North Face | ClimbNZ

Type

Part of

The combined quality and length of these climbs make them unsurpassed as the best slab routes in the country. The rock is well featured and compact. Many have now been equipped with 10mm stainless bolts but a full natural pro rack with large size cams is still required, up to 10cm on Labyrinth.

It is common for routes on the north face of Barrier Knob to be completed in a long day out of Homer Hut, or alternatively from a camp or bivouac on the slopes below the face. Flat bivouac sites exist on the tussock slopes above Adelaide Saddle. There is a very good bivouac site underneath the central part of the north face.

Aspect

North

Approach

Traverse high on scree from the end of the Barrier Knob Traverse until a long rock rib under the face forces you to descend; at the bottom of this rib a flat site, suitable for a two person tent can be found. It may be under snow early in the season. Water is available from the snow patches or snow-melt trickles on the slabs.

There are two approaches that can be used to access to these climbs.

Traverse round to the base of the north face; from Gertrude Saddle climb to the start of the traverse around the southern aspect of Barrier Knob: Traverse on snow-slopes or rock and scree late season to the base of the north face. Allow approximately three hours and note that the snow slopes are very icy early morning and may require crampons.
Abseil down from the summit ridge of Barrier Knob. From Gertrude Saddle climb to the summit of Barrier Knob. Follow the ridge east for 200m keeping an eye out for a cairn which marks the start of a rappel line to the base of the routes, with the first rap station (slings) 30m down on the northern side.

