2. NZ
  3. North Island
  4. Tongariro
  5. Mt Ruapehu
  6. Nga Tohu Pinnacle Ridge
  7. Numb Buttress

Numb Buttress

(10 routes)

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.

Type: 
Face (Alpine)
Altitude: 
2150m
Aspect: 
South West
Walk time: 
30-60 min
New Zealand map

Map, Topo

Lat/Lon: 
-39.252527670000, 175.569462780000
NZMS260: 
T20 318 137
Topo50: 
BJ34 217 521
@@@@@@
Reference Title Grade Length Quality Bolts Gone Natural pro Link to edit content
Wish You Were Here 150m
0
Mostly rock climbing on the north edge of the lower buttress.
Mike Peat, Chris Hoare, March 1992
Easy Street I 1 WI2 150m
0
Alpine grade 1 is misleading in icy conditions. Fully iced, it can be WI2 with some trickier sections.
Mike Peat, Peter Barnes, Darryl Steel, July 1991
Quirke of Fate 150m
0
An alternate start to the gully, up the buttress just to the right.
Mike Peat, Matt Quirke, June 1992
Hoare Frost 150m
0
A vague gully, then up the right edge of the buttress.
Mike Peat, Chris Hoare, March 1992
Crazy Diamond Couloir 140m
0
Tackles a vague rib.
Mike Peat, Kristen Foley, June 1991
Comfortably Numb 120m
1.02
The couloir on the left side of the main face. Climb up to join the ridge.
Matt Quirke, Mike Peat, June 1992
Hokey Pokey I 3 120m
1.02
An excellent route, taking the obvious curving line up and across the face.
Mike Peat, Peter Barnes, Darryl Steel, July 1991
Learning to Fly 100m
0
A direct and committing line.
#EwbankAlpine (Technical)Alpine (Commitment)Alpine (Mt Cook)AidWater IceMixedBoulder (Hueco)LengthBoltsTrad
12I50mNo
 

Climb the first pitch of Hokey Pokey.
24II50mNo
 

Some steep, hard climbing is followed by a long run out to the top.
Mike Peat, Matt Quirke, June 1992
Delicate Sound of Thunder 120m
1.02
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.
Mike Peat, Kristen Foley, June 1991
A Momentary Lapse of Reason ,II 4 14, 120m
1.02
Good climbing on the arête, with a tricky crux. Can be climbed in summer as a rock route.
#EwbankAlpine (Technical)Alpine (Commitment)Alpine (Mt Cook)AidWater IceMixedBoulder (Hueco)LengthBoltsTrad
140mNo
 

Climb the arête to belay below the first steep section.
2144II40mNo
 

The next moves, heading up and right onto very compact rock, are the crux.
340mNo
 

The final pitch is a scramble to the top.
Mike Peat, Darryl Steel, Peter Barnes, July 1991

This place appears in

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