The Mate's Little Brother

(12 routes)

The Mate’s Little Brother contains some of the best free routes in the Darran region. The Half Dome-shaped Little Brother is 180m high and the rock clean and coarse.

Type: 
Face (Alpine)
Aspect: 
North West
Access: 

To access these routes, follow the scree slope below Moir’s Mate round to narrow ledges (try not to lose too much height) which traverse along the base of the wall.
Descent of the Mate’s Little Brother
By far the easiest option is to rap your route. Otherwise it is possible to walk down the true left of the Little Brother to the Cleddau ledges. In early summer the snow basins can be full, making descent down the true left both difficult and dangerous. An alternative route lies over a col beyond the Moir’s Mate and down the northern slabs to the Homer Saddle ridge.

Reference Title Grade Length Quality Bolts Gone Natural pro Link to edit content
Where’s My Epirb? 18,21,21,21
0
On the left side of the Mate’s Little Brother.
#EwbankAlpine (Technical)Alpine (Commitment)Alpine (Mt Cook)AidWater IceMixedBoulder (Hueco)LengthBoltsTrad
1180mNo
2210mNo
3210mNo
4210mNo
Murray Ball, Nick Cradock, Glen Einam, 2008
1 The Milford Cruise 22
2.01
wire representing trad 1
Three pitches. 20, 22, 21. An excellent and sustained route through three overlaps; the route avoids much of the water-streak, staying right through the overlaps.
Murray Judge, Paul Rogers, Feb 1989.
2 Brothers in Arms 20 , 23 , 21 , 21 150m
2.01
wire representing trad
Starting on slabs left of the arches, move up past some bolts then step right and into obvious crack.
#EwbankAlpine (Technical)Alpine (Commitment)Alpine (Mt Cook)AidWater IceMixedBoulder (Hueco)LengthBoltsTrad
12045mYes
 

Starting on slabs left of the arches, move up past some bolts then step right and into obvious crack.

22345mYes
 

Sustained moves left of the belay then move right into the white leaning corner – a 25m, grade 20 overhanging jug-fest. Belay out left.

32130mYes
 

Step right from belay, climbing right trending crack to bolt on face above. Step right then continue up and left through cracks past bolt to belay.

42130mYes
 

Straight up corner passing a bolt to the butterfly flake. Two bolts lead to a long reach left then up and over the Mate’s Little Brother.

Murray Judge, Paul Rogers, Mar 1989.
3 Cradock's Retreat 21 , 21 80m
3
wire representing trad
Climb steep slabs and small left facing crack, passing a number of bolts. The crux bolt has been replaced. Climb through a small roof to bolt belay.
#EwbankAlpine (Technical)Alpine (Commitment)Alpine (Mt Cook)AidWater IceMixedBoulder (Hueco)LengthBoltsTrad
12135mYes
 

Climb steep slabs and small left facing crack, passing a number of bolts. The crux bolt has been replaced. Climb through a small roof to bolt belay.

22145mYes
 

From belay climb left into the shallow corner, passing two bolts before steep cracks lead to the big white corner of Brothers in Arms. Continue up corner to belay.

Guy Cotter, Nick Cradock, February 1989
4 Second Coming 16 , 23 , 26 , 22 , 21 , 19 , 19 122m
3
wire representing trad
Easy-going slab takes you to the base of the overhanging arches.
#EwbankAlpine (Technical)Alpine (Commitment)Alpine (Mt Cook)AidWater IceMixedBoulder (Hueco)LengthBoltsTrad
11625mYes
 

Easy-going slab takes you to the base of the overhanging arches.

2239mYes
 

The dihedral requires wide bridging and lay-backing on fingertips with protection from small wires.

32610mYes
 

Hard moves up corner ‘til crack opens out to underclings. Take big Friends #4.

4228mYes
 

Move past three old bolt ladder bolts, then traverse over to the newer bolts cutting back into flake/chimney system.

52115mYes
 

Up right, then back left following ramp to single bolt and natural belay.

61925mYes
 

Move through big corner past black rock band to belay in horizontal break.

71930mYes
 

Straight up, moving out right to bolt then a lengthy stretch of steep slab climbing with no protection over the Little Brother. A trouser-filling top-out!

