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The Arches

Type
Altitude
0m
Part of

At beach level, 5 minutes walk east along the beach from Doctors Point carpark.

Image
Walktime
5min
Aspect
North
Access

The Arches area is a 300m walk east along the beach from the Doctors Point carpark. It is ofter sunny and sheltered in midwinter but can be windy with a strong southwesterly wind

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Routes

Reference Title Grade Length Pro Quality Alert Operations
 Jason's Line, 24 24 25m 7
0

  • P1
  • 24
  • 25m
  • 7

bouldery start through overhang off the sand and up steep wall


1 1Calypso, 23 23 14m
0

  • P1
  • 23
  • 14m

The brittle start to the high 1st bolt will put most punters off.


2 2Nervous Wreck, 17 17 16m 10
0

  • P1
  • 16
  • 16m
  • 10
  • Trad

Climb the L wing of the Delta Slab on bolts to the corner then onto the nose and DBB. Use the new upper chain belay. Watch rope drag across the slab.


  • P2
  • 17
  • 8

Up then move right to a groove with gopod but hidden crimps. Up slab to left hand crack on upper wall.


 Nervous Breakdown, 18 18 6
0

45 m rap to the beach or rap diagonally back to first belay and down from
there.


  • P1
  • 18
  • 6

From first belay on Nervous Wreck move up and right then negotiate the downsloping slab, before making an exposed reach around corner and up groove to belay.


  • P2
  • 18
  • 4

Up to right hand crack with some reachy moves.


3 3Thrill Me, Honey Honey, Thrill Me!, 22 22 24m
2.01

  • P1
  • 22
  • 24m

Thrilling climbing once you are in the steep ground – has what it takes to become a classic. Up overlaps to a corner above the Delta Slab, then memorably L to a jug. The last move to the DBB under the roof is the crux.


4 4The Mast, 23 23 23m
1.02

  • P1
  • 23
  • 23m

The sustained crux sequence high on the headwall is only unlocked when the secret hold is discovered – superlative and worth enduring the inferior climbing to get to it.


5 5Gold Digger, 19 19 51m 8
0

  • P1
  • 19
  • 26m
  • 8

The R wing of the Delta Slab is followed out right to the steep wall. Up and R to belay on the nose.


  • P2
  • 17
  • 25m
  • 8

up and left passing the old belay, take care around some wedged blocks then upper wall


6 6Barracouda, 20 20 38m 5
0

  • P1
  • 20
  • 23m

Has sharp teeth! A good crux section. Pull steeply and sharply through the initial overlaps past many bolts (you may want to back unclip to prevent rope drag), heading for the deep hanging V corner (crux). belay at left on the nose.


  • P2
  • 16
  • 15m
  • 5

Traverse right and step around onto the arete to belay on upper slab.


7 7Wobblington or Bust, 21 21 27m
0

  • P1
  • 21
  • 15m
  • Trad

Some good moves up the steep arete – DBB on the ledge at the lower LH corner of the black slab.


  • P2
  • 16
  • 12m
  • Trad

Up and out L to DBB.


 Nacho's Climb, 23 23 18m 7
0

  • P1
  • 23
  • 18m
  • 7

Some hard crimpy moves through the first bulge. Rinse and repeat to the belay ledge.


 Atlantis, 18 18 45m 9
0

  • P1
  • 18
  • 20m
  • 7

Climb the groove with a tricky bulge to reach a left facing niche just below the slab, then move left to belay ledge.


  • P2
  • 17
  • 25m
  • 9

Up the slab to the break at the right end of the roof, up and traverse right to square cut corner. Up 3m then right slanting slab. 40m back to beach or use rap stations.


 Black Slab Direct Start, 14 14 21m 7
0

  • P1
  • 14
  • 21m
  • 7

R facing black corner cave 3m left of original start. Up and left to ledge then step right and up to second ledge. Up slab to ring belay just below the roof.


