Pinnacle Backside

Type

Altitude

Part of

Good climbing in the Jumping Jellyfish area is often unfairly ignored due to its dark aspect. The remainder of the backside has little to recommend it. Bob Cunninghame and others ventured onto the backside in the 60’s to climb some of the lines. Bob writes, ‘…they were fairly awful – sandy and loose rock. Seem to remember protection was dubious or non existent!’ The first seven climbs are serviced by a DBB at the apex of the pinnacle, up and left of the manky gully, which sounds suspiciously similar to Bob’s description – don’t climb this!

Aspect

South

Add Place Add Route

Routes

Reference	Title	Grade	Length	Pro	Quality
VE	VEVanilla Essence, 17	17		4	0
P1 17 4 Trad Start off the fallen blocks in the left hand corner. Up the sandy, lichenous wall and on to the face above clipping bolts as you go. A bit of natural pro is now required, small wires and cams, before the route merges with the top section of Scarab - a route just to right of the arete separating this wall from the sunnyside around to the left.
1	1Fundamental Blues, 18	18	20m	9	0
P1 18 20m 9 Trad Cleaned and retrobolted in 2021. Start up Drury Lane and traverse diagonally L on new bolts and up into the groove. Straight up the wall to a new belay on Tombstone Arete.
CJ	CJCaudillos Job, 23	23			0
Begins left of 'Drury Lane' start. Follow the bolts up to the roof and move left under it to the far side. Pull over onto the wall above and either follow 'Drury Lane' cracks to the belay in which case you will needs some trad gear, or angle leftwards on bolts on 'Fundamental Blues'. Equipped by Steve Carr and Murray Judge in 2022. P1 23
3	3Drury Lane, 20	20	22m		2.01
P1 20 22m Trad Superb. Start up Jumping Jellyfish and climb into the cave. Cut loose on the hand traverse out to the L (2.5 friend in the break, well tested by Jeremy in a 12m screamer) to mantle and finish up the headwall.
2	2Jumping Jellyfish, 19	19	19m		2.01
P1 19 19m Trad Up the flakes and thin cracks to handjam then step R into the prominent corner. The first ascent was carried out in sandshoes and without the benefit of the jam crack (later cleaned).
4	4Love Don’t Live Here Anymore, 21	21	22m	3	0
P1 21 22m 3 Trad Incorporates the nice boulder problem start up the pocketed wall. Direct through overlap and to Jumping Jellyfish ledge, then diagonally out L to the arete past another bolt, and finish up Drury Lane.
5	5Cuttlefish, 21	21	8m	3	0
P1 21 8m 3 Trad Graded 19 in the 1987 handbook. Clip the bolt, then frantically hand traverse L until you can gain the Jumping Jellyfish ledge.
6	6The short crack, 15	15			0
P1 15 Trad
7	7Whiskey Train, 19	19	14m		0
P1 19 14m Trad The diagonal crack splits the L wall of the disintegrating block. A large block was removed off a ledge mid way up the climb in 2021 and two bolts were added in its place. Adequate pro.
8	8Blue Suede Shoes, 18	18	15m		0
P1 18 15m Trad Not too bad, surprisingly enough. The middle section is quite interesting and well protected. The crack R of crumbling gully.
9	9Floyd, 15	15	15m	5	0
P1 15 15m 5 Crack on L of Gauntlet wall. Recently cleaned and retrobolted from beach level. A ring belay has been placed at the top of Gauntlet so head right at the top of the crack.
10	10Gauntlet, 19	19	8m	6	0
P1 19 8m 6 Trad The thin crack in the centre right of the brown wall has been retrobolted. Previously it was unprotectable.
11	11Pathology, 21	21	8m		0
P1 21 8m Trad Bulge to face to V corner, all in about 6m. Packs a lot of punch for a short climb – I actually like it. Possibly adequate pro - you be the judge.
	Orifice, 22	22	8m	1	0
P1 22 8m 1 Trad A contrived but hard little problem squeezed in between Pathology and Thunderbox past one old bolt .
12	12Thunderbox, 19	19	8m	1	0
P1 19 8m 1 Trad Greasy layback crack to mantle, or ‘an interesting face climb’, claims Hudson.
13	13Greenhorn, 22	22	7m	5	1.02
P1 22 7m 5 Overhanging wall with tenuous sloping holds. Excellent quality rock. A belay was finally installed by Murray Judge in 2021 and the wall was subsequently retrobolted by Bob Chow.
13a	13aGreenhorn Variation, 20	20		4	1.02
Up Greenhorn then head left to a belay out on the point. P1 20 4
13b	13bIt's All Downhill From Here, 18	18		4	0
Up the right hand edge of Greenhorn wall on good quality rock. P1 18 4
14	14Baked Beans, 15	15	7m		0
P1 15 7m Trad LH route inside chimney.
15	15Squashed Banana, 15	15	7m		0
P1 15 7m Trad RH chimney route.
16	16Sand Bird, 12	12	20m		0
P1 12 20m Trad Hardest at bottom. Easy access to top of pinnacle via seaward arete.
VE	VEVanilla Essence, 17	17		4	0
P1 17 4 Trad Start off the fallen blocks in the left hand corner. Up the sandy, lichenous wall and on to the face above clipping bolts as you go. A bit of natural pro is now required, small wires and cams, before the route merges with

Comments

cvaessen

climbnz_editor

As of 15/02/2024 top of Jumping Jellyfish and others that share this top have been rockfall affected. Bent hangers on uppers of climbs and old cam placements now loose rock. Needs a cleanup

Thu, 15/02/2024 - 14:12 Permalink

UUID

72108869-3ede-457b-83b1-42707f3b60ea