Easily accessible and relatively safe. If the road is open then the area around the Tunnel should be at a low avalanche risk. Since the routes top out on the Homer Saddle / Moir ridge, then apart from cliff-bound snow, it is out of the firing line for large avalanches.
This cliff provides very good early season climbing, but its low altitude and aspect does mean that it is fairly susceptible to sunshine and rising temperatures. The short routes on the right-hand side of the cliff are well suited to less experienced climbers wanting practice. The turfy mixed routes in the centre section of the cliff rate among the best climbs in the country. The long mid-grade routes on the left hand section offer good traditional snow and ice climbs.
Access to the main part of the cliff is straight up from Homer Tunnel, keeping well clear of the slabby face of Belle
to the left of the tunnel. A lot of debris comes off this face, even in low avalanche risk conditions. The shorter, right-hand section of the Bluffs is also easily reached from the Homer Saddle path up through McPherson Cirque, unless there is a higher risk of avalanche. This section of the Bluffs might be useful for a short or bad weather day.
Descent from all the routes involves traversing the ridgeline back to Homer Saddle. Although reasonably straight- forward, it is very exposed, and a bit harder in winter than in summer. It can be time consuming in bad weather or darkness. For the lines on the left-hand side of the cliff, the descent essentially involves another full route.
Routes
Reference | Title | Grade | Length | Pro | Quality | Alert | Operations |
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1 | 1Chuckle Vision, III,3 | III,3 | 450m | ||||
Takes a line between Night Vision and the obvious shortish wide gully high on
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2. | 2.Night Vision, III,3 | III,3 | 400m | ||||
Takes the prominent shallow, right-facing groove in the centre of the face.
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3 | 3Homer Sapiens, III,3 | III,3 | 400m | ||||
The obvious deep gully/groove line close to the centre of the face.
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4 | 4The Vortex, III,5 | III,5 | 0m | ||||
10 pitches, tackles the buttress wall to the right of Homer Sapiens, starting up a vegetated gully just right of that route.
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5 | 5Tunnel of Love, III,5 | III,5 | 350m | ||||
Up and right of Homer Sapiens is a large bay, at the back
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6 | 6Blurred Vision, III,4 | III,4 | 350m | ||||
Up and right of Homer Sapiens is a large bay, at the back of which are two
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7 | 7Double Vision, III,2 | III,2 | 150m | ||||
Double Vision (III, 2+) is in the next gully right of Blurred Vision. A turfy
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8 | 8The Visionary, II,2+ | II,2+ | 180m | ||||
Start up the first small gully to the right of Double Vision.
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9 | 9No Vision, II,4 | II,4 | 125m | ||||
Left of The Grovelly Chimney of Joy, a slabby start leads to some great rock and turf moves, keeping just right of the obvious roof. Keep right, avoid the snowy amphitheatre and exit up the right hand side gully, not visible from below. Enjoyable climbing with good protection.
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10 | 10Grovelly Chimney of Joy, II,3 | II,3 | 60m | ||||
Obvious Chimney lookers left of Failing Vision. Chimney to 1/2 height with nice climbing, poor pro and loose rock. Right from here into gully up nice turf with good wires. Tops out at ridge. Decent via traverse to Homer Saddle. |
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11 | 11Dancing on a Tin Roof, II,3 | II,3 | 70m | ||||
A variation on The Grovelly Chimney. Climb the small gully that leads to The Chimney, then traverse out onto the right wall until the face is reached. Once on the face work over some steps to reach a boulder blocking access to the ridge, just to the right of the gully above The Chimney. Pass over the boulder as best seen fit. |
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12 | 12Failing Vision, II,2 | II,2 | 80m | ||||
A short route with a couple of well protected steep steps, up an open
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Mātuitui, 20 | 20 | 275m | 14 | ||||
A moderate grade summer rock climb on a buttress on the Homer Tunnel Bluffs (between Homer Sapiens and Tunnel of Love). Seven pitches (275m) of interesting climbing, well equipped with bolts, 40 minutes from the road. Single rack of cams (0.2 to 2), set of wires and 14 quickdraws.
Short face then move to arete feature.
Interesting climbing on the arete
Absorbing face climbing
Move left off belay then up easy ground to bolts. To access pitch 5 walk 20m along grassy rib to base of short wall.
Follow crack up face and trend right past two bolts and up to rap anchor. Climb easy ground with some tussock up to base of headwall. [this pitch can be split in two using rap anchor]
Consistent face climbing with good gear
Climb right hand side of slab to top |
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The Accesserbaiter, 20 | 20 | 300m | 12 | ||||
A good half day mission from Homer Tunnel to the Homer Ridge.
Go left past 3 bolts the up broad gully to head wall, the back left to take steps onto belay Recommend split this pitch in two.
Go rightwards onto the slab, up past the vegetation trending leftwards to belay
Go across the flat area to the left rear corner to start upper pitches
Start at 2bolts, the go across left to pick up corner the upto belay
Stay right of the vegetated crack up the vertical wall and onto slab. At the small overlap step left over vegetated crack and up steps to belay
Follow up the easy rib, until the bolt just before the belay.
Climb onto block, then onto slab. Go up steps trending leftwards straddling vegetated gully. Climb up final slab then left to belay |