Ascents in Elephant Buttress

A fine third course to the lichenfest, and actually cleaner than the rest. Good route, well recommended

Pitch two in the smorgasboard of lichenous delights.

Condition of handline and tree it is attached to leaves a lot to be desired.

Considerably less vegetated than claimjumper...

Will clean up with traffic.... Has now been grubbed out and cleaned almost to where it looks a lot cleaner higher up.

Was going to be the first pitch in our three course menu of dirt, however after spending a good hour cleaning the first ten metres or so, and still contending with vegetation, we decided to change tactic. Down aided, and moseyed over to something slightly less grubby.

Towed a #5 up here but it's only really useful to protect the wide start until you get a good high hex. A few jamming/offwidth skills will go a long way. Stays fairly clean, and there's a bolted anchor.

Continuing the dirty 'ol trad research project. Harder than it looks. Didn't hate it.

Rather good. Headed right after first bolt, some sketch getting back on line. Nose bolts a bit tempting. Surprisingly clean for a mixed route.

Vegetated down low, lichenous higher, needs a better clean. If cleaner I think it would be quite good, has a nice physicality to it with some committing moves. Mind the chossy bits at top, but there is gear, and don't miss the anchor out left (the traverse to that is protectable by a #3).

Much better after the clean at the bottom, but a lot of dirt will continue to rain down on it I think. Mind the somewhat chossy stuff up top, though there is good gear to be had. Squeeze between the kōwhai and the rock for a better belay experience, then extend yourself down from the tree anchor. You can rap off the shackles on the hand line and get down to the bottom of Taniwha Crackdown on a 60m rope, assuming you want to trust the hand line.

The initial crack was reasonably clean. Wasn’t worried about the massive apparently detached flake you bridge up after that but did not like the dirty lose gully to the right above it. Chose to walk off the back rather than trust the shackles on the weathered handrail rope for an abseil.

Surprised to see here that I seconded this 2 years ago. I have no memory of that. Climb was very dirty vegetated and lichen covered. Lots of holds if you can uncover them, Also some loose rock. Some good moves. Could be good if it was cleaned up.

bit dirty and mossy but over all a verry fun route run out where its easy and well protected when it gets hard fell 3 times on the crux before finding the right holds.

Terrifying, stay the hell off. Filthy and difficult down low, objectively dangerous up top due to the huge detached death-flake. Much gardening and excavation for gear up the crack, veering left quite often just to climb on lichen rather than vegetation, then tried to stay off the horrifying huge flake as much as possible by bridging and climbing/protecting the right wall, with just one big hex in the flake gap. Topped out around the tree then anchored on the same tree as the hand line (not the shackles), which is quite old but needed for the sketchy walk-off. I will never climb this again, and recommend nobody else does either.

A bit of an evening adventure, starting as far right as possible. Traverse gear is reasonably sparse but you're not far off the ground.

way too hard for me

Had a go on Donovan's draws. Nice 17-ish slabbing until the first overhang, then shut down trying to get past that. Well protected to work the overhang. Beyond me right now.

Easy sport clip-up, not my thing.

It looks a bit shit but there is some decent climbing here, and it's a decent length. The bottom crack is a bit seepy after rain which makes for an underwhelming start, but things improve from there. Not the cleanest thing around but workable. Loose flake out right around halfway.

Really enjoyed this, worth going up there for. The offwidth start is the crux, funky moves and can be tamed a bit by a high fist jam to pull up at the top. Plenty of gear is available up the top section offwidth layback and above. It's all pretty clean too. Big gear - take at least doubles of #4 cams, at least one #5.

An exploratory mission. You wouldn't think a grade 10 slab could be scary, but it's covered in lichen and loose bits of rock and there is pretty much no worthwhile gear. Don't think Rob was very happy on lead. Maybe an option if it was clean, but you're probably a lot better off climbing Irrelephant (the flaring 15) to gain the upper tier.

It's more like 17, and there is a fair bit of lichen regrowth, but it's a cool slabby lead with some nervy moments.

Dirty but still enjoyable.

Nice and delicate in places.

Another interesting climb.

Fun and not as straightfoward as thought. One small cam and lots of nuts, gear needed plenty of extension to manage rope drag, belayed at Elephant Hunting chains (shade) but could have continued. Angela led the short 13 to the top then we soloed (me in liner socks only).