Manhattan Wall | ClimbNZ

Type

Altitude

15m

Part of

This area has only recently been developed - circa 2017
For years bored climbers have stood and stared at the cliffs at the southern end of Long Beach wondering if there was anything worth climbing there and eagerly desiring new routes to throw themselves at. Several people have even ventured through the stinging nettle undergrowth along the base of the cliff only to be put off by seemingly short routes or the unclimbable 5m high dirt base guarding the best looking rock. However, eventually the right hand side of the cliff was rappelled from above and after considerable cleaning (including levering off loose rock above the routes) Mike Simpson bolted several routes in 1998-1999. Murray Judge and Steve Carr subsequently rappelled into the left hand side of the wall in 2017 and development began again in earnest once a via ferrata was established, opening up some phenomenal routes on great rock with excellent exposure. A major downside is that the area suffers from water seepage following heavy rainfalls. Although often dry in winter it is an excellent summer area where you can waste away the hours working on some of the harder lines.

Walktime

5 min

Approach

The best way to the base of the routes is by a rough track beginning from the left hand side of Dragon's Lair and zig-zagging up and leftwards just below the cliff line. Eventually this track reaches the rock face where a via ferrata provides access to the central and left-most routes on the wall. A deviation along a chain and a couple of foot pegs out rightwards near the top of the via ferrata provides access to a further cluster of climbs on the right side of the wall.

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Routes

Reference	Title	Grade	Length	Pro	Quality
1	1Wall Street, 23	23	26m	10	3
Can be climbed in two pitches. There is a ring belay on a spacious ledge a short distance below the top. Grade 18 slab climbing to the upper ring belay. Amazing sheets of solid rock yielding great holds, friction and moves. P1 23 18m 10 Up the via ferrata then traverse leftwards (around grade 18/19) until reaching the chain. Pull along this to the second short chain to the ledge. Room for two. Technical and powerful face climbing above then out right to the corner. Cruxy move straight up then traverse left onto a broad ledge. Now up the fractured wall to a spacious ledge with a ring belay. P2 18 8m 4 Move across to the corner and bridge up to the slab. Delicate moves across to the far side then move back left and up the ramp to the upper ring belay at the very top of the wall. Take care with the sharp edge when rappeling. 30 metres to the ground.
2	2Mother of all Bombs, 22	22	25m	15	3
P1 22 25m 15 Up the via ferrata then traverse leftwards along the start of Rat Pack. Reach around to the chain and follow it to the MOAB belay and ledge at the bottom of a corner. Up this for some technical wall climbing which leads rightwards into a waterworn groove. At the top of the groove, make an unlikely traverse left across the wall on incuts to the far side. Now steeply up the line to the very top of the wall. Alternatively you can climb Rat Pack and abseil down to the starting ledge on MOAB. Some sensational climbing. Take a couple of slings to reduce rope drag.
3	3Rat Pack, 21	21		10	2.01
P1 21 10 Traverse leftwards to a small hanging pillar via some balancey and tenuous moves. Up the pillar to a glue-reinforced flake with a finger lock above then head out onto the hanging slab. Up and rightwards, keeping close to the corner which leads to a ring belay. Continue to the higher belay if desired. You will need to bring up your partner to clean the pitch.
3a	3aRats Arse, 20	20		1	2.01
P1 20 1 The back door to Rat Pack. Up Grand Central before traversing the wall leftwards into the upper section of Rat Pack. One bolt in the middle of the traverse.
4	4Grand Central, 20	20		7	2.01
P1 20 7 Up the rungs to chain. Stretchy moves left to base of a shallow corner. Up into a crack line and onwards to a spacious ledge. Great rock, great moves.
5	5Polaris, 19	19		5	1.02
P1 19 4 Climb the rungs then the finger crack above to a belay on the ledge. P2 16 5 Step down and right around the arete and up the slab. 30m to ground.
6	6The Manhattan Project, 22	22	50m	12	1.02
Arete, slab, wall. This route is just the bomb! P1 20 15m 7 From the top of the via ferrata, move up to the bolt and hand travere rightwards out onto the arete. Some thin balancey moves up the arete to the ring belay. P2 19 10m 6 Up the lichenous slab to a high belay with spectacular views. P3 22 25m 12 The third pitch takes steep rock to the curving overhang, swing left and onto the upper white wall to a belay in the alcove. This top pitch was rap-bolted from the pine trees by Murray Judge and John Hamilton.
7	7Hells Kitchen, 22	22		9	2.01
P1 22 9 Up the via ferrata then rightwards along the chain to the ring belay under a small overhang. Over the small overlap and into the spectacular corner. Easy and enjoyable bridging and face climbing up the lower section until some small crimps provide the sting near the top.
8	8Little Rocket Man, 20	20	20m	11	2.01
P1 20 20m 11 Climb the via ferrata and take the righthand chain to the belay beneath the small overhang. 5 bolt runners will deliver you to the re-belay on the ledge. Best option is to clip the belay with a long sling and continue up the blocky arête to the top, clipping another 6 bolts along the way. 30 metre rappel to the ground.
9	9The Trinity Test, 23	23	15m	10	2.01
P1 23 15m 10 Pull along the right-hand via ferrata then head up the lower section of Little Rocket Man. When you've reached the halfway ledge move the belay right a couple of metres to another set of rings. Head right across the stacked blocks and up into the corner. Exciting climbing to the cruxy, pinched-off top on great rock. Swing out right onto the face to a ring belay up high. Belay here or continue out left and around the corner to Little Rocket Man's upper belay (about grade 18).
	Millennium Hopes, 25	25	18m		0
P1 25 18m The line of bolts directly above the belay. Moving left at the top to the chain anchor. Fairly easy climbing with one hard move.
	Parousia, 21	21	20m	2	1.02
P1 21 20m 2 Trad From the belay chain move L and up the small overhanging face (crux) to LH arete then up and L again to the chain anchor on the yellow coloured rock. Unclipping the first bolt (after clipping the second with a long draw) may be helpful to reduce rope drag.
	Project, 27	27	18m		0
P1 27 18m Trad Project 18m 27ish Bolted line L of the belay directly up to the anchor chain. Medium wire before the first bolt.

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