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West Main

Type
Altitude
1045m

A large crag shortly West (upvalley) of the main borland bluffs, just below treeline. Currently one established climb (Wind sand and stars).

Image
Walktime
1 hr 10min (20 min from Borland bluffs bivvy)
Aspect
North
Lat/lon
-45.743301,167.44399, NZ Topo Map
Approach

From the right side of the Upper Bluff (a few minutes above Puke Point; base of Joyride & Tender... ), follow a flagged track initially 100m across right, then up & right up a forested gully. From the saddle at the top (dwarf beech forest), go right and along the top of West Main crag on a forested ridge. To find Wind Sand and Stars: When it opens out into a small tussock slope, go down the right side of the opening and through steep scrappy beech trees to a DBA on an easy slab at the top of the cliff (exposed).

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Routes

Reference Title Grade Length Pro Quality Alert Operations
WSS WSSWind Sand and Stars, 21 21 70m 5
1.02

Crag: To get to West main, follow a flagged track 15minutes from puke point / upper bluffs, up and right in a forested gully to a saddle. Turn right and walk west along a forested ridge, across the top of the crag.
To find Wind Sand and Stars: When it opens out into a small tussock slope, go down the right side of the opening and through steep scrappy beech trees to a DBA on an easy slab at the top of the cliff (exposed). Abseil in, staying on the arete (walking to the base has no track and is more involved. There is potential to develop an access route up a crack in the forested crag below). There is a midway station, and the route can probably be descended in 2x30m abseils, however they may be rope stretchers and our memory fails us - tie knots in your rope ends!

Route: A quality 2 pitch mixed pro route, offering strenuous crack and thin face climbing.


  • P1
  • 19
  • 35m
  • 3
  • Trad

From the flat ground at the base, start up a left facing corner by a small beech tree, then move powerfully up the right wall and follow face climbing up lower angle rock up left to the arete, and more steeply up this to DBA. Exact grade, bolt number and length not remembered, probably 19/20.


  • P2
  • 21
  • 35m
  • 5
  • Trad

Climb up and right from belay, then jam up the sweet hand/fist crack through the bulge above. From the top, follow five bolts up the thin face right of the arete (crux) to the top. Exact grade, bolt number and length not remembered, probably 21.


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Comments
UUID
 
36f0ee6b-0da8-4bff-9f0d-e50e82858d36