A steep south-facing trachyte cliff, The rock has amazing friction.
Lindsay Main discovered it in 1974, but decided there were less steep things to do on the Middle Sister. Joe Arts did the first two routes, Future Cops and Wages of Fear, both of which are already classics, early in 1994; then later that year Marcus Thomas took an interest. They happened to meet there one day and thereafter collaborated on the remaining of the easier routes during the 94/95 summer. The following summer Roland Foster, John McCallum, and others started working on the harder routes
Find the Track in the bush, and descend down the west side of the crag.
Routes
Reference | Title | Grade | Length | Pro | Quality | Alert | Operations |
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Ongaphile, 26 | 26 | 16m | 7 | ||||
Just right of a gully. Follow the bolts to an abseil chain. Roland Foster '96 |
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Big Red, 28 | 28 | ||||||
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TT | TTTrappic Trip, 22 | 22 | 16m | 6 | |||
Obvious steep line of bolts above tree to abseil chain. The steepest route of its grade on the Port Hills. Then again, it could be 23. Look out for the tree. Clinton Bevan '96 |
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G | GGraft, 22 | 22 | 16m | 7 | |||
Start up first 2 bolts on TT branch out right to estabish self on wall above overhang, uptom rap stn. Grant Piper 05 |
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Twisted Arete, 28 | 28 | ||||||
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DJ | DJDeja Jeux, 26 | 26 | 6 | ||||
Phil de Joux’s old project climb deviously up through the series of rooves
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English Rope Trick, 24 | 24 | 8 | |||||
Start as for “Onga Onga Via Interflora” traverse left past BW & PP before going over the roof & up,the wall just right of DJJ |
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Palm Pilot, 26 | 26 | 7 | |||||
Start as for “Onga Onga Via Interflora” but traverse left past the groove of “Bullworker” left again under the main roof, pull with difficulty into the vague groove through the bulging roof. Finnish up the wall leftwards to then back right to the belay of “Bullworker |
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Age of Enlightenment, 29 | 29 | 8 | |||||
Climbs the main roof at the foot of the crag and joins Palm Pilot above this, follow Palm Pilot to the top. Bolts in the main roof were placed by Tom Adamson. |
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Bw | BwBullworker, 25 | 25 | 17m | 6 | |||
follow OOVI to the first bolt, then head off left under the roof and up. Tony Burnell '99 |
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Onga Onga Left, 25 | 25 | 6 | |||||
An alternative finish to ‘Onga Onga Via Interflora’ from the third bolt
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OI | OIOnga Onga Via Interflora, 24 | 24 | 16m | 5 | |||
The line of bolts with a steep headwall on the left wall of the WOF corner. Start at WOF and move left. Abseil chain. Phil Higgins '96 |
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WF | WFWages of Fear, 22 | 22 | 16m | 3 | |||
Starts off a boulder and goes up a corner on the east side of the cliff through some steep terrain, heading right at the top to a chain. Joe Arts '94 |
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SS | SSSoft Centre, 25 | 25 | 5 | ||||
Start just right of ‘Wages of Fear’ in a right facing corner under a
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SOS | SOSSwing Out Sister, 27 | 27 | 7 | ||||
Start as for Hatched Matched & Despatched to the fourth bolt then move back
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Centre Piece, 27 | 27 | 6 | |||||
In the centre of the crag is an undercut wall capped by large roof, the wall
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OO | OOOnga Ongarangoutang, 24 | 24 | 15m | 5 | |||
A line of bolts leading leftward from the start of TLS through the overlaps to a belay chain. Long arms are helpful. John McCallum '96 |
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The Sharpness Beckons, 23 | 23 | 6 | |||||
The wall and roof right of the John McCallum’s line
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The Last Seduction, 23 | 23 | 13m | |||||
The obvious crack 10 m right of WOF. Somewhat deceptive in appearance. Joe Arts '95 |
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TS | TSThe Stalker, 18 | 18 | 13m | 3 | |||
Start on the right and over a bulge past a bolt (crux) and CD; then left across the wall at the second bolt to finish up arete past another bolt. Bolt anchors. If you start on the left it's 20/21. |
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SDO | SDOSpanish Disco Owner, 20 | 20 | 10m | ||||
Two metres right. Boulder up right arête/chimney (no pro) to the bolt, where the holds take you up and slightly right. Then you can amble up to the top (no pro), or forget the second, traverse left and climb down the chimney, unclipping the bolt as you go. Either way it's not a sport route. Marcus Thomas '95 |
