Ascents in Te Ika-a-Māui / The North Island by John Pitcairn

An adventure, AKA "Awesome Mixed Route Vol 1" or "Honey, Ibogaed My Kowhai". The start of DHMK is dirty to the point where the crack is almost hidden. Standing on lichen while digging out a crack ain't awesome. The second pitch (Iboga) looks great and is a terrific intimidating lead, you'll want at least doubles of #2 and #3 cams (which I was well short of), but is let down by some suspect sandy rock at the initial traverse and has a dirty loose top-out. We accidentally sent a couple of sizeable missiles down toward the base of Predator. Awesome yes, but a little dangerous to others. The hand line back to DHMK is a 10m pitch in itself (stay on belay) with dirt underfoot at start and finish, which further detracts (and it's shared with Guardians of the Galaxy). The top pitch of DHMK is much easier, well protected, airy and very fun for 5m at the top while sneaking out the roof.

Pitch 2 feels outrageous, steep and exposed with good gear and mentally a lot harder than Caveman P3. Worth the effort.

One long pitch. Took a while at the bolted crux bit, but got a good rest at the first belay. Trad second pitch is better, well protected, great finger crack approach to the final moves. A bit of Honnolding on the top ledge belay, then around the corner (bolt safety followed by ledge, unprotected step onto a scary wobbly plate, then solo up) for a celebratory peanut slab on top of the Bluff just before sunset. Back to camp at last light, fantastic. Can rap off on a 60m to the higher start ledge.

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.

Great fun and a spectacular position to finish. A bit of lichen after the first belay makes things feel a bit precarious, but the rest of the pitch is clean. Getting dark, forgot to clean it on rap, sorry.

Group Sex Panther. Started up late in the day, led as one pitch with some nervy moments avoiding the loose block at midway. Settled in at sunset for a lengthy belay session bringing up three seconds, watched the moon rise, then we all had a headlamp strobe disco on the ledge. Back to camp around 8.30pm. Thanks to Matt for the extra rope.

Nice lead from Jonno. Great route, reminiscent of Arapiles watchtower slabbing. Left the anchor in place for convenience.

Don't bother with pitch 2. And maybe pitch 1...

Dangle and thrash on top rope. Shut down at the side step to Bad Behaviour. Grrr.

Usual story on top rope. Bah.

Started up Short n Sweet and wished I hadn't, the trad first half of Dani is much cleaner and will attempt that next time. Fine balancy moves through the bolts. Fell off at the last moves off the final bolt to the top holds, but that is probably not the crux once you figure it out. Will revisit.

After watching Blair and Jason work out the moves. A fair bit of dangling but not much thrashing. Somewhat surprised.

A bit of hanging around through the crux but somewhat better than usual.

Several rests.

Quite good. Wants to throw you off balance up the crack, at some point you have to give in and swing onto the face. Not as jammy as it looks. Slung the small tree above the crack, kept going on gear to the highest anchor (beware of ledge fall).

Nearly spat me off at the crux. Had put a cam in the best fingerlock above the horizontal, things got very rattly.

A bit of dirt in the crack dogleg. Put a nut in the jam there, had to remove it and place a lower cam. Skipped all the top bolts, finished to Korimako anchor.

Trickyish start. Didn't float my boat.

Some fun parts, some sketchy parts...

Up to set an anchor above the thing on the left. A tad bushy and sticky around the chain there.

Alzheimers. Forgot the groove start sequence and had to downclimb a bit to rethink and rearrange.

Mildly dicey.

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

Aidan's idea, quite pleased I wasn't leading it, dirty as and very very chossy to the left. Some was sent down to terrify the belayer, much remains up there. Got harness gear well stuck in a small manuka and came off, removed it. Crux is cleanish, very balancy and possibly harder than 18. P2 anchor is a pair of surprise carrots. One strand of access hand line is getting a bit core shot. Memorable in the wrong way. Distracted ourselves with more track fairy work down below.

No time to do the second pitch. Got to use the #5 cam!

Dangle and thrash. Got up eventually, gardening on the way. Needs a serious scrub at top. One to work on.

A very balancy crux and not much gear apart from 2 rusty old pitons and a smallish nut. I like it.

A bit of a thrash around working it out. A couple of the best holds below the first bolt are really rather loose and may make a lead a scary proposition. Top sequence is quite ok.

Tricky crux. Total sandbag, more like 21? Pegs seem still ok ish, somebody led it after.

Once you work out the crux it's not such a sandbag. Turns out there are 2 decent nuts left of the top piton, one good nut below and a possibly adequate ballnut above the first, sooo...

Led on preplaced nuts and ball nut, skipping pitons. Back for a greenpoint next time ha.

How have we missed this? It's great. Close to nailing it first attempt but bollocksed up the move across to the top block. Fun.

A greenpoint of sorts, eliminating the old pitons. Good #3 rock below first piton, #2 ball nut above it, crux moves, then very good #1 rock and optional small brass offset left of second piton. You could skip the ball nut and still be OK I think.

Gear only, without pre-attached draws, which makes the top piece rather more strenuous to place then clip. Bloody great.

Yup its good. Less complex than bad behaviour, nice balancy moves up to the groove then good bridging until you can step across above the wee undercling roof.

Better overall than Frenz, and the bottom moves are harder especially if you stop to get a high piece in before committing.

First pitch is OK, though expect to build a trad anchor. Followed Gareth's P2 caver lead, a pretty hideous and strenous wide thrutch fest. Maybe it's better to go out and layback the left edge of the column?

A play on top rope, didn't have the head or energy to get on lead. Gear looks decent enough, took a bit of time to work out the crux move at 2nd bolt. Quarry moves indeed! Will be back for this.

Not bad. Didn't use the bolts. There is a shallow but OK nest of 3 micro nuts and a #0.2 cam left of the crux bolt, a good stance to place those before you tiptoe around the nose, then a good #1 nut after the crux before you head up 2m of easy climbing to the anchor. No runout. I call 17, in no way is this 18/19.

Another TR burn, a short sit to remember the crux. On the lead list.

First lead attempt. Aborted the crux moves (and my hips), then sorted the angles out but fell off onto a #3 ball nut above. Finally climbed thru to easier ground. Ball nut took some removing. Needs a scrub before next go, moss and pine needles made life more difficult.

Off the dog list. Tetchy start sanitised by a ball nut. Big palm off compression move at the crux for me, another ball nut then smoother sailing. A bit green here and there.

Quite a bit trickier than it looks, and really good. Some difficult off-balance jamming through the corner, then eases up top. A full double rack is overkill unless you want to stitch it up, but doubles of 0.4 thru 1 may be handy. The 2 bolts are just an annoyance.

Terrific climbing, not too run out and there's no doubt gear I missed. Nervy moment after first bolt when I pulled a sizeable sharp flake off while starting the crux. Pockets full of wind-blown sand so missed those for cams, will remember a brush next time. Big overhanging chockstones at top a bit alarming. Must do again!

Been quite a while since I was on this. Semi-spanked.