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

Abseiled into pitch 2 from the Jugzilla anchors. It's OK, though the crack is likely to be quite dirty. Would be a good beginner lead.

First 22 onsight, maybe it's a little soft? Fun climbing, just enough features to keep it all together.

Somebody had to finish it. Only just, but. Didn't see the attempts from Magnus or Colin, but draws already on up to the ledge.

Second ascent I think. Enjoyable, more sustained than Pigs In Space. Crux may be easier if you are taller than Bryce. Colin succeeded on top rope.

Enjoyable, but bolting seems a tad runout. Not sure how it is supposed to finish, left to top bolt of Jug Addiction, or right into top of Hugs not Drugs? Straight up over the bulge would be harder than 20 for sure.

Pleased to get this, spent a lot of time balanced on my toes working out the moves on the top slab. Similar in feel and difficulty to the top crux of Great Scott.

Claiming onsight for the slab (previously onsighted the top on gear out of Lolly Scramble), with no use of the LH crack. Balancy, mono stack fingers and tiny feet. I rather like it.

Some sharpish holds, need to keep moving.

Never been on this. First bolt felt high, then just keep it going on smalL but not tiny stuff. A little overhung, good body position will help.

This is pretty cool, a long rising traverse with some thinking moments. Still a bit grubby and gritty, and some fragile holds. Didn't need quite that many bolts. When the dust settles it'll probably be 19 and 2 stars.

Face a bit strenuous on sharp pockets, arete is nice

Pretty hard for an 18...

Absolutely outstanding, a must-do. Had been saving the onsight attempt for a couple of visits now, stoked to get it. Not as hard as I expected, there are a number of no-hands rests and face holds apart from the crack. Taping up is a good idea to take full advantage of the many great fist and hand jams. Eats hexes!

Ran into Gerard Tarr on the way down, who had been up completing new pitches above, Hecklers multipitch, woo!

A pleasant jug haul, join the queue. Just did the first pitch then abseiled into the second pitch of ThunderGod.

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.

Great finish for the trip. Would say mega-classic if not so heavily retrobolted. 1st pitch a bit average but cave and top pitch are terrific. Led under time pressure mostly on gear with trad anchor below the chimney, used 2 bolts on P1 (still damp down low), 1st 2 on P2 (maybe some pro available), one before 1st overlap on P3 (probably pro but keen to move on). Top pitch more like fun 17-18 most of the way, engage your brain at the top overhang, sling the obvious thread then find the jugs. Wow.

Good gear all the way, a hex in the top crack works nicely, good hand and fist jam through the crux. Some loose flaky stuff out right.

Not bad. Pretty sure I've never been on it.

The tree has grown a bit, will take secateurs next time. Good balancy stuff.

Fun monkey dancing on good pockets out to the arete, crux getting onto the slab above.

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).

May have used a feature or two from Fuggin’ Jet Skis, but if those aren't in it's a bit bloody contrived. Frankly these are squeeze routes anyway, just one would have been better, and this also arguably retrobolts the trad line. Meh.

Reasonably grunty crux, nice airy arete. Thought possibly hard 18 but seems everyone disagrees with me on that, maybe just having a good day.

Or this. Fun past 1st bolt in overhang, then keeps you working for a bit.

Bottom felt a bit dicky, but as usual it's the small pockets that are good. Eases toward the top. Too short to be worth a star.

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.

Bloody good, highly recommended. Much cleaner than I was expecting too. An easy warmup cruise up most of Raw Umber lulls you into a false sense of security, then get your runout trousers on for the tricky arete crack (or take a couple of finger size cams). Then it's time for the main game, up the black-streaked corner. You can step across left to a good rest, but getting back right will be tricky if that's where you want to go. Spent a good long while figuring out how to keep moving up on the left and didn't want to leave the rest, but it's all there at the grade. Easier to the top, then best rap down is to the Raw Umber anchor.

Neat off balance traverse in the middle, and it's not all over after that. Would benefit from a scrub.

On the soft side of 19, unless the left arete isn't in.

The least sustained of the three 19s. Short crux above the detached block.

Watch the rope drag

Save your strength for the overhanging top section. Bloody good.

Pretty easy until the end. Mind the gorse!

A good adventure. Some fun 3D moves, some root climbing (and slinging), some loose blocks, and a balancy bulging finish straight up left next to the wall with small pro will get your heart pumping. Deserves a star.

Scary. Attempted as described in the guide, with no protection for the balancy moves up the slab until established in the corner 10m or so up. That was a bit tense, would probably clip the first 2 bolts on Great Scott next time. Thereafter through the corner the gear is smallish, stances quite spaced and not all of it is ideal. Got quite run out bridging and laybacking.

Good but not as good as it looks. Richard is better.

Overgraded, more like 17. One nice move on the arete.

Pretty sure I have never been on this. Sharpish holds, some high steps, not a soft touch. Possibly drifted a bit too far towards arete near the top.

No easier than the 19 next to it. Both are soft.

Good fun, jammy start, exciting wee traverse, nice moves above. Ball nuts were handy. Not sure its 19 though.

Really a lot of fun. The steep groove is considerably easier than it looks, and the roof finish is great juggy fun, onsighted that. Think about the hand/clip sequence, then work your feet. Phil did Tiger it seems.

Nice long slabby route, good moves, great exposure on the arete. Recommended.

Short but good, good pro, and clean enough. Balancy mid section makes gear placement a bit delicate, got a tad run out. A fun fight.

Really nice route with a thoughtful crux around 2/3 height, easier up until then.

The crack tends to collect dirt and leaf litter but currently still OK. The crux straight off the deck is fun, decent gear most of the way, top dihedral a little tricky, top out a bit dirty. Got off just as the sun started to hit around 1pm, well planned solar management.

Bomber hand & fist jams and good gear in the first half then the top tricky dihedral is the crux. I'd forgotten small cams but managed to get a couple of small nuts in. Horrified to find I'd somehow clipped through my dangling safety, watched the nuts rotate as I contorted past them nervously. This is pretty good!

Bouldery start, the low bolt is not at all silly. The weetbix out right is sufficiently disturbing. Softish 18.

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.

Can't remember ever being on this. Don't come off getting to first bolt.

An absolute treat. Keeps you thinking right to the end. Definitely not 19.