Paul Aubrey, Mark Moorhead, Feb 1980.
5 Armageddon 22 ,28 ,28 ,26 95m
2.01
20bolts wire representing trad
#EwbankAlpine (Technical)Alpine (Commitment)Alpine (Mt Cook)AidWater IceMixedBoulder (Hueco)LengthBoltsTrad
12220m3Yes
22825m8Yes
32820m4Yes
42630m5Yes
Derek Thatcher, 2007
Revelations 27 , 26 , 25 , 20 140m
0
19bolts wire representing trad
Mostly bolted with obvious cams (sizes 0-3). Take 14 quickdraws and two ropes. Descent is by abseiling the route.
#EwbankAlpine (Technical)Alpine (Commitment)Alpine (Mt Cook)AidWater IceMixedBoulder (Hueco)LengthBoltsTrad
12755m8Yes
22620m4Yes
32535m4Yes
42030m3Yes
Derek Thatcher, Jamie Vinton-Boot, 2008
6 New Jersey Drifter 24 , 21 , 21 , 22 , 18 145m
3
wire representing trad
Staunch moves off the belay lead to more staunch moves through an undercling layback before continuing up corner and face to belay.
#EwbankAlpine (Technical)Alpine (Commitment)Alpine (Mt Cook)AidWater IceMixedBoulder (Hueco)LengthBoltsTrad
12440mYes
 

Staunch moves off the belay lead to more staunch moves through an undercling layback before continuing up corner and face to belay.

22120mYes
 

Dynamic face moves past two bolts lead into the Yosemite Flake and steep jug-filled corner.

32130mYes
 

Move right off belay then up past a bolt before trending left along ramp to overlap and bolt. A healthy rock-over leads onto a slab. Continue up and right to bolt then left to belay.

42235mYes
 

Cranky moves lead up and left off belay past two bolts then right under overlap. Continue up and left to bolt under second overlap. Traverse right on underclings, clipping bolt on face above before pulling roof to belay.

51820mYes
 

Head up and right on slab, then mantle onto sloping ledge. From bolt on wall move left into black and white vein which trends right to exit at the top of the crag.
Three full 60m abseils to reach the ground from the top anchors.

Kester Brown, Craig Jefferies, Jan 2006.
Gough-Wayatt
0
wire representing trad
On the right side of the Little Brother start off the broken slabs further round to the ledges. Seven pitches. Five pitches of aid, two of free-climbing. Tends up and left towards a small roof near the top of the face.
Peter Gough, Geoff Wayatt, 1974.
8 Crystal Void 19
0
wire representing trad
On the right side of the Little Brother start off the broken slabs further round to the ledges. Four pitches. 17, 13, 19, 16. Follow a corner into left-tending ramps before heading straight up over the right side of the Mate’s Little Brother.
Hugh Widdowson, 1989.
9 Crystal Meth 19
0
wire representing trad
On the right side of the Little Brother start off the broken slabs further round to the ledges. Four pitches. 16, 17, 19, 16. Starting from slabs on the right side of the wall, follow ledge systems up and left. The route moves through a series of cracks leading into a lone right-facing corner on the edge of the Mate’s Little Brother.
Brigid Allan, Steve Eastwood, Craig Jefferies, Feb 2003.
MF Mechanical Failure 18 ,20 ,23 ,18
0
21bolts wire representing trad
Start at the RHS of the crag, right of the arch and after beginning the scramble up to the Moir ledges. About 15m up above the ledges and back left a bit a bolt and a maililon by a left facing corner mark the start of the climbing. The climb needs cams 00 - 3 (Camalots) and a few wires. Route is rigged to rap. Follow left facing corner then break left to flakes and cracks to a grassy ledge. DBA
#EwbankAlpine (Technical)Alpine (Commitment)Alpine (Mt Cook)AidWater IceMixedBoulder (Hueco)LengthBoltsTrad
1180m4Yes
 

Start at the RHS of the crag, right of the arch and after beginning the scramble up to the Moir ledges. About 15m up above the ledges and back left a bit a bolt and a maililon by a left facing corner mark the start of the climbing. The climb needs cams 00 - 3 (Camalots) and a few wires. Route is rigged to rap.
Follow left facing corner then break left to flakes and cracks to a grassy ledge. DBA

2200m6Yes
 

Gain the slanting slab and follow it to an overlap, over this to another slab. DBA

3230m7Yes
 

Up obvious corner, exit it at bolt to arete on left. Climb this to steep blank wall. Desperate move to gain groove and wall system. Ledge with DBA

4180m4Yes
 

Pull onto arete up to ledge and then move left on slab to finish up arete. DBA

John Entwisle, Chris Burtenshaw and Jonathan Clearwater Feb 2010
Attribution: 
Craig Jefferies
UUID: 
0184bbcf-dc03-4d7d-addc-2cf3836987e8

Comments

The Mates Little Brother possibly has the best mountain rock climbing in New Zealand, (In my opinion).