Skip to main content

Kaipo Wall

Type
Face
Part of
Ngapunatoru Plateau

The 1300 metre high Kaipo Wall lies at the head of the Kaipo Valley, finishing on the snowfields of the Ngapunatoru Plateau.

Aspect
North
Lat/lon
-44.56271,167.994776, NZ Topo Map
Accessed from
Mt Parariki
Add Place Add Route

Routes

Reference Title Grade Length Pro Quality Alert Operations
 The Fortune/Joll, 21,A1 21,A1 550m
2.01

12 pitches.

  • P1
  • 21
  • Aid A1
  • 550m
  • Trad

12p. Just to the lookers left of the Rock Solid line
 Rock Solid Route, 25 25 0m
3

Starting from the snow shelf half-way up the wall, the route climbs the
buttress left of a large, right-facing arch.
Access is by abseil from the Ngapunatoru Plateau. Bolt belays.

  • P1
  • 19

Right facing ramps and corners.

  • P2
  • 17

Continue up corner tending left in grooves.

  • P3
  • 18

Climb short face into groove, continue climbing groove and face to the right.

  • P4
  • 24

Stepping left from belay head up face left of arête on marginal gear into right tending flake systems. Traverse right to belay.

  • P5
  • 23

Up groove directly above belay then left around arête continuing up face. Trend right to belay.

  • P6
  • 24

Up flakes left of arête, follow seams diagonally rightwards to features above arches, belay out right in alcove.

  • P7
  • 25

Climb overhanging corner and crack above.

  • P8
  • 17

Straight up wall then trend right to belay in corner.

  • P9
  • 18

Head up and left from belay following corner and slabs for 40m.

  • P10
  • 15

Follow crack left of belay then up on jugs to large ledge.

  • P11
  • 20

Start up weakness left of belay and follow seam until a move right leads through an overlap.
2 2Range Rover Route, 17 17 0m
0
  • P1
  • 17
  • Trad

Start roughly in the middle of the wall below a damp gully which dominates the upper central part of the face. Solo slabs for about 650 metres; at the first steep wall climb just to the right of the central gully for about 550 metres then ascend the final 100 metres or so to the top. The climb was the second half of a film where the party rafted and kayaked down the Hollyford then climbed the Kaipo Wall. The total climb, including filming, took eight to nine hours. The party spent a week in a snow-cave on the Ngapunatoru Plateau after being caught in a nor-west storm.
 The Kaipo Kid, 18 18 620m
3
  • P1
  • 18
  • 620m
  • Trad

On the north-west side of Pt 2072, an outlier peak to the west of the main Kaipo Wall – 470m wall climbing then 150m cheval section. Mostly grade 14-17 climbing.
 Mist Crystals, 17 17 400m
3

Great line roughly 100m R of The Kaipo Kid. Awesome face climbing on amazing features, good gear. Traverse epic cheval to descend to the Ngapunatoru.

  • P1
  • 17
  • 400m
  • Trad

Images

Comments
Attribution
Craig Jefferies
UUID
 
af37682f-e2e3-4a4b-b144-688bbcfcd1d9