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FC | FCFuture Cops, 21 | 21 | 12m | 3 | |||
Three bolts on a lovely slab. Start to the right and traverse left to the first bolt. Crux at the top where you move rightward past the bolt and up. There's a wire cable anchor around a tree. Joe Arts '94 |
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PP | PPPeer Pressure, 25 | 25 | 15m | 5 | |||
a bolted line up the blind cracks and groove on the red wall left of Constant Craving. Tony Burnell '99 |
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S&S | S&SSloper & Sloper Inc, 22 | 22 | 18m | 3 | |||
Start about 2m right up a vague arete below the ledge (committing and unprotected), then up fingery wall (crux) past the first bolt and on to the slopers waiting at the top. Easier for the tall. Take care between the bolts, as the ledge is not far below. Currently the anchors are a problem (as if you didn't have enough already). |
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Surf Lost, 17 | 17 | 18m | |||||
Onto the ramp just right of SSI and climb the obvious crack above, with a committing move on its right arete. Natural pro. At the top move right to the chains at the top of EOD. Marcus Thomas '94 |
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ED | EDThe Energy of Dogs, 22 | 22 | 15m | 2 | |||
Start as for SL but from the easy ramp climb the crack further right (CDs), then up to the right of the bolts and mantle onto slopers. Abseil Marcus Thomas '94chain. Also has a direct start with 1 bolt thanks to Kev Nicholas |
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GF | GFGrunty Falcon, 20 | 20 | 18m | 1 | |||
From the cave at base of a chimney muscle past the bolt and into an inviting crack. From the ledge climb either the left crack (okay) or the right arete (cool) with good moves. Difficult if any pro on the arête. There's a staunch move leftwards up a short wall at the top to reach the Energy of Dogs abseil chain. Marcus Thomas '94 |
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Meluzina Man, 19 | 19 | 18m | |||||
The corner to the right. Boulder start up bulge to ledge (perhaps easier on the right). Good pro in the crack. Again to the EOD chain. Marcus Thomas '94 |
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Bilge Pump / Tottering Inferno, 22 | 22 | 5 | |||||
Start about three metre right of the arete and the start of ‘Meluzina
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Hard Rain, 25 | 25 | 6 | |||||
tart just right of ‘Bilge Pump’ climb directly up the wall to gain a good
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SA | SASister Act, 24 | 24 | 4 | ||||
Start just left of ‘Killing Capitalism With Kindness’. Using small
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The Corner, 23 | 23 | 3 | |||||
Start as for “Killing Capitalism with Kindness” at the first bolt
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Killing Capitalism with Kindness, 20 | 20 | 13m | 4 | ||||
A great climb,Now isn't potentially fatal. 4 bolts with hangers lead up the excellent wall. Interestingly after John had replaced the top bolt he went to remove the hanger and the old bolt sheared with with the first crank of the spanner so beware of rusty aged bolts! Possibly best to finish up the last moves of The Corner(at about 21) as a better line enabling the draws to be retrieved. The bottom part of The Corner is overgrown and damp, perhaps best left alone. Marcus Thomas '94 |
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More Perverted Than Twisted, 27 | 27 | 4 | |||||
Steep climbing up the inverted staircase and hanging flake between ‘Killing
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DS | DSDebris Slide, 18 | 18 | 15m | 4 | |||
Now has 4 bolts, but take a cam(about 1 Friend size) to protect the moves to the third bolt. Chain and ring at the top Start up CFR (using the bolt) and traverse left to a good ledge, climb straight up from 4th bolt to anchor. |
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CF | CFCock in a Frock on a Rock, 22 | 22 | 15m | 5 | |||
The name had to be used! Starts in a pod and goes straight up to a bucket past bolts; move right to top out. Has been morally reformed with 5 new bolts and hangers, a good clean up and an extra anchor bolt. However cross-dressing still recommended. Strenuous. Joe Arts '95 |
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Making Losers Happy, 17 | 17 | 14m | 3 | ||||
From the base of the tree 6m right, up the groove past two bolts (tricky), then left past the cave (it's too small to hide in) and bolt to exit at the very top of the arete. A little crumbly but a great finish. Anchors are well back, using bushes, but hopefully a chain will be installed soon. Marcus Thomas '95 |
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Pigs in Zen, 24 | 24 | 12m | 3 | ||||
Jon will get around to it one day. The wall 2m right. |
Images
Climbs by Tony BUrnell added in
Topo By GRant Piper