8 8Black Slab, 16 16 43m 8
0

  • P1
  • 15
  • 21m
  • 7

Brittle slabby climbing on the first route put up on the Lower Cliffs at Doctors Point. up short crimpy slab to shallow corner and directly up to slab and belay at the roof.


  • P2
  • 16
  • 22m
  • 8

Work left across the slab to a step left onto the upper slab, then directly up wall above.


 Dreadnought, 16 16 20m 8
0

  • P1
  • 16
  • 20m
  • 8

Up wall to left racing corner below the large roof, step right to the belay on small slab


 Buried Treasure, 17 17 26m 9
0

  • P1
  • 17
  • 26m
  • 9

Up the blocky corner to finish high up and left of the pine tree


 Sandstorm, 21 21 25m 8
0

  • P1
  • 21
  • 25m
  • 8

start up the black textured left facing slab, up crimpy steep wall to the belay behind the pine tree


 Sandyhook, 17 17 25m 7
0

  • P1
  • 17
  • 25m
  • 7

the narrow groove on the left side of the rib then up right wall onto slab


 The Eleventh Hour, 16 16 8
0

  • P1
  • 16
  • 8

bridge into the groove then delicately up the left arete


 Sand Castle, 15 15 25m 8
0

  • P1
  • 15
  • 25m
  • 8

outside face of rib to the left of the big pine tree, up steepening line to gain the slab.


 Shifting Sands, 15 15 29m 11
3

  • P1
  • 15
  • 29m
  • 11

The right facing corner just left of the big pine tree. Up blocky corner to step onto the slab, move right then up the upper wall.


 Quicksand, 17 17 28m 11
0

  • P1
  • 17
  • 28m
  • 11

up Shifting Sands to the midway slab then out left up the slab and curve right under the overhang to SS belay


 GBH, 18 18 20m 8
0

  • P1
  • 18
  • 20m
  • 8

Off the ledge behind the big pine tree - scramble up sandy bank. Left hand end of the ledge, Then up wall with some difficult moves through overlaps.


 Desert Storm, 17 17 20m 6
0

  • P1
  • 17
  • 20m
  • 6

from the middle of the ledge behind the big pine, up overlaps to a tricky move in the groove


 Trump Tower, 16 16 20m 7
0

  • P1
  • 16
  • 20m
  • 7

up the sandy slope behind the big pine tree to a smaller pine, short left facing corner to slab. Left across the slab to steeper finish


 Back to Black, 16 16 18m 7
0

  • P1
  • 16
  • 18m
  • 7

scramble to grassy ledge from the beach or behind the big pine, blocky arete then right to the belay


 Read between the Lines, 17 17 18m 7
0

  • P1
  • 17
  • 18m
  • 7

left facing corner with thin move onto the slab


 Hot ‘n’ Spicy, 19 19 33m
1.02

  • P1
  • 19
  • 33m
  • Trad

Walk 20m right from Black Slab past a pine tree (the only one close to beach level). Starting with an unsalubrious scramble up the gap between the gorse bushes. Really enjoyable, on surprisingly good rock. Carefully up and R on easy vegetated ground for 8m to the lower R edge of the hanging buttress. Great, steep climbing on jugs and side-pulls through overlaps to a slab, following 6 bolts. Take some CD’s to #3 or #3.5 to protect the final crack to the ringbolts. A single doubled rope will reach easy downclimbing to get off .


 Nautical but Nice, 20 20 26m 10
0

  • P1
  • 20
  • 26m
  • 10

Right side of lower pillar (shared start with Beached Whale)


 Beached Whale, 20 20 26m 11
0

  • P1
  • 20
  • 26m
  • 11

right side of low pillar, uo left facing corner to ledge on right, step left and through steep country to upper groove and onto the slab.


 Shrimp, 16 16 15m 5
0

  • P1
  • 16
  • 15m
  • 5

shallow groove to start and up to half height ledge. Maybe a second pitch one day?


