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Jimmy Cliff

Type
Sector
Part of
Diamond Lake

Jimmy Cliff used to be described as an adventurous arena with old-school attitude – so old-school it might as well have been alpine climbing. In fact one route did vacate the cliff rather like the East Face of Aoraki did. One of the bolts can still be seen sticking out of a huge boulder next to the access track. Roll on a decade or so, traumatised memories have faded with age, and some of the old school are at it again. This time Jimmy Cliff is maturing into one of the better crags around and thoroughly worth the walk.

Rights credit
Wānaka Rock 2021
Rights
Copyright Wānaka Climbing Club and New Zealand Alpine Club
Walktime
35 min
Approach

From the Diamond Lake car park, walk up the Rocky Mountain track. Five minutes after the Diamond Lake viewing platform there is a turn-off to the right to the Lake Wānaka viewpoint. Turn left instead towards the obvious looming crag and follow the climber’s trail into the bush.

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Routes

Reference Title Grade Length Pro Quality Alert Operations
1 1Just High, 18 18 15m 3
0

Traverse up and left, then up again.

  • P1
  • 18
  • 15m
  • 3
2 2High Tide, 19 19 15m 4
0

A black wall.

  • P1
  • 19
  • 15m
  • 4
3 3Havana, 21 21 20m
3

Wānaka’s best hand crack is unmissable, through two rooflines and requiring loads of medium cams and wires plus long runners. No fixed anchor: abseil from small trees. Adventure climbing!

  • P1
  • 21
  • 20m
  • Trad
4 4Closed project
0
5 5Closed project
0
6 6Closed project
0
7 7Move Over & Let Me Dance, 23 23 18m 7
2.01

Approx 10m right of Havana—a bouldery start onto the well-featured wall and roof just right of the corner.

  • P1
  • 23
  • 18m
  • 7
8 8Closed project
0

Start from the ‘Ellis step’, a ledge accessed by climbing right up the hand line. The left side of the black prow.
9 9Closed project
0

Start from the ‘Ellis step’, a ledge accessed by climbing right up the hand line. The right side of the black prow.
10 10Where to Put a Putaputaweta, 23 23
0

A huge block has fallen out of this route. Yikes!

  • P1
  • 23
  • m
  • Trad
11 11Revival, 23 23 40m 14
3

P1: (23, 14B) Start from a small grassy ledge to a short slab and then pocketed rock to belay under the overhanging corner. Take some extenders. P2: (21, 6B) Airy, from the belay swing out left and up the exposed corner and arête. Can be done as an epic single pitch with a bunch of long runners.

  • P1
  • 23
  • 40m
  • 14
12 12Many Rivers To Cross, 25 25 25m 14
2.01

Start just left of the fixed cable. Up pockets to power left up the grey bulge and belay under the white roof.

  • P1
  • 25
  • 25m
  • 14
13 13Closed project
0
14 14High Rollers, 24 24 25m 12
1.02

Climb pockets over bulges to a short slab, then up the grey wall to flowstone leading left. Run it out, then move right to the overhanging corner and roof. Find anchors in the airy corner.

  • P1
  • 24
  • 25m
  • 12
15 15Higher Love, 26 26 28m
3

Starts as for Fire On The Mountain and veers left at 5th bolt, climb past unlikely tufa and up steeper ground to airy finish.

  • P1
  • 26
  • 28m
16 16Fire On The Mountain, 24 24 28m
3

Starts on large block mid wall and heads right after 5th bolt. Carry on up through steep juggy groove.

  • P1
  • 24
  • 28m
Comments
This place appears in
Wānaka Rock, 2021
Buy this guidebook
Attribution
Wānaka Climbing Club
UUID
 
192e0cb6-adce-46a6-91cc-2fe19341391b