Routes as trad in New Zealand

Follow the obvious crack.

Climb the corner, then move left along the big flake.

The right hand crack system 3 meters left of the arete. Save your big gear for the top section. An excellent climb.

The obvious corner crack and roof system. Climb the finger crack around two roofs to the double bolt belay.

The classic polished crack. Bolted anchors at top

Follow the corner and crack immediately left of "Shooting in the Dark" to shared anchors.

Up blocks and ledges to gain the small roof block, then jam straight up the crack.

The crack immediately left of The Gecko Groove. 17 if climbed using only the thin crack and face to start.

Climb the diagonal crack up and left.

Climb the low arete to reach the overhanging finger crack, continue up this to the ledge. Watch out for loose rock below the anchor. Once graded 20, this is now a fairly pumpy 18. Another anagram...

P1 - (17, 20m, 6b) climb the black slab, tending right to the anchors.

P2 - (18, 32m, 1b + gear) clip the bolt at the start, then follow the crack. Rock over the right side at the first small roof to the crack on the face. DBA above the tree.

P3 - (18, 30m, gear only) climb the right-trending crack until it disappears, then cross the right arete to another fist crack. DBA on a ledge by a tree.

P4 - (20, 30m, 8b + gear) up the crack to your left leading to some sustained face climbing on bolts. Belay off trees above the DBA.

Traverse right for 30 metres to a DBA at the bottom of a steep, white, bolted arete.

P5 - (17, 20m, 8b) up the arete then traverse right to DBA.

P6 - (16, 32m, 6b + gear) face climbing right of the arete, with some cracks for pro after the 3rd bolt. Tree belay on a big ledge.

P7 - (16, 20m, 6b) climb the slab on your left, past a ledge then right to another tree belay. Belay from here, then carefully scramble right and up (past another tree with rap tat: 35m+ rap from here to bottom of P7) to the base of the headwall. Move 15m right to an obvious wide crack, which is the start of P8.

P8 - (20, 32m, 4b + gear) steep crack climbing into a sustained and overhanging face on bolts. A classic pitch!

Descent: From the top, descend to the bottom of P5 then traverse left past the top of P4 to the rap station above the top of Chink in Shining Armour. Rap to the top of Chink in Shining Armour then down the route to the bottom (triple chain anchors). Can be done with one 70m rope, or an uncut 60m with care.

Gear: A full rack of nuts and cams is essential. Doubles in the Camalot #0.4-#3 range are useful for P2 and 3. Take a few metres of cord to replace tree belays on the top three pitches.

look for a deep recess for the 1st placement, take some large gear for the crux

Climb the crack past a flare to a broken ledge (crux), then up past another to the top of the large flake, finishing rightwards through a notch. A well protected classic - gym climbers note it helps if you can jam!

Follow the obvious flared crack to the left of slab wall. Leads to easy run out scramble. limited protection once you get to the scramble. Double chain anchor.

Head up a thinning crack then step across right to access another thin crack. Possible earlier FA unknown.

The controversial and contrived direct finish on the slabby face has been chopped.

Start up crack to the right of the slab face. First piece can be placed from the ground, second piece from first stable stance . Then go left up the slab face via bolt to place piece in horizontal crack to second bolt and DBC anchor finish.

From the pointy block, climb the left-leaning thin crack and jam the notch to reach the shattered ledge, then proceed up the slab with the crack at left. Apparently you do a "bigglesworth" somewhere but nobody has any idea what that means...

Great climb

Value for money, with 3 cruxes. Climb the low groove to the ledge (crux 1). From the ledge, jam or bridge over the slight bulge (crux 2) and continue up the easier angle slab/crack/groove combination above. Then climb through the bulge and crack (crux 3) to the top. Deserves a star.

Right facing corner crack from hand to fist to offwidth.