 Little Blue, 17 17 26m 8
0

  • P1
  • 17
  • 26m
  • 8

off sandy platform, step right up low slab then left around bulge. Up black wall and finish right to belay


 Happy Feet, 17 17 28m 11
0

  • P1
  • 17
  • 28m
  • 11

shared start with Little blue, up and right on right slanting slab then bridge groove and up broken pillar to slab. continue up to hanging corner and a delicate step right above the large roof


 Lone Pine, 17 17 27m 9
0

  • P1
  • 17
  • 27m
  • 9

At the left end of the ngaio trees is a short track up to the base of Kingmaker. Half way up the track follow a V groove to the triangular roof and break out left and up to belay on the right of the pine tree.


 Kingmaker, 17 17 25m 8
0

  • P1
  • 17
  • 25m
  • 8

Start from a grassy ledge above cluster of ngaio trees, moving out left of the main corner with a tricky move back right around a roof to gain the clean upper slab.


 Kingfisher, 16 16 25m 8
0

  • P1
  • 16
  • 25m
  • 8

Start 15m above the beach above cluster of Ngaio trees. Move right on jugs then up and back left to the upper slab which is shared with Kingmaker.


 Shattered Dreams, 17 17 22m 8
0

  • P1
  • 17
  • 22m
  • 8

Scamble onto boulders leaning against the wall, slab then some delicate bridging.


 Taken by the Tide, 19 19 19m 5
0

  • P1
  • 19
  • 11m
  • 5

left facing wall with high step onto slab and finish out right


  • P2
  • 15
  • 8m
  • 4

on up the rib


 Sand Hopper, 17 17 25m 9
0

  • P1
  • 17
  • 25m
  • 9

Just past low angle rib and rocky island, overhanging left facing corner. Bridge steeply to ledge then up groove and wall above


 the Reef, 16 16 26m 5
0

  • P1
  • 8
  • 13m
  • 5

Two starts up the low angle rib to belay on ledge


  • P2
  • 16
  • 13m
  • 5

Second pitch up groove and wall


 Scratchie, 16 16 25m 6
0

  • P1
  • 16
  • 25m
  • 6

shallow R facing corner just before the rib and rocky island, up steep start to the slab and right to rib


 Spring Tide, 16 16 25m 8
0

  • P1
  • 16
  • 25m
  • 8

steep start off the sand move left to slab and up rib to Scratchie belay


 Kilimanjaro, 16 16 27m 8
0

  • P1
  • 16
  • 27m
  • 8

juggy start off the beach then up groove and through small overhang


 Tumbleweed, 15 15 25m 7
0

  • P1
  • 15
  • 25m
  • 7

start at the sharply cut groove at beach level, up initial slab and rib above.


 Ebb and Flow, 15 15 28m 6
0

  • P1
  • 15
  • 15m
  • 6

shared start with Tumbleweed, at second bolt traverse left below the grey wall then around arete and up slab to belay


  • P2
  • 15
  • 13m
  • 5

step up and left to the black slab


 The Black Tower, 16 16 22m 7
0

  • P1
  • 16
  • 22m
  • 7

up shallow groove move left at 3rd layback and reach right to a good jug, stay on left of bolts. there is a right hand variation at 18


 Cobblestone, 16 16 26m 80
0

  • P1
  • 16
  • 26m
  • 80

start in shallow corner, up pebbles and slab to belay just left of the pine tree


 Emperor, 18 18 26m 8
0

  • P1
  • 18
  • 26m
  • 8

bridge up the left side of two blocks then up the pillar to belay ledge


 Le Quesnoy Ladder, 15 15 8
0

  • P1
  • 15
  • 8

up narrow rib to white slab moving up and right over flakes to belay


 Armistice, 16 16 8
0

up slab then right to small arete and steeper finish out left


  • P1
  • 16
  • 8

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