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  4. Wellington
  5. Titahi Bay
  6. Lava Torri Wall

Lava Torri Wall

(21 routes)

The great orange-coloured wall south of the Pinnacle is still a quite intimidating venue. There are several good easy to moderate routes here, and if dodgy runners don't appeal top-ropes can be set up by scrambling around the scree slopes south of the Second Ugly Sister. A few bolts protect the traverse above the main wall. Be careful between late November and March, as these slopes are a major nesting site for black-backed gulls.

Type: 
Wall
Aspect: 
North West
Reference Title Grade Length Quality Bolts Gone Natural pro Link to edit content
1 Dolly Varden 14 30m
0
 wire representing trad
Loose but interesting. Below and right of the big roof. Climb the wall beneath the overhangs to just below some loose rock, then traverse right to a double bolt belay.
2 Cistern 15 20m
0
 wire representing trad
The left-hand arête of the main wall. Climb the ramps and face to the double bolt belay. The route originally continued up the loose chimney.
3 Transmission 19 19m
0
 wire representing trad
The diagonal crack and groove. A little loose in places. Double bolt belay (as for Cistern).
4 Transition 17 19m
0
 wire representing trad
The main groove in the middle of the wall. Start beside the cave and climb the groove to the double bolt belay.
5 Strait Flush 20 22m
1.02
 5bolts
A worthwhile alternative start to Flash In The Pan. Start just right of Transition beneath the wide, right to left slanting break. Pull up into the break, good large cams if needed, and climb direct up the crinkly wall clipping 2BRs. Move left to a third BR and then onto the ledge system that FITP traverses. Finish direct as for FITP past two more BRs.
Clark Alston, Neil Parker Feb.2015
6 Flash In The Pan 19 22m
1.02
 5bolts 2
The previously top-roped wall between Transition and Dysentery Groove is now an enjoyable sport route. Start at the niche a few metres left of DG and follow the diagonal line to finish up the pillar between the top of Transition and DG. Double bolt belay as for DG.The runout section between the 3rd and 4th bolts is where the easy part of the High Street girdle traverse crosses and there is natural gear available if required. At the ledge above the third bolt you can place large cams in Dysentery Groove (extend with very long slings) and/or a large nut or small cam 2m below the fourth bolt.
Clark Alston (roped solo) July 2014
7 Dysentery Groove 17 25m
2.01
 wire representing trad
The long groove on the very right of the main wall. Climb to the ledge at half height then up a small slab to the top corner (crux) and good gear. Then up to a double bolt belay. The gear in the lower half of the route is fiddly and not as good as it may look. A classic of its time
Graeme Dingle, c1970
8 Lavarette 16 25m
0
 2bolts wire representing trad
Start up Dysentery Groove, then climb straight up to the top of High Street’s first slab and follow the crack left. At the loose blocks, move up and on to the arete. Up this past two bolts to a double bolt belay.
Alan Silva (roped solo), December 1995
8 First Ugly Sister 12 20m
2.01
 wire representing trad
A superb outing! This is the large slab above and right of Dysentery Groove the runs to the top of the cliff. Start either up the small slab to the left, then back along small ledges to the main slab, or climb a small steep corner in to the bottom of the slab. Good protection, double bolt belay.
9 Lifestyle Bloc 18 18m
0
 wire representing trad
Start up the First Ugly Sister. Go past the start of The Gibbet to a slight groove. Using good edges, step across the groove and climb the beautiful orange wall past a loose block. Trend left at the top. Feel free to bolt this route.
Dave Orsman (top rope), 2008
9 The Gibbet 18 A3 18m
1.02
 wire representing trad
From a small cave a third of the way up the First Ugly Sister, climb the thin crack to a groove and rivets. Hook left and up to a small roof, passing this on the right, then up to a ledge and crack. Belay over the lip at a double bolt belay. Gear needed includes pins, hooks, wires, cams, RP hangers and a few copperheads. The rivets were placed to hold body weight only; on a repeat ascent Jon Rosemergy straightened a fifi hook and hit the deck from 20 metres up – and survived!
Jon Rosemergy (roped solo), mid 1990s
10 Screaming Savage Blood Death 18 A2 15m
0
 wire representing trad
Start up Cinderella but quickly move left into a diagonal seam. Up this (rather loose) to a fixed copperhead and then some free moves to the belay. Small pins, hooks, copperheads and sawn-off angles were found to be useful on the first ascent.
Jon Rosemergy (roped solo), mid 1990s
11 Cinderella 20 15m
1.02
 1bolts wire representing trad
This gem of a climb follows a thin seam. A few small wires tolerably protect the wall to a ring-bolt at half height. Hang on to place wires and/or small cams on the steepening wall above.
Graeme Dingle (aided at around A2), c1970; Robin Cooper (FFA), c1980
12 Some Kind of Fat-sucking Vampire 22 15m
0
 2bolts wire representing trad
Good holds lead to a bolt, then head up and right to a crack (small cams). Now pause to think about what to do next: the second bolt is a reachy clip from unobvious holds, followed by a technical and pumpy finish.
Jon Rosemergy, mid-1990s
13 The Prow 19 15m
0
 1bolts wire representing trad 1
Climb the crack on the prow of the buttress, protectable with good wires, to a bolt. A reachy crux follows, then trend right on to the slab and up to the belay. (Has been aided at A2.)
Jon Rosemergy, Grant Singleton, mid-1990s
14 Burnt by the Sun 14 16m
0
 wire representing trad
Climb blocky ground to finish up the Second Ugly Sister slab.
Dave Orsman (solo)
15 Second Ugly Sister 11 ,13 45m
1.02
 wire representing trad
Scamper up the slab to a double bolt belay.
#EwbankAlpine (Technical)Alpine (Commitment)Alpine (Mt Cook)AidWater IceMixedBoulder (Hueco)LengthBoltsTrad
11118mYes
 

