2. NZ
  3. South Island
  4. Banks Peninsula
  5. Mount Evans

Mount Evans

(123 routes)

On the west flank of Mount Evans are The Gang of Six (or seven) cliffs. This is a remote area with lots of rock, discovered by Lindsay Main and friends in the late 70s. Alan Hill rediscovered these crags in 1999, and until 2003 was prolific in putting up many trad routes .

The rock is compact columnar basalt, and the area deserves much more attention. It has the greatest number of routes of any Peninsula area, and many routes are of very good quality, and generally well-protected. The long walk is pleasant rather than strenuous, and the views spectacular.

Type: 
Crag
Altitude: 
600m
Aspect: 
West
Walk time: 
1 hour
Access: 

Depending on the particular cliff(s) being climbed on, various farmers must be phoned for permission.

Farmer contacts
For access from the Monument (Purau) Saddle as described below, phone Richard and Kathryn Watson - (03) 329 4636.
For climbing on the Main Cliff and Chopsticks, contact Richard Barnett, phone (03) 329 4690.
For climbing on the Mainline and Martyr cliffs, contact Barry Ward, phone 027 222 4800.

Drive to the saddle on the Purau-Port Levy Road (the Monument car-park), and walk along the west side of the fence. Follow the track over initial hill, then down through gate. Head across slope past isolated trees and contour through a gully above a water tank, ascending steadily while crossing the slope eastward. Eventually meet a track and climb up to the main ridge which is followed to a fenced paddock just before ridge begins to rise.

For Mao Tse-Tung, Martyr & Mainline cut down on the left and about 50m beyond the fence-line join a benched track which cannot be easily found from the ridge. Follow this along the contour, where it passes just below Mainline, and then Martyr. Climb the slope either side of Mainline to reach Mao-tse Tung. For Wok Face, Soup Bowl, Chopsticks and Horizon Cliff continue up the spur, skirting an outcrop with a scree slope on the left, then vague track through bracken to the right end of Wok Face. For the others continue northward at the same level, or go higher and drop down further along.

New Zealand map

Map, Topo

Lat/Lon: 
-43.643540340000, 172.780482320000
NZMS260: 
N36 923293
Topo50: 
BX24 823 677
@@@@@@
Attribution: 
Alan Hill

Places

Type Title Link to edit content
Wall Lower Cliffs (1 route)
Wall Horizon Cliff (7 routes)
Wall Mao Tse-Tung Buttress (20 routes)
Wall Main Cliff - The Yak Pasture (7 routes)
Wall Main Cliff - Far Right Buttress (1 route)
Wall Martyr Cliff (12 routes)
Wall Mainline Cliff (9 routes)
Wall Chopsticks Cliff- Lefthand Section (10 routes)
Wall Chopsticks Cliff- Right-hand Section (16 routes)
Wall The Soup Bowl (8 routes)
Wall The Wok Face (29 routes)
Wall Wok Face, Upper Tier (3 routes)
UUID: 
5bb9a983-1054-4b35-a7ee-85ff4f97102d

Comments

Submitted by Lindsay Main on Thu, 19/03/2020 - 21:33

See information about closure of the Mount Evans crags due to a goat-hunting programme.

Submitted by steven.fortune on Sun, 28/04/2013 - 21:06

As the photo above shows, there's been a collapse from the middle of Mao Tse Tung Butt, put still plenty of good climbing here. Climbed on Mainline, Martyr and left end of Mao Buttress, and it's all good.