Climb to the ledge at the bottom of the corner and crack. Proceed up past the blast hole on the left, then tend right onto the arete and face, up to the ledge. This route has also been climbed entirely using the arete, with the crack for protection only (22). It is possible to traverse carefully to the anchors of Bad Behaviour or Silver Surfer / Orangutang from the top of this, but beware of loose rock above.

Climb the deep groove to good stances, then straight up and exit through the gap between the blocks at top.

A quality route, well equipped with bolts, climbing the buttress on the right-hand side of the Mate. Seven pitches (280m), plus an optional further pitch to the ridge and a scramble to the summit. Take 2 x 50m ropes, a small rack of medium wires, cams to hand size and a dozen quickdraws. Abseil descent is best.

See http://climbnz.org.nz/sites/climbnz.org.nz/files/route/Lucky_Strike_1[1].jpg for topo

Follow the crack over a small roof then finish at the anchor of Morning Coffee.

The right-facing corner and crack system.

The obvious hand crack, take a few #3 cams. Probably quite a hard scary lead if you can't jam.

The fist crack right of "C.J.D Arete", climb the crack direct - awkward at the bottom. Alternatively start as for Mihna and traverse in to the crack.

Steep hand crack with a good start, cruxy centre and widening top to ram's horns belay.

Left hand side of the arete and wall. Has been bolted and chopped multiple times, bold protection up through crack to the left. Or a good toprope can be setup from the bolted 17 to the right of the arete.

The long flake/crack with a small roof low down. Move right around the roof and step up the ledges, then balancy but well protected moves onto the face. Continue more easily up the crack to the DBC belay.

Either: traverse in to the ledge from the right (16, see start of Smash And Grab), climb the right-hand groove (17, see start of Rebuilding Oscar), climb the face (17, shown) or climb the left-hand groove (21). From the ledge bridge up the main groove, past a drill hole (a triple sling will protect this nicely), and over the blocks at the top.

A broken hand crack on the left of a slabby wall. Climb past a small tree up to a large one and double Ram's horns belay.

The deep fire-blackened corner and crack, to the anchor on top of the ledge at halfway. For an extension, continue upwards and right from there at about grade 15 to the rap rings above, or up and left to the anchor above Load It For Me.

The fantastic crack line. Enjoy the surprise mantel to finish.

Climb the inwards corner to the right of "Shooting in The Dark" and left of "Climbing Cracks in the Sun". Some subtle cracks for protection down lower open to a nice wide hex size crack as you get to the crux of mantling before easier ground above. Climb moves right up the easy blocks to the anchors of "Climbing Cracks in the Sun".

Gianna and I managed to dodge the rain and climb "Shooting in The Dark" but the rain returned with a vengeance so we cleaned this route instead of climbing. Named after the a-ha version of Crying in The Rain which I heard the weekend before.

This was the first multi pitch rock climb done on the Remarkables and since the first ascent has been misrepresented in the subsequent guidebooks. Firstly the route is named as per the rights of the first ascencionists as Maori Alphabet and not DB Eh? , that is the punchline! Secondly, from the descriptions other climbers have given me as to where they climbed, maybe if I was asked I could draw a topo of it to set things straight.

1. 50m (14) Start up the consolidated slaps. Belay at chains

2. 50m (12) Up slabs to the right of the chains and then easily up low angle slabs to belay.

3. 55m (15) Up slabs, traverse left under roof and up small chimney. Belay under rooflet

4. 45m (16/17) Pull through one 17ish move over the roof and then easily up slabs to belay in corner.

5. 55m (10) Up past ledge with cairn (this is where the abseil anchor is) till you run out of rope.

6. scramble

7. scramble

Descent Notes:

There are a few different ways down, depending on how you're feeling.

1. Finish off the Grand Traverse and come down the couloir of Single Cone. Pretty good value but doesn't go past the bottom of the route, if you left your bags there.

2. Do a bit of the Grand Traverse, but go down the Grand Couloir which will take you back to the bottom of the route. The scree is pretty loose.

