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Cwag W

Type
Altitude
300m
Part of

This is the large orange lichen-covered cliff above the path 50m west of Crag X.
A band of poor rock low down corrupt the otherwise good solid rock with adventurous climbing and at over twenty metres, the routes are of reasonable length. There are now top belay bolts.
The short steep wall left of Gorgeous Groove will produce a couple of problems which will be low on pro.
There has been a number of climbs described below, some have disappeared in the earthquakes.
Allan Hill and friends put in trad routes in the late 90s, since then the crag has been abandoned, currently the crag is getting modernised, with routes that carry on through the the length of the crag.

Image
Walktime
10 mins
Aspect
South
Lat/lon
POINT (172.733643 -43.590556)
Topo50
BX24 785 736
Access

Approaches
The simplest approach is from the Summit Road at the Major Hornbrook Track, as for Lyttelton Rock, and walking along the bluffs track. However this is quite long. The fastest approach is to park on the Summit Road about at the macrocarpa trees and walk south across Richmond Hill Farm, Southwards along the vehicle track to the gun implacements, go to the right hand end (west) and pick up and follow, the track that drops downwards over the crest of the ridge, (towards Lyttleton Rock).

Add Place Add Route

Places

Type Name Alert
Sector Crag V

Routes

Reference Title Grade Length Pro Quality Alert Operations
 Gnarly Stools, 16 16
0

  • P1
  • 16
  • Trad

Climbs the left arête of the wall to the left of Gorgeous Groove, gained from the blind crack in the lower tier (starting around to the R makes the grade a more consistent 14).


 Three Blind Mice, 19 19
0

  • P1
  • 19
  • Trad

Climbs the wall just L of Gorgeous Groove, past a small shrub. The headwall is much steeper than it looks, with fairly good gear improving towards the top.


PJ PJPeanut Butter & Jam, 19 19 25m 6
0

  • P1
  • 19
  • 25m
  • 6
  • Trad

Found on the quake scar. Starts on a ramp of porous rock, go up the corner then onto the traditional splitter crack to the top of the climb


RH RHRight Hexit, 19 19 25m 3
0

Climb Welease Woderwick past the first two bolts, move up past a third bolt and cross the arete on your left at the large overhanging pocket. Exit right up the crack system to a DBA.


  • P1
  • 19
  • 25m
  • 3
  • Trad

Start on the right edge of the quake scar, stay right of the arete, for 10m. Go back left over the arete, then follow the crack system for the rest of the climb to the DBB.


WW WWWelease Woderiwick, 22 22 25m 8
1.02

  • P1
  • 22
  • 25m
  • 8

At the left end of the main face. Start at staple and gain the ledge. Veer rightwards going to left facing corner, when capped by the roof go rightwards onto the face, then through the overlap and on the band of pocks. Carry on up to the overhung right facing corner the exit out left to finish the last 5 metres of Right Hexit, to gain the anchors. Powerful moves.


PL PLPlum Line, 21 21 25m 7
2.01

  • P1
  • 21
  • 25m
  • 7
  • Trad

Excellent sustained climbing. Uses a portion of the original Quail route (done by Allan Hill 1999) Start up directly to the fuchsia past the 1st staple . Move L and up left of a large flake, then slightly R and bridge over a void, to a bulge. Over this, and through notch to knobbly wall. Up to corner system, (2x 15-20mm cams) follow L-wards onto slopping ledge then negotiate the head wall via small corner, finishing at the double rap station in the LH facing corner


FC FCFlying Circus, 22 22 25m 7
2.01

  • P1
  • 22
  • 25m
  • 7
  • Trad

Goes through sections of the Quaker route. "And now for something completely different. " 3 cruxes of entertainment. Start left of the 1st staple, veer right to the traditional corner. Aim leftwards and up though the overlap under the split roof. Make your way through the roof, onto the ramp, then up the left facing corner onto the ledge. Clip the 6th staple, place a #8 wire above and to the left. Hit the lay back and onto the roll over to the rap station.


