thom 25-11-06
The Medicine 18 45m
1.02
 1bolts wire representing trad
Start up Don’t Hurt My Kowhai, move right around the corner before the bolted Arete. From here gain the big gigantic diagonal under-clink flake, then climb this to the right finishing as for Ayahusca. This climb may need to be broken into two pitch’s to avoid rope drag. [Pro 1 bolt + Trad]
Ryan Von Haesley (solo) 26-11-06
8 Peach Teats 15 15m
0
 wire representing trad
Start 10m right from Jug Addiction. Climb up pockets and then slightly left of the large flax bush to a small ledge. Slabby finish at the large tree. Sling tree for abseil. (small to medium)
Matt Wootton (solo). 1-04-12
Don’t Hurt My Kowhai 18 , 55m
1.02
 9bolts wire representing trad
Back down to Predator then head up and left for 5 metres. Climb the featured start past 1 bolt to a crack. Follow the crack to a ledge then climb the obvious arete past 6 more bolts stepping right at the belay. [Pro: small CDs.
#EwbankAlpine (Technical)Alpine (Commitment)Alpine (Mt Cook)AidWater IceMixedBoulder (Hueco)LengthBoltsTrad
11855m7Yes
 

Back down to Predator then head up and left for 5 metres. Climb the featured start past 1 bolt to a crack. Follow the crack to a ledge
then climb the obvious arete past 6 more bolts stepping right at the belay. [Pro:
small CDs.

20m2Yes
 

Climb up and left to a bolt then head up to the big corner with a roof. The line
goes up the corner then traverse right through the roof past 1 bolt to the TBC
belay [Pro: CDs, W , 2 bolts]
Steven McInally, Stephen King 30-7-06
Ayahuasca 18 , 45m
1.02
 wire representing trad
On the wall opposite aliens, Start in the corner and follow the crack up the slab to you get to the under-cling roof. Trad Belay.
#EwbankAlpine (Technical)Alpine (Commitment)Alpine (Mt Cook)AidWater IceMixedBoulder (Hueco)LengthBoltsTrad
11845mYes
 

On the wall opposite aliens, Start in the corner and follow the crack up
the slab to you get to the under-cling roof. Trad Belay.
20mNo
 

Follow the crack right then climb the thin crack to the top. belay off
tree.
Ryan Von Haesley, Carsten Rabe 24-11-06
Pointy Bit 15 6m
0
 2bolts
There is a short bolted line up the pinnacle. A nice view from the top. [Pro 2 bolts]
Stephen King 23-10-04
7 Aliens 21 20m
1.02
 9bolts
If you scramble up to the left of the buttress you’ll arrive underneath a huge featured overhang. Crumbs. Takes a line up through the overhangs. Traverse right to the first bolt and then again after the last bolt. DBC belay. The steepest climb at Kawakawa. [Pro 9 bolts]
Stephen King 30-7-05
6 Predator 22 12m
1.02
 5bolts
The line of bolts up the middle of the buttress. Steep and sustained. Go right after the 1st bolt. Finishes on top of the pinnacle. [Pro 5 bolts].
Stephen King 6-11-04
C The Devil Has a Window Into Paradise 13 ,18 35m
2.01
 wire representing trad
After Peach Teats if you use the knotted rope to scramble up to the left of the buttress, you’ll arrive underneath a huge, featured overhang. A spiritual journey.
#EwbankAlpine (Technical)Alpine (Commitment)Alpine (Mt Cook)AidWater IceMixedBoulder (Hueco)LengthBoltsTrad
11335mYes
 

Excellent chimney with hand crack starting high up in the gully left of Jugzilla, on the
right hand wall. Traverse to the right out of the chimney around the corner and on to the
Jugzilla belay ledge. Build a trad anchor three meters left of the Jugzilla bolted anchors.
(Double up on size 3)
2180mYes
 

meter up to follow a seam diagonally right for five meters, then mantle a spike
and head up through some cool featured rock. Great moves, exposed, but well protected.
Pitch 1, Nik Martinelli, Gerard Tarr Mar. 2012. Pitch 2 Gerard Tarr, Isaac Tracey Apr. 2012.
Where The Wild Things Are 18
2.01
 wire representing trad
The overhanging crack in the centre at the top of the gully left of Jugzilla. The route goes up a ramp then traverse the right facing wall until you are standing on the top of a pedestal. Take a deep breath then head up the right trending overhanging crack until you reach the top of the first pitch of The Devil Has a Window Into Paradise.
Owen Lee,
D Jugzilla 17 ,21 42m
1.02
 13bolts
Lots of jugs as the name suggests. Follow the line of ring bolts on an obvious arête left of the original Aliens start. The last pitch shares the last pitch of Aliens Resurrection.
#EwbankAlpine (Technical)Alpine (Commitment)Alpine (Mt Cook)AidWater IceMixedBoulder (Hueco)LengthBoltsTrad
11742m10No
 

Follow the line of bolts on the arête to the left of Aliens to a D.B.C.
2210m3No
 

Climb up and right (crux) before moving back left finish at a D.B.C
Dan Head, Gerard Tarr. Feb 2012.
E Aliens Resurrection 17 ,21 ,21 60m
2.01
 22bolts
Starts ten meters below and right of Predator. A great sustained three pitch climb.
#EwbankAlpine (Technical)Alpine (Commitment)Alpine (Mt Cook)AidWater IceMixedBoulder (Hueco)LengthBoltsTrad
11760m7No
 