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Routes

Reference	Title	Grade	Length	Pro	Quality
1	1Endless Summer, 21	21	265m		2.01
P1 20 55m Trad Scramble up the slabs to the ring bolts at the start of Labyrinth. Follow the left-slanting ramp and up a short wall to hanging belay. P2 21 45m Trad Step left and up on small holds past a spike and flake to a stretchy move right, then up to belay. P3 19 45m Trad Up wall to hand crack, stepping left and up to a thin crack P4 17 40m Trad Climb the short wall then left to the base of the shallow groove: some thin moves towards the top. P5 16 35m Trad An easy flake pitch. P6 21 45m Trad Climb the finger cracks with a couple of reachy moves through the overlaps.
2	2Snake, 17	17	70m	8	2.01
P1 17 25m 5 Trad A three picth variation to Endless Summer. Right from the the third belay of ES. Slab pitch, 5b and smaal cam P2 17 45m 8 Slab pitch, 8B P3 17 Trad 3 parallel finger cracks. Lh crack 17, middle crack 18.
3	3Sidewinder, 23	23	0m	12	3
P1 20 Trad Climb the initial left slanting ramp of Endless Summer for 10m, stepping left to small ledge and belay. P2 23 12 Pull up and onto the slab, working up the right side of the smooth grey rock to hanging belay. A beautiful, sustained and technical slab pitch. P3 20 Trad 50m. Up a small corner at the end of the roof then angle left past holes to finish up steep wall. P4 20 Trad Up right to above flake then up smooth grey rock on good pockets and a short wall to finish. P5 15 Trad Angle right to easy ground and scramble 75m up to the ring bolts. There are three cracks on the wall below the top anchors: the left was led by Wayo Carson at grade 20; the centre by Keith Riley.
4	4Labyrinth, 22	22	230m	5	3
A sustained and bold climb taking a direct line through steep slabs. Originally climbed and bolted on lead, it was re-bolted in 2001. P1 20 50m 5 Trad The first and second pitches are now usually climbed as one, but watch for rope drag under the roof. P2 22 40m 5 Superb face climbing on small positive holds. P3 21 45m 3 Move left around the roof, clip the third bolt then make a long runout on positive holds. P4 21 45m 1 Trad Climb the cracks to where the overhanging arête starts a long reach left to a pocket, rock-over, then up the steepening headwall past two bolts and a horizontal spike. P5 16 50m Trad Follow broken arête to bolted belay.
5	5Missing Link, 23	23	0m		0
P1 23 Trad A grade 23 pitch that joins the second pitch of Labyrinth.
6	6Sword of Damocles, 21	21	0m		2.01
P1 21 Trad Start up the easy groove toward Labyrinth and continue up a short wall on right, stepping right again to first belay in middle of slab. P2 Trad Head up and right of the overlaps to next belay. P3 Trad Step round left onto juggy wall which still has original bolts and hangers. The original route climbed a large hanging flake, the ‘sword’, which was dislodged by an earthquake in the winter of 1988. This section was subsequently climbed with two bolts and graded at 21 by Andy MacFarlane and Dave Brash in 1996. Andy also added a variant third pitch trending right through an overlap to finish up a sharp fin of rock, 20.
7	7Rita's Burritos, 21	21	80m	5	2.01
Smooth slab and crack climbing with good natural pro placements. The route was re-bolted 2001. The fifth pitch, completed by Murray Judge and Paul Rogers, follows a wide crack on the left. P1 21 50m 5 Trad Scramble up 10 metres from base to double bolt ring anchor. Climb up angling left past 2 bolts and on up left to water streak, where you'll find some gear. Continue up and right past 2 bolts (small cam useful) then angle back left to a 5th bolt then a couple of steep moves to pull flake feature (big cam useful). DBA in corner above flake. P2 18 30m Trad Head up and right from belay on good edges. Turn roof feature on right and head up the left angling groove. From the top of groove go straight up and slightly left for about 10 metres and find a DBA on ledge. P3 20 Trad Up the wall above belay trending slightly right then into V-groove above with old rusted rawl bolt anchor in it. Clip this anchor for protection (unfortunately). Find some good small-medium gear in the crack above and pull a few stiff moves to exit the corner. Then straight up on easier ground to a DBA. P4 18 Trad Straight up from belay to the right-trending undercling layback, turn this then head up angling right to DBA. This anchor is positioned to continue on to Chilli Con Kea, the two-pitch slab route up to the right. P5 16 Trad To climb the standard finish you must reverse 10 metres of the previous pitch, find the old rusted anchor on a ledge back out left, clip this, keep traversing left a few metres, then head straight up to the wide crack/flake. P6 16 Trad From the top of the wide flake crack find your way to the top using trad anchors It's another two pitches of mostly easy climbing. P7 15 Trad Mostly easy trad climbing to top.
8	8Chilli con Kea, 20	20	0m		1.02
P1 20 Trad Two exposed pitches up a clean slab above the big roof. 20, 20. Tend right from the top of the fourth pitch of Rita’s Burritos. Rebolted 2001.
9	9Mexican Stand-off, 19	19	0m		1.02
P1 19 Trad Start directly below the left-hand end of the large roof, climbing up and left to finish as for the Sword.
10	10Gecko Ledge, 20	20	0m		0
P1 20 Trad 19, 20. Two pitches to the ledge directly below the big roof. Look for bolt above the diagonal flake on left. This route gives access to the ledge below the roof.
	McGregor-Atkinson, 17,M3	17,M3	0m		0
The groove/chimney leading up to below the roof in the middle of the North Face of Barrier Knob. [The route listed as 11 on p. 140 of the 2006 guidebook, it is probably between 9 and 10 in the photo on p. 138, heading up towards the big roofs.] P1 17 Mixed M3 Trad Up rib onto easy ground then trending left across steep slab, across to flake crack and thin layback move then round corner into shallow groove (c. 16-17). 2 pegs for aid (thin to free) to foot of wet groove. P2 16 Mixed M2 Up the groove, moving out left at the top with a peg for aid. Up easy ground and around left. P3 15 Left and then up flake crack on jams and side-pulls. Up easy ground to foot of overhangs. P4 16 Mixed M4 Left and up groove, over loose blocks then aiding on nuts out left (A2) to an alcove under an overhang with an unstable moss caterpillar and a 6-inch crack with a bolt (one of the first in the Darrans?) Descent by 4 abseils on first ascent.
12	12Carson Judge		0m		0
P1 Trad On the Right side of north face. Easy groove to lower left corner of hanging slab, bolt belay. Take grassy corner and follow groove to top of triangular rib.
13	13Fly Higher, 22	22	0m		3
P1 Trad Take easy slab to the first bolt on a thin ledge slanting up and left. P2 22 Trad Climb the rough black rock on the right, trying to avoid the water, then step back left and up the water-worn slab to the scoop. There is often a water streak flowing. P3 20 Trad Up and reach left to clip the first bolt, then up the rib on shallow pockets to ring bolt. The name refers to the light plane that had crashed into Gertrude Saddle some months earlier.
14	14Fish Gills, 23	23	200m	4	2.01
P1 23 35m 4 Trad The starting ledge may be snow covered. Interesting and cruxy slab moves through the ‘gills’, then more climbing with a second crux to the hourglass flake. Four bolts. P2 19 40m Trad Follow flake system left, stepping onto face, then up through vegetated corner and small roof and left to rejoin the flake. P3 17 35m Trad Move around left on obvious jugs, clip bolt then follow vague ramp up and left to another bolt. Traverse left to anchor. P4 22 20m Trad Exciting moves through flake into undercling; traverse into corner and bridge up, exiting left. P5 19 40m Trad Follow blunt arête on right hand side of slab, then step left and follow bolts to top. P6 15 30m Trad Follow crack system up and left to top-out on scree slope.
15	15Maňana, 21	21	0m		0
P1 20 Trad Starts on sloping ledge; delicate moves up to belay. P2 21 Trad Left to bolt, then hard move to second bolt or an easier variant out right. P3 20 Trad Traverse right and climb steep pocketed black wall past three bolts. Continue up and left. P4 19 Trad Up to roof, then traverse right passing three bolts to belay. P5 Trad Take the slab moves straight up. Belay is left and above blocky arête. P6 19 Trad Natural gear to belay. There are ring bolts 20m down from Fish Gills. Maňana gives the most direct rap down.
16	16Bandito, 15	15	0m		0
P1 15 Trad A slab route to the first belay of Day Tripper.
17	17Day Tripper, 17	17	0m	8	2.01
Start 10m right of Fish Gills. P1 16 Trad Up jagged left-facing corner and through roof. P2 16 Trad Follow slab up to big flake and bolt belay. P3 17 8 Climb up exposed arête, following eight bolts. A classic pitch at the grade.
18	18Carson Judge, 20	20	0m		0
Two pitches. Start 10 metres right of Fish Gills. Requires one abseil from top bolts. P1 16 Trad P2 20
	Judge, 21	21	0m		0
Three pitches: 17, 17, 21. Located at the end of the sidle from the traverse just right of the rock rib. P1 17 Trad P2 17 P3 21
	Denz Judge		0m		0
P1 Trad A four pitch route midway along the steep section of the face. Climb a groove to a loose block in an overhang, then step right and climb a corner to the ridge.
	English Gabites Reichwein		0m		0
P1 Trad The gully at the right-hand end of the steep section of rock.

Images

Comments

Attribution

Craig Jefferies

UUID

d6da6621-a043-49db-a917-a25bd96aafaa