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Numb Buttress

Type
Altitude
2150m

Also known as Pink Floyd Buttress, this west-facing outlier of First Pinnacle has mostly mixed routes of varying length and difficulty on generally good rock. Descend off the back of the gendarme to a small col, and down its south side. The first four routes start at the toe of the buttress, meeting about halfway up the ridge.

Image
Walktime
30-60 min
Aspect
South West
Lat/lon
-39.25252767,175.56946278, NZ Topo Map
Topo50
BJ34 217 521
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Routes

Reference Title Grade Length Pro Quality Alert Operations
 Wish You Were Here, I,2 I,2 150m
0

  • P1
  • Alpine (Technical) 2
  • Alpine (Commitment) I
  • 150m

Mostly rock climbing on the north edge of the lower buttress.


 Easy Street, I,1,WI2 I,1,WI2 150m
0

Alpine grade 1 is misleading in icy conditions. Fully iced, it can be WI2
with some trickier sections.


  • P1
  • Alpine (Technical) 1
  • Alpine (Commitment) I
  • Water Ice WI2
  • 150m

The central gully.


 Quirke of Fate, I,2 I,2 150m
0

  • P1
  • Alpine (Technical) 2
  • Alpine (Commitment) I
  • 150m

An alternate start to the gully, up the buttress just to the right.


 Hoare Frost, I,2 I,2 150m
0

  • P1
  • Alpine (Technical) 2
  • Alpine (Commitment) I
  • 150m

A vague gully, then up the right edge of the buttress.


 Crazy Diamond Couloir, I,2 I,2 140m
0

  • P1
  • Alpine (Technical) 2
  • Alpine (Commitment) I
  • 140m

Tackles a vague rib.


 Comfortably Numb, I,2 I,2 120m
1.02

  • P1
  • Alpine (Technical) 2
  • Alpine (Commitment) I
  • 120m

The couloir on the left side of the main face. Climb up to join the ridge.


 Hokey Pokey, I,3 I,3 120m
1.02

  • P1
  • Alpine (Technical) 3
  • Alpine (Commitment) I
  • 120m

An excellent route, taking the obvious curving line up and across the face.


 Learning to Fly, I,4 I,4 100m
0

A direct and committing line.


  • P1
  • Alpine (Technical) 2
  • Alpine (Commitment) I
  • 50m

Climb the first pitch of Hokey Pokey.


  • P2
  • Alpine (Technical) 4
  • Alpine (Commitment) II
  • 50m

Some steep, hard climbing is followed by a long run out to the top.


 Delicate Sound of Thunder, I,3 I,3 120m
1.02

  • P1
  • Alpine (Technical) 3
  • Alpine (Commitment) I
  • 120m

Climb just left of the arete, joining it a pitch from the top. Requires good ice cover – or a willingness to tackle extremely compact, run-out rock.


 A Momentary Lapse of Reason, II,4,14 II,4,14 120m
1.02

Good climbing on the arête, with a tricky crux. Can be climbed in summer as a rock route.


  • P1
  • 40m

Climb the arête to belay below the first steep section.


  • P2
  • 14
  • Alpine (Technical) 4
  • Alpine (Commitment) II
  • 40m

The next moves, heading up and right onto very compact rock, are the crux.


  • P3
  • 40m

The final pitch is a scramble to the top.


Comments
UUID
 
879141fa-383a-4ee4-ac93-6da0b57a2155