Northern Bluffs

These are the cliffs across the valley from the car park. Much potentual for good rock climbs, but some of the lava layers are shattered.

Altitude:

1700m

Type:

Wall

Aspect:

South East

Walk time:

20 min

Reference

Title

Grade

Length

Quality

Bolts

Gone

Natural pro

Link to edit content

South Buttress

40m

Start to right of buttress, moving left onto the buttress & follow up, generally just left of the crest. The rock is a lot more solid than it looks, but there may be the occasional loose block. Belay at point where turns to talus. Exit by scrambling up for a while then descending the gut to the west.

Don French, Jozef Crosland, 5 January 2015

Tic Tac Toe

16,17,19

130m

⁶

A natural line of weakness connects the dots on this distinctive face to create an absorbing climb with three contrasting pitches of increasing difficulty. The route starts just right of the lowest point of the toe of the buttress at the right hand end of the buttress. Initially it follows a leftward-trending line up the centre of the obvious clean curving slab (easily identified from Tukino lodges) before breaking back rightwards where steep moves lead up the line of weakness through the overlap and onto the upper wall. It then continues directly up to finish the difficulties with a punchy short crack before easy ground leads up over another little bluff to belay at an obvious large boulder. Descent: Either walk off or rap from slings on a large boulder above the winter line of bowel wobbler (green line on image, 50m). Note there is loose rock on this rap line - take care when rapping and pulling ropes!

#	Ewbank	Length	Trad
1	16	45m	Yes
	Pitch-1: Follow a rising traverse line leftwards up the centre of the curving slab just below the overlaps until the slab begins to steepen and a short vertical crack is reached. Follow the crack for a few moves until breaking out left again on small flakes and move up past a shaky block to a good belay on ledges near the left arete under overhangs.
2	17	40m	Yes
	Pitch 2: From the belay, traverse back right and then up into the obvious line of weakness to gain the upper wall. Make committing moves through the over-hanging flakes (crux) and then continue up to a left-facing dihedral corner (2nd crux). After this climb directly up easier ground to a ledge indicated by a overhanging finger of rock. Note: Don't sling or touch this as it has a very loose look to it! Belay at base of top head wall.
3	19	45m	Yes
	Pitch 3: Climb strenuously up the short steep crack directly above the belay. The crux is moving up past the overhanging bulge, thin on the feet. There is good gear in the crack but tiring to place. Continue on up over easy terrain to another outcrop. Follow the easy line on up to an obvious large boulder to belay.

Sandy Britain, Richard Knott, Frances Watling, 6 February 2018

UUID:

ac5a128f-df7b-4250-94c2-b1dcf08eb157

(2 routes)