Follow the left hand line of bolts up and left towards the start of the original Aliens pitch
to a D.B.C.
2210m8No
 

This is the original Aliens pitch from third bolt on-wards.
3210m7No
 

A bolt on the arête leads to the finish of Jugzilla. Clip the anchor with a draw and finish
up the head wall to a D.B.C.
Dan Head, Jess Dobson, Myke Bakker. June 2012.
F Foo Fighter 27 25m
1.02
 12bolts
Follow the first pitch of Aliens Resurrection until it splits off left. Continue straight up the overhanging arête on some wild holds till you gain the slab. Continue about eight meters further up to a D.B.C.
Dan Head Jan 2013
G Brunettes not Fighter Jets 21 ,23 35m
2.01
 15bolts
Starts ten meters right of Predator.
#EwbankAlpine (Technical)Alpine (Commitment)Alpine (Mt Cook)AidWater IceMixedBoulder (Hueco)LengthBoltsTrad
12115m6No
 

Follow the right hand line of bolts up (climbing right of the bolts) to the colourful featured
wall.
22320m9No
 

Follow the dark streak on the left, moving slightly right after the fourth bolt (crux) then
back left after the fifth bolt. The most technically challenging of the three 23s’ here.
Pitch 1, Dan Head, Emily Harding, Tom Adams, Pudding. Pitch 2, Dan Head, Pudding. 25/02/2012
H Redheads not Warheads 23 15m
1.02
 6bolts
Climb the first pitch of Brunettes to a semi-hanging belay. Follow the red streak in the middle of the wall. Head left for the first two bolts then traverse back right and up. Bouldery crux between second and third bolts leading to sweet moves through the small roof.
Dan Head, Emily Harding 25/02/2012
I Blonds not Bombs 23 15m
1.02
 6bolts
First pitch as for Brunettes and Redheads. The easiest out of the three routes but requires stamina. Follow the white streak on the right for the first two bolts then head left around the corner and up through the overhanging features onto the arête. Move left after the fifth bolt to join the top of Redheads.
Dan Head, Emily Harding 25/02/2012
J ThunderGod 21 ,14 ,18 52m
2.01
 wire representing trad
A great three pitch trad line. Maybe 2.5 stars, each pitch is so unique. It starts via the access rope, between Brunettes not Fighter Jets and Elephant Hunting, For those that don’t climb solid trad 21 you can abseil into the brilliant grade 14 pitch via the top of the first pitches of T.D.H.A.W.I.P (13) or Jugzilla (17).
#EwbankAlpine (Technical)Alpine (Commitment)Alpine (Mt Cook)AidWater IceMixedBoulder (Hueco)LengthBoltsTrad
12152mYes
 

Follow an overlap up five meters onto a slab. Step left. From here a crack cuts through
the slightly steep rock above, between an arête on the left and a pink wall on the right.
Cool moves, good gear and very sustained through the top half of the route (crux).
2140mYes
 

A three star 14 up the easy splitter hand crack, split from the ThunderGod of the Sky.
First climbed with a rack of full baked bean cans as part of a quasi religious ceremony.
3180mYes
 

(Also pitch 2 of The Devil Has a Window Into Paradise)
Build a trad anchor three meters left of the Jugzilla bolted anchors. Climb one meter up
to follow a seam diagonally right for five meters, then mantle a spike and head straight up
through some cool featured rock. Great moves, exposed, but well protected.
Pitch 1 & 2 Dan Head, Gerard Tarr (alt leads) Feb. 2012. Pitch 3 Gerard Tarr, Isaac Tracey Apr. 2012.
Thor's Little Brother 17 ,19 33m
0
 4bolts wire representing trad
The crack starting directly above the Thundergod belay ledge - follow it up and through some pockets to undercling the the right-trending crack heading up towards Captain Caveman. Follow it to the ledge in the cave. DBB
#EwbankAlpine (Technical)Alpine (Commitment)Alpine (Mt Cook)AidWater IceMixedBoulder (Hueco)LengthBoltsTrad
11718mYes
 

The crack starting directly above the Thundergod belay ledge - follow it up and through some pockets to undercling the the right-trending crack heading up towards Captain Caveman. Follow it to the ledge in the cave. DBB
21915m4Yes
 

Extend the anchor to belay outside the cave. Climb up a slabby corner and follow the obvious crack until you link up with the bolted climb.
Owen Lee,
K Captain Caveman 17,16,20 60m
2.01
 25bolts 1
One of the most popular routes at Kawakawa Bay. First climbed as ground-up, run-out trad, all three pitches are now fully bolted and well protected. Pitch 3 is still optionally excellent on gear.
#EwbankAlpine (Technical)Alpine (Commitment)Alpine (Mt Cook)AidWater IceMixedBoulder (Hueco)LengthBoltsTrad
11730m7No
 

Start below the big cave and climb mostly straight up slabs to an anchor on the right edge (climber’s view) of the cave.

21612m8No
 

Traverse the cave to the opposite corner. Climb up and exit out the person-sized hole at the top of the cave.

32018m10No
 

Up the crack line to a ledge, then head out left to overhanging fun at the crux. (Alternately, from the ledge, exit right as for Cave Boy at grade 16.)

Dan Head, Rob Addis, January 2012
UUID: 
986f5383-78ac-4e6f-8893-23208f47b642