3. Either finish the climb at the pitch five abseil (50m) or scramble back down to it from the summit. After the abeil make your way back to the cliff top above Alta Slabs. Keep to the right (looking towards Lake Alta) and there are a number of chains you can rap off. You can even scramble back to the top of pitch one and rap right back to where you started.

A climb with mixed personalities! First bolt is high! Lots of nuts needed for top.

The obvious long arete visible from the Tongariro Crossing track. Start at the toe of the arete.

1. 30m (14): Straight up the arete following hand and fist cracks until you reach a bulge, then make a delicate move left. Continue up to good belay ledge.

2. 20m (16): Up and slightly left into a shallow corner split by a finger crack. Pull straight up through the middle of this then up through slabby ground to a belay.

3. 60m (10): Up through very broken and sometimes loose terrain, tending left around a large block, then rightwards to finish up the gully at a full 60m rope length. Continue to scramble up and eastwards (toward the head of the Mangatepopo valley) to find the steep grassy gully you can scramble down (it's not the first gully). Be careful not to get bluffed.

Climb the corner between Carpe Diem & Tuatara on gear placed in the crack. Continue up Tuatara climbing the smooth face either to the right or left of top bolt.

Climb the face until you reach the crack on the left side of the pillar. Climb the crack to a bolted belay on top of the pillar.

Start to the left of "My Foot Slipped". Climb the steep crack on the left side of the pillar. Continue directly up for a few meters then step left onto a ledge below a smooth concave face. Climb a few moves up the left side of the face to reach the handrail then traverse right just above the bolt to the nose.

Two fairly run out pitches up the slabs, then a juggy headwall. Bolted anchors at the top of each pitch.

A bridging classic that saw some long falls before the single piton at half height was replaced by 3 bolts. Not quite a sport climb - a good wire protects the moves up to the first bolt.

Up the groove, finish easily by escaping left past the small tree to the anchors of "Shooting in the Dark".

Don't know if this has previously been climbed?

Jam and layback a delightful steep corner crack and smile the whole way up. Double bolt anchor.

The main corner between Wonder and Cathedral Walls

A bit of everything. Bridge and layback start, hand jam middle, face climb top. Take some small gear for the top.

Steep bouldering start to the ledge around grade 18. Alternatively start 3m from the right then walk across the ledge around grade 16. Follow the right facing crack behind the block then climb the face to the anchor.

The long clean right-facing corner hand and fist crack with a small roof halfway. Classic, sustained and very well protected. Abseil to the anchors on Sunset Ledge.

The short corner just before the grassy bank, there is a chain link hanger on the left face at about half height. Climb the crack or face on the left until the chockstone, over and then the left face or squeeze up the crack.

Climb the slabby arete to the right of "I Do My Cleaning in the Rain", leads to a great crack on the left with plenty of placement options. Mantle onto the large ledges and protect the widening crack above to head up to the anchors. You can either stay mostly in this crack, or bridge out left so you can use the juggy edges above.

Spotted the great crack and had already cleaned the widening crack at the top so it was match made in the heavenly sun.

P1: (19) Go up near the right hand arete, moving left at the second bolt then continuing through the bulge to the anchor (6 bolts).

P2: (18) Continue to the obvious finger crack and up to the final anchor. Rappel off or traverse around the exposed arete. No bolts.

Up the groove as for Zag, finish right past two bolts to the anchor of 'I Like Arêtes and I Cannot Lie'.

First bolt installed by unknown, climbed to anchors of dochawi by Mario Hernandez, later extended by running out to the top by Phil Higgins and Dave Ackery, Before finally having an extra bolt and anchors installed. You figure out who the FA is.

The left-facing corner near a Kanuka tree. Bridge and pull through the easy roof, then up and traverse right near the top (don't go between the trees), finishing up The Slot Machine.

Climb the left-facing corner and crack to the bolted belay on the ledