Southern Bluffs

(11 routes)

Place info

Southern Bluffs

(11 routes)

These cliffs, unsurprisingly, are to the south of the car park, towards the Whangaehu valley.

South East
Aspect
20-40 min
Walk in
1800m
Altitude

Map, Topo

Type:

Crag

Aspect:

South East

Altitude:

1800m

These cliffs, unsurprisingly, are to the south of the car park, towards the Whangaehu valley.

Walk time:

20-40 min

Name	Grade	Quality	Length
Chandelier	WI3	0	25m
Forms fairly regularly, although the ice can be marginal and – as the names suggests – chandeliered. Several options exist. It has a short life so get in early if it is formed.
Spoiled Bedsheets	WI2 M2	0	30m
Wide gulley right of Chandalier. Up series of rock and ice steps. Early season route before it banks out Lincoln Quilliam, Matt Wilkinson, Adam Power, 05/07/15
Central Buttress	M3	0	60m
A good mixed winter route. Two pitches on sound rock, grade 8–10. Don French, July, early 1990s
Southern		0	20m
Straightforward with a steep finish, but quite honestly not that flash.
Pilier Français		1.02	60m
Another good two-pitch mixed line, if anything better than Central Buttress. Don French, July, early 1990s
Camp 2015	16	0	20m
On a small outlier buttress to the north of the French pillars. Passed through a couple of overhangs with soem good exposure. Belay on gear. Walk off by scambling up and to the right. Don French, Jozef Crosland, Helen Chapman 5/1/2015
Barney's Boots	M4	0	35m
Mixed route straight up face a few meters right of 'Camp 2015' overhang. I think more like M3+ Adam Power, Matt Wilkinson 05/07/15
Right French Pillar	15	1.02	60m
This users the rock to the right of the "Pilier Français" arete. 1st Pitch climbing up on good holds. Good protections. The rock is fasinating. It looks loose, but you find exceptionally solid and takes gear well. Belay before it steppens. 2nd pitch. Continue to climbing directly up finally joining the arete truely. Belay just before the final section. Can belay here or finish it off. 3rd pitch. After a step, scamble to good belay Exit by traversing north and descending easier ground north of "Camp 2015" Don French, Helen Chapman 3/1/2015
Splish Splash	16	0	26m	5
Up the wide corner system 5m right of the waterfall. Starts up the flinty-looking slab, going straight up or angling in from the right. Then into the clean left facing corner for a few moves, then stepping right into the main corner system and heading straight up. 5 bolts plus a couple of trad placements - medium wires and cams handy. Take a long sling for a belay bollard a few metres back from the top. Tom Wilson, Simon Williamson, May 2015
Choss Corner	15	0	20m
About 50m right of "Splish Splash". Up the loose looking weakness. Good placements all the way and the rock is a lot better than it looks. Belay off large boulders at the top. FFA Eric Duggan 11/04/2015