The left-most of the three detached crags on the west side of the Otepatotu climbing area.
It is shorter to walk from the road directly below than along the track round the base of the crag. Park at the turnout directly below the buttress, about 200 metres before the main car-park. Walk up the grassy slope trending left around the edge of the scrub, until an old rock-fall track through the scrub is reached. Walk up this to the right edge of the buttress. The climbs are described from left to right, so the first routes listed are at the far end of the crag, starting in the major right-facing corner.
Routes
| Reference | Title | Grade | Length | Pro | Quality | Operations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| French Fries, 12 | 12 |  |
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The first two routes are away around the left of the crag, accessed by traversing along a vegetated ledge and scrambling up over trees and ledges to reach the major corner halfway up the cliff. This route is the main corner with wide crack. |
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| Caught And Bowled, 15 | 15 | |
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Starting from the same place – this route goes up the face to the right of the corner. |
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| Ghosts Of Yesteryear, 17 | 17 | 20m | |
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Starts from a small platform just left of the major arête. Technical crack climbing through a small roof and up the short crack to vegetation; scramble leftward to belay on the ledge.
Start up the undercut arête on good holds, moving to the left. Reasonable spaced protection from cams and wires. Finish right by the arête. |
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| Escape To Victory, 19 | 19 | 25m | |
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Start up the obvious cracks just right of the main arête to the big ledge. Up the arête with wires to the right and then a cam across on the left – watch for rope drag. Pull up past the bolt and set up an anchor on the ledge from a small totara or cams.
Diagonally left across the wall with limited gear to gain the arête at a ledge. Then up the crack right on the arête, with exposed positions; crux at the top. |
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| TB | TBThe Beast, 22 | 22 | 25m | |
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Up the centre of the face with good wires for protection to meet a short crack; then slightly right to gain the left-leaning diagonal and on to the ledge to anchor.
The wide crack through a roof. Harder than it looks. |
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| Limber Up, 17 | 17 | 28m | |
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Starts at the main vegetated gully on the left of the crag. A long diagonal climb taking in a large amount of foliage en route. At the left margin of the forested gully climb both rock and trees to eventually break clear of the vege. Head rightward to the gully/corner, with steep but straightforward climbing using the arête at the top. |
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| KM | KMKava, Mr Lava?, 24 | 24 | 10m | 2 |
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A boulderers route. Amble up leaning crack on adequate gear up to the sequential shield of rock with bolts. Finishes on obvious ledge. |
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| ST | STShorty's Terror, 17 | 17 | 28m | |
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The steep crack to the left of the totara tree. Despite being named after a cave passage, this is a good climb. A short staircase to start, then steep climbing with wires and a step right onto a ledge. Up the V-groove to a crucial jug, and clamber into an easy section. For part two, step left onto the well-featured arête following a vague crack, which develops nicely in the top block. Step right at the top for an exposed finish. Ring anchors. |
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| OR | OROriginal Route, 12 | 12 | |
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Climbs the central weakness. |
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| Captain's Run, 17 | 17 | 25m | |
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A right-hand start to Original Route. Climb the crack directly up the right side of the wall and gain the ledge (crux). Continue up the ragged crack above, eventually moving left under the overhangs and joining Original Route. Watch out for rope drag. Abseil from Shorty’s Terror anchor. |
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| SC | SCSelf Circumcision, 22 | 22 | 10m | 3 |
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Bound to happen if you start straddling the arete, so best stay to the left. Technical climbing on interesting holds. |
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| DA | DAThe Death Of Australian Cricket, 18 | 18 | |
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Near the RH end of the crag is an obvious V groove/ R-facing corner. Climb the V groove to ledge (16), then up steeply through an OH and laidback groove (18) |
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| SG | SGSushi Groove, 21 | 21 | |
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The next groove, just R. Climb two metres to small niche, then follow the LW curving crack through steep slab. |
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| SE | SESow's Ear, 20 | 20 | 20m | 1 |
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Start of the left of the arête and climb the wall and arête past a bolt to gain a sloping ledge. Then up a small corner to a ramp below the first, smaller overhang. Pull through and climb the crack (crux) to the big roof; exit awkwardly to the left. Ring anchors are directly above. |
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| Stiff Upper Lip, 22 | 22 | |
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Start just R of the arete. Climb up wall (small brass nut), moving R to small incut flake and good gear just below the sloping ledge. Gain ledge, move L and up into groove leading to small sloping ledge. Move up and R to gain steep crack leading to roof. Through this via crack at its widest point (crux) |
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| TS | TSThe Spine, 18 | 18 | 2 |
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Climb the lower wall as for Stiff Upper Lip and at the sloping ledge continue straight up the short wall above past a bolt (crux). Step on to the prow and clip the second bolt; finish directly up the arête. Ring anchors to the left. |
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| Fish ‘n’ Chips, 17 | 17 | |
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Starting just to the right climb the wall angling right to meet the crack with two small flaxes, exiting right. Little protection before the crack. |
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| Fast Food, 17 | 17 | |
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The complete crack, starting around to the right of the buttress, starting up a thin crack in the gully. Delicate climbing with micro-wires precedes a move into the wider crack, with improving protection and enjoyable climbing. Outflank the flax by moving to the right to gain the ledge. Either move left to an anchor station, or move up across the vegetation and romp up the obvious crack to the top. |
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| Mashed Potato, 18 | 18 | |
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A few metres up and R again, climbing the rightmost crack past a pedastel. |
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