Scamper up the slab to a double bolt belay.
21327mYes
 

Climb the crack to the top of the wall and another double bolt belay.
High Street 19 , A0, , 90m
1.02
 wire representing trad
This route traverses the whole wall at about mid height.
#EwbankAlpine (Technical)Alpine (Commitment)Alpine (Mt Cook)AidWater IceMixedBoulder (Hueco)LengthBoltsTrad
11935mYes
 

Start at the small slab just right of Dysentery Groove. Climb this for 5–6 metres, then step around into Dysentery Groove. Climb this past an old peg, then traverse left across a narrow ledge and climb the top half of Transition to the belay.
2A09mYes
 

Abseil straight down the wall to where it is possible to make a belay.
315mYes
 

Climb slightly ascending line, traversing across the wall to just above the crux of Cistern. Step around the arete, then down a little to a belay stance.
431mYes
 

Cross the wall until you have passed Dolly Varden. Climb a metre, then traverse left again under the big roof and down a corner. Now you deserve a beer!
Low Street V2
1.02
This will test your stamina. The low traverse of the whole wall is usually done left to right. The crux comes after Transition, as you climb over the top of the cave and along some small flakes.
Baby Shag Rock VM
1.02
Shag Rock is the large pinnacle between Lava Torri Wall and the sea. Baby Shag Rock is the triangular rock below Shag Rock and opposite the First Ugly Sister. A popular, moderate and polished boulder problem.
Arch Anemone 21 15m
1.02
 2bolts wire representing trad
Climbs the seaward leg of the natural arch approximately 25m right of the Lava Torri wall. Lowish tide and morning sun desirable. From the boulder choke follow the obvious crackline up and rightwards to the arete-good natural gear. Up to the sloping ledge BR. Clip the second BR, then steep moves lead to the top(2BB).
Clark Alston, Marcus Manning 25.01.14
UUID: 
103c32be-ced0-4d0a-9b2b-c3340aa8492a