A 160m high buttress overlooking Canyon Creek, a beautiful small valley off the Ahuriri River. A mix of solid compact shist, and loose choss. Currently has 2 multipitch mixed sport/trad lines, which follow the most solid rock on the buttress. A lot of cleaning and trundling has cleared most of the loose rock off the routes but some loose rock may remain especially lower down until they have more traffic. Bolts only where trad gear is not possible. Mostly small to medium gear, microcams usefull. Double ropes needed for both routes as they wander to follow the good rock. All routes fully equipped with DBAs or chains, with trad anchors required at the top out. Room for more development for anyone willing to carry a power drill up the valley.
Head up Birchwood road up the Ahuriri river for an hour to the canyon creek trail (road has got a bit more dodgy recently, little bit of clearance needed - as of Jan 2025 an outback gets you 3km from trailhead but proper 4WD needed beyond this). You can see the face from the car park. From where the marked trail ends above the waterfalls, follow the cairns up the scree to the base of the route (50m left of foot of the buttress, low 1st bolt). About 4-5 hours walk in from car.
Routes
| Reference | Title | Grade | Length | Pro | Quality | Alert | Operations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 44.178388, 169.551444 | 44.178388, 169.551444Blue Moon, 22 | 22 | 160m | 8  |
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Head up Birchwood road up the Ahuriri river for an hour to the canyon creek trail (road has got a bit more dodgy recently, little bit of clearance needed - an outback was fine). You can see the face from the car park. From where the marked trail ends above the waterfalls, follow the cairns up the scree to the base of the route (50m left of foot of the buttress, low 1st bolt). About 4-5 hours walk in from car. 160m / 6 pitches, crux 22. Mixed trad with bolts (single rack up to # 2 camalot) , all anchors bolted with rap rings or chains (although it's much nicer to walk off the back, optional detour to swim in the lake.) Decent camping spot 100m from base of route , we had 3 tents there no problem. Mainly balancy face climbing through generally good rock, although there are still some loose bits around. Best climbed in the morning while the suns still on it before it gets too cold!
Pitch 1 - 25m, grade 20, 7 bolts & trad Start at cairn, a few metres left of first bolt. Traverse up and right with stemming feet on small holds to first bolt. After 4th bolt move right into crack, good cam placement. Pull through 2 cruxy lips then easy ground to DBA
Diagonally up and right from anchor past 2 bolts to corner with small gear. Up onto the top of pillar, past another bolt. Move up and left from bolt, crux through lip with good cam. Pass one more bolt then scramble up through easy ground, trending right to ledge and DBA
Bolt straight above the anchor then follow the crack. Follow 2 bolts on face above, making balancy delicate moves on small holds. Clip a long sling to the bolt on your left then head up through the groove and large detached block on the right to the ledge. Step right to the bolt on next headwall. 2 ropes essential to avoid drag. Tricky moves up through more bolts and through left side of small roof. Easy to anchor
Gear in the crack up and left of the anchor, then traverse right to the first bolt. Crimpy face climbing up to the anchor. At the last bolt don’t be tempted by the easy ledge out right - go straight up past the bolt for full value
The money pitch. Up past 1st bolt, then follow crack up and right. Good cam then traverse left on ledge to bolt on arete. Take a breather and take in the exposure, then power up the arete past and mantle onto ledge. Head right and up to next ledge up large crack / block. DBA on your right on next ledge
Short pitch up final headwall with good gear in horizontal cracks. Top out with trad anchor. Easy walk off, follow cairns through tussocks back to camp. Optional swim in the lake on the way down. Good bivvy spot 100m from base of route with water source. |
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| 44.178388, 169.551444 | 44.178388, 169.551444Iceberg Time Machine, 21 | 21 | 161m | 10 |
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Second line established on the buttress. Shares a start with Blue Moon to get through the first large roof and then peels off left. Slightly meandering and some possible loose rock on pitches 2 and 3. Worth it for pitches 4 and 5 which have sustained and interesting climbing on solid rock, and some fantastic exposure turning the arete onto the summit ledge. While technically easier than Blue Moon, pitch 5 in particular has a more serious feel requiring small gear at the crux. Either rap the line from the top of pitch 5 or continue up pitch 6 to summit, requires trad anchor.
As for blue moon to last bolt. Clip final bolt then traverse left above ledge to chain anchor
Move right to first bolt. Lots of small gear in vegetated crack. Once around corner try and stay on the face on the left on the crack for better rock. After final bolt 10m from anchor trend left up the vague crack with small gear up to DBA under small roof
Follow bolts up and right from the anchor over bulge. Traverse right across a vegetated ledge then head up gully using small gear. Go to the left of the final block for better climbing. Scramble up to the anchor using small gear
Pull through the roof on big jugs with a small cam between the 2nd and 3rd bolts. Extend the first bolt to reduce drag. Follow bolts straight up. Sustained balancey moves.
Start on small crimps just left of anchor then step right to first bolt. Head up through small gear to next bolt at ledge. Crux from ledge with crimps and thin seam for gear to second ledge. First small roof - trend right diagonally up crack and over to ledge and bolt. Final roof past bolt stepping left out onto arete with good exposure and small / medium gear. Exciting mantle move to finish. Scramble up to DBA along flat platform. Either rap route from here, or continue to summit for walk off
Step right 2 meters onto obvious face, avoiding the super chossy gullies immediately above you. Go up seam on small gear to the summit. Trad anchor on summit. Watch for loose rock |
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