A big cliff with high commitment factor. The rock quality is mostly excellent but expect some variety, along with some loose stuff. Conditions are best during the warmest and driest part of summer, but expect some dust and grime on the dry water streaks if you’re there early season. Early morning sun warms the rock but the temperature cools down quickly, especially if it is windy.
Drive 25km past the Treble Cone ski field entrance and park at the swing bridge. Cross this and walk downstream for about 20 min. Alternatively, park about 1.5km downstream from the bridge, on grass among the willow trees, just above the confluence of the West and East branches of the Matukituki River. Cross the West Branch: the river is cold, deep and fast, so take care.
Routes
| Reference | Title | Grade | Length | Pro | Quality | Alert | Operations |
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| 1 | 1Matariki, 26 | 26 | 80m | 14 |
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About 20 min walk downstream from the swingbridge, enter the beech forest about 100m from the riverbank and head uphill, traversing to the right till you pick up a track marked with fluro tape. Follow this. P1: (20m, 24) Climb up pockets and side-pulls through the bulge. P2: (12m, 20) Move right and up on easier ground. P3: (30m, 26) Step right and move up on mostly good holds to the crux. Easier climbing follows up a ramp back left. P4: (18m, 23) Up through bulge on excellent rock.
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| 2 | 2Horrible Time |  |
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There is a mixed horrorshow about 30m right of Matariki.
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| 3 | 3Taniwha, 24 | 24 | 213m | ||||
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This route is a fully-bolted sport climb, but access, length and grade give it a serious edge. Expect a competent and fit party to spend most of the day approaching, climbing and descending the route. Take two 50m ropes, ascenders or prussics, 18 quickdraws, two long runners, helmets, DescentTwo 50m ropes are needed. It takes about two hours to the bottom of the route. It is recommended that the first person down back clip the first 2–3 bolts on the steepest abseils.
Up and left on a slab to the base of an obvious corner.
Nice moves up the white corner until it blanks: then go left to a spacious belay.
Left up a steep bulge. Find the undercling, go left and then back right to the anchor.
A steep slab to begin, then angle up left around exposed hanging corners to the anchor.
Angle up right in a steep corner, then round/over the bulging roof on pockets to the anchor. This is abseil station 3 and the first easy way off the route if you need to bail.
Left and up a tricky white corner, and on to a steep, pocketed black face.
Angle up and right through grassy clumps and a corner to the anchor on a slab.
Tricky climbing up the buttress through overlaps to a hanging corner, and then up right. Abseil station 2 is about 10m left. It is possible to climb over to this station from pitches 7 and 8.
Left up steep rock, angling right past a big bulge and exposed moves to finish at the Getting Off Ledge. From here, it is possible to jug 10m up ancient fixed lines (be warned) through the bush to a luxurious and spacious dry bivy (Heaven) at the base of the next cliff above. Back yourself up with a lead rope for this option. Otherwise, have a happy and safe descent! |
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