Build-up of dirt and vegetation in the main cliff cracks is an ongoing problem – do a little gardening as you rap back down. You should be able to rap off with a single doubled rope from all anchors from Aafnraa to Burning Sky, but beware – it may be more than 25m to actual ground level, so don’t rap off the ends of your rope. There have been several abseiling injuries at the beach.
Routes
Reference | Title | Grade | Length | Pro | Quality | Alert | Operations |
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3 | 3Tainted Love, 19 | 19 | 30m | 7 | |||
This varied face climb deserves a clean and rebolting. |
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3.5 | 3.5Thugs' Veto, 19 | 19 | 0m | 8 | |||
Use the fixed rope on the left to gain the shoulder below Aafnraa and climb the razor flakes. Up the slabs left of Aafnraa crack into a right facing corner capped by a small roof. Make an unlikely smeary move up to the belay ring.
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4 | 4Aafnraa, 18 | 18 | 25m | ||||
The twin defences of nasty rock and a big tree (which fell down in 1997) meant this was the last of the main cliff cracks to be climbed. The unstable pillar at the start has been removed and bolts now protect new routes to either side of this route. Not recommended as a line. |
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4.5 | 4.5Olympus Mons, 20 | 20 | 0m | 6 | |||
Begins off the shoulder beneath 'Aafnraa'. The stacked pillar which was the start of 'Aafnraa' has been pushed off the wall and the scar that was left has been bolted as the start of OM. The starting moves are the crux (20) and then you pull over onto the wall and up easier terrain at around grade 16.
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5 | 5Swiss Version, 21 | 21 | 25m | 6 | |||
Recent rebolting (and repositioning of one of the sandbag bolts, much to Mark’s disgust - ‘it was only a bit run out!’) may see renewed interest in this long ignored face climb. On second thoughts the crux, on rounded lichen-infested slippery holds, may never come back into fashion. Go L after clipping the first 2 bolts of Straight and Narrow. Original finish out R to join Straight and Narrow. Al Ritchie added another bolt to protect a direct finish to the Aafnraa DBB. |
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6 | 6He Iti He Iti Kahikātoa, 18 | 18 | 25m | 4 | |||
An interesting and frequently climbed face route, but a deceptively nasty fall is possible from above the last bolt - more than one injury (including a broken ankle) has been reported due to glancing off the slab below. The scar above this route is evidence of a rock avalanche down the route a few years ago, and a reminder of the tiger country that sits above us on the Main Cliff. |
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7 | 7Keeping on the Straight and Narrow, 16 | 16 | 25m | 3 | |||
The easiest way up the main cliff - a popular excursion. Up loose, vegetated ground to first bolt, then traverse R (crux) past a 2nd bolt to the crack. Finish R and rap off the Wanker DBB. Reasonable pro. A direct start (Dave Brash, 2018), protected by 3 bolts, is an alternative, less harrowing entry to the nice crackline above. |
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8 | 8Call Me Wanker, 20 | 20 | 25m | 2 | |||
The crux move through the roof was previously described as 'exciting...will get the adrenaline flowing'; it now has a bolt at the lip (2018), and subsequently chalk on the holds for the first time in many years. The crack on the headwall is nice too. Alternate access from the left via Straight and Narrow Direct Start. |
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9 | 9Blockhead, 17 | 17 | 25m | 3 | |||
In its former life, this was a scary G 19; after cleaning and some judicious retrobolting in 2018, a lovely lower grade climb emerged. Recommended. Follow L facing corner to overlap (crux), then up the well protected upper crack. Clip the final bolt and run it out on easy ground to the anchor. |
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10 | 10Noxious Vapus, 18 | 18 | 25m | ||||
Poorly protected climbing to the horizontal break (fiddly but adequate pro here), then a committing step R across the inverted V roof before trending L and up. |
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11 | 11Freddy Fudpucker, 20 | 20 | 23m | 4 | |||
Better than it looks. Admittedly, it looks pretty bad. Plenty of bolts see you safely through brown overlaps into the hanging gully. The red fishing buoy hanging from the anchor is a permanent Long Beach fixture which causes much open-mouthed wonderment among Sunday strollers on the beach. |
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12 | 12Where the Boys Are, 21 | 21 | 23m | 3 | |||
Up Freddy Fudpucker past 2 bolts, swing out onto the arete L past another bolt and up the edge of the arete on natural pro. |
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13 | 13Fleet Street, 20 | 20 | 26m | 10 | |||
Great route. Devious crux moves to stand on the sloping ledge (just relax now, you won’t slip off!), then great moves up the twin cracks above. Through the left hand side of the roof to the ledge above and continue direct past 3 more bolts to anchor high up in a corner. |
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14 | 14Lightning Strike, 20 | 20 | 24m | 9 | |||
The arete. Clip the first bolt under the rooflet on Fleet Street or alternatively come in from the right and up the nose onto a sloping ramp. Continue up the arete then out left at the top and directly up to the belay high on the face. |