South Face | ClimbNZ

Type

Part of

These slabs do not hold too many exciting options for winter climbing usually due to their lack of ice,
however being very compact the rock is excellent for climbing on a hot summers day. There are plenty of potential projects and unexplored terrain here.
On the ridge leading up to the summit of Single Cone you will find a small walled bivy. From the bivy follow a small ledge for 5m that overlooks the face. Here you will find the top of a bolted rappel line. This takes you to down to a point approximately 30m from the base of the face – directly above an obvious snow patch. Be careful on the second to last rap as its approx 61m. At some point, this will get fixed up but for now knot your ropes and be careful. The following two routes start here:
The lower tier of the ice flow is equipped with a number of double bolt anchors that can be used for top roping and to enable an abseil descent to be made with one 60m rope.

Aspect

South

Approach

Access to the face is gained by hiking up to Wye Saddle, above Lake Alta, and then crossing the plateau below the east face of Single Cone to a low point at the base of the ridge running above the South Face. From here an obvious large gully provides easy access down to the base of the
face.
The face itself is trapezoidal in shape and varies in height from 150m at its eastern end, rising to nearly 300m below the summit of Single Cone. All of the climbs that top out on face have an easy walk off back across to Wye Saddle.
Note that in general the existing routes which have only been assigned a numeric rock climbing grade are yet to receive a winter ascent.

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Routes

Reference	Title	Grade	Length	Quality
97	97Hundred Dollar Whore, M5	M5	0m	0
Nine pitches. Start up a right-facing gully system which leads into a series of short mixed corners. Follow this via steep snow/ice tending left towards ridge line. Exit via the upper headwall. P1 Mixed M5
98	98Alejandro El Bicho Le Gusta Sexo Duro		350m	0
8 pitches P1 350m M5+. 8 pitches. Climbs the obvious steep corner/chimney system approximately 100m left of Touch Down. The crux of the route is on the lower two pitches up the chimney before the angle lies back slightly. Six more pitches at grade M3-M4 lead directly up to the ridge.
99	99Single Cone South Face, 17,M4	17,M4	0m	0
P1 17 Mixed M4 Start up an obvious corner; to the left of the major left hand ramp that bisects the face. Continue up directly to cross the ramp and climb through several small overhangs, crux, before tending slightly left on easier ground. The lower face was clear of snow and was climbed on typically sound rock while the upper half was plastered in snow and ice and had to be climbed as mixed. On the upper face when the gradient eases tend slightly left and top out below & left of Stairway to Methven.
100	100Only for Muppets, WI3	WI3		0
P1 Water Ice WI3 A short ice pitch which forms during good winters.
101	101Touch Down, WI3	WI3	60m	0
P1 Water Ice WI3 60m An absolute classic, and a must for the area which forms consistently every year. The top of the route is equipped with a double ring bolt abseil station for the descent and/or top roping.
102	102Touch Down RHS, WI2	WI2		0
P1 Water Ice WI2 Right to left tending ice ramps that traverse into the top of the Touch Down flow.
	Eclipse, WI2,M6	WI2,M6	125m	0
P1 Water Ice WI2 Mixed M6 125m Trad a ‘large corner up above the right-hand side’ of Touch Down on the south face of Single Cone in the Remarkables, according to Ben. After climbing the ice to the start of the corner, the second and third pitches follow the corner system before the route veers left ‘through steep mixed ground’ to reach ‘the crest’ of a rock spur, which divides Touch Down’s waterfall ice.
103	103Project		0m	0
P1 From top of Touch Down direct to the summit ridge.
	Mixed ambition, WI3,M5	WI3,M5		0
From top of touchdown tend right and up to the ridge P1 Water Ice WI3 Mixed M5 Quite engaging slab climbing with marginal protection that in typical conditions requires some digging. Likely climbed before 2018 but can't see any record
104	104South Face Classic, WI3	WI3	300m	0
P1 Water Ice WI3 300m A great introduction to alpine climbing on the south face, which climbs the ice of Touch Down before following left tending snow ramps to the ridge. Has seen several retreats and at least one rescue. Solo first ascent.
105	105Littlewood Route, 18	18	0m	0
P1 18 5 Pitches. Follows a line climbers left of the rap line.
	Barretts Route, 18	18	0m	0
Five pitches on the right-hand slabs. Takes a line to the left of the abseil line used to get to the bottom of the face. P1 18 Trad
106	106Got No Shoes, 17	17	0m	0
P1 17 Trad 5 pitches. Slightly further to the right of the abseil line.
107	107Finnigan Dare, 18	18	250m	0
P1 18 250m 7 pitches. Start out up an easy corner to the right of the winter ice lines before traversing left along a wide ledge. Climb the wall above the ledge via an obvious slightly overhanging crack, crux, before continuing up predominantly slabby, but easier, ground above. Tend slightly right at the base of the final headwall to reach the top of the face.
108	108Project		0m	0
P1 Rap, or walk, in to the base of the two rock routes above and start up wide corner system heading to the ridge. This could potentially form up in winter as well, although it will involve some long run out slab sections.
109	109Project		0m	0
P1 Ascend the obvious right slanting chimney before continuing for approximately four pitches to the top of the face. It is unknown whether the line has been extended for the full height of the face.
110	110Uncle Al’s Retro Rack, 17	17	0m	0
P1 17 Trad 4 pitches. Pitch 1, start up right of the chimney and climb nice cracks until the slab steepens and gear runs out. Step right and continue up, more gear appears after 10-15m, to a double bolt belay. The origin of which is unknown however it appears to be for top-roping on the nice slab right of this route. Follow ledge system right then straight up three more easy pitches to the ridge line. This four-pitch route begins on some nice cracks before climbing a slab to an existing double bolt belay, then moves right up a ledge system then to the ridge.
111	111Blame the Rabbit, 18	18	0m	0
Start up the flake of Big Bouncing Boulders, before continuing up and slightly left on steep ground where the original line tends right. Climb featured slabs right and through two steep steps before straightening and angling up to the ridge. P1 18 Trad
112	112Big Bouncing Boulders, 17	17	0m	0
Start up the flake of Big Bouncing Boulders, before continuing up and slightly left on steep ground where the original line tends right. Climb featured slabs right and through two steep steps before straightening and angling up to the ridge. P1 17 Trad
113	113Easy Shanking, 18	18	170m	0
P1 18 170m On the far right of the slabs; exiting near the access gully. The route tends right for three pitches then straightens up for the final 20m.
	4VLOLZ			0
Takes the left side of the pinnacle on the face, starting up a gully right of Stairway to Methven, and a small left facing corner left of Sunset on Single, then steep blocky terrain to top of pinnacle.
97a	97aFifty Dollar F#ck, M5	M5	0m	2.01
Fun, engaging climbing. Much like the other routes around here, the meat is in the first two pitches and the potatoes take you to the top. Climbs the left side of the buttress that juts out before the ridge that separates the south and west face. Alejandro etc. etc. climbs the right side of this buttress. P1 Mixed M5 Blocky bits lead to the base of an obvious corner. P2 Mixed M5 Stem and hook your way through the corner (crux) topping our on a sweeping right tending snow ramp. P3 Mixed M4 Continue up pitches 3–7, keeping left to gain a subtle ridge passing several steps of M4 between moderate ground. Simul-climbing will speed things up. Keeps it coming until the top!

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Comments

Attribution

Material extracted from "REMARKABLES ICE & MIXED FESTIVAL ICE & MIXED GUIDE," 2012 (except for Barrett's Route). Edited and posted with permission.

UUID

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