Qk QkQuaker, 22 22
2.01

  • P1
  • 22
  • Trad

Superb climbing on good rock. Start just R of Quail at the fused block behind a bush. Up to OH at 4m, move R into corner (bomber wires). Climb up and step L to slab (cams), then layback the OH via the arête. Move L to OH below bush, over the bulge, move R and finish up the overhanging corner.


PB PBPeaky Blinders Orders, 18 18 25m 8
0

  • P1
  • 18
  • 25m
  • 8

Start up the grey wall, past 3 staples. where the climb steepens up veer rightwards to haul on the positive holds, then work your way into base of the gully. From there exit out the left wall of the gully, then up the series of steps to the rap station.


HB HBHeavy Boson, 20 20 25m 5
0

Start underneath the bulbous growth, up short overhanging wall followed by a pull onto a slab. After clipping the 3rd bolt on PEAKY BLINDERS ORDERS traverse right into a deep crack which ends in an overhanging wall.
Trad gear - small to large cams & wires - are required for the top and middle of the route.


  • P1
  • 20
  • 25m
  • 5
  • Trad

Sc ScScorpion, 18 18 25m
0

  • P1
  • 18
  • 25m
  • Trad

Go to the grassy ledge above where the track goes downhill. Start on the huge chickenhead low in the wall and squirm up onto the slab. Move R into the cleft then straight up. Mantle up through the ledge/wall system at the top. Spaced pro.


Gg GgGwabingo, 18 18 18m 4
0

  • P1
  • 18
  • 18m
  • 4
  • Trad

Goes up a short wall past 3 staples intoa small crack to gain a ledge. Clip the 4th staple, then move leftwards on the ledge, and then up the left facing corner and onto the right side of the pillar, using the crack for wires. Finishing up the ramps to the rap station


OP OPOrange Peel, 16 16
0

  • P1
  • 16
  • Trad

Start up and L 10m, before vegetated gully. Up by orange steak, then up and LW through small notch to base of wide slanting crack. Avoid this on the R, then past tree to top.


FGD FGDI fart in your genewal diwection, 15 15 20m 7
0

Share the 3 first bolts of Gwabingo, then traverse rightward. Climb centre/left of the 6th bolt, then finish on the prow.
The belayer can use a sling to safe himself to a prominent horn as the bottom of the crag is steep and bushy.
Takes at least 1 day and 1/2 to dry, the red lichen is very slippery when wet.


  • P1
  • 15
  • 20m
  • 7

CM CMCoconuts Migwation, 16 16 20m 8
0

Same as FGD, climb right of the 6th bolt, then steep finish on a small depression and roof. Good holds though.


  • P1
  • 16
  • 20m
  • 8

 Flamin’ Glory, 15 15
0

  • P1
  • 15
  • Trad

The separate buttress some 15m to the R and lower down. Undercut start below the incut square hole, trending up and leftwards to finish left of pointed block. Large sling for block, and wires.


 No Future, 16 16 22m
0

  • P1
  • 16
  • 22m
  • Trad

Start on the short steep knobbly white wall about 5m R of GG then up into the R-facing corner with two bushes and up onto the ledge. Move R up the wall and crack and exit on the arete. Good pro where it's needed. Phil Stuart-Jones '95


 Storeman Norman, 20 20
1.02

  • P1
  • 20

Start just R of the foot of Gorgeous Groove. Through a roof to slab below large hole (bomber wires #2-4 on right). Traverse R a few moves, then up the arête. Move back L to climb the LH OH. (A direct version goes straight past the hole to the OH on good holds, but poor protection).


 Death By Apathy, 19 19
0

  • P1
  • 19
  • Trad

Start 4m to the R by red incut. Over bulge to ledge, up wall to gear placements in L-facing corner above shrub. Traverse up and L to join and finish as for No Future.


 Gorgeous Groove
0

Images

Comments
cragrat
content_editor

Less of it fell down than I expected. Good to see you tying it together with bolts Grubbie

Sun, 04/11/2018 - 06:21 Permalink
Attribution
Lindsay Main, Allan Hill (guide that has surfaced after nearly 20 years.)
UUID
 
c70a8172-d8cf-44a8-8c4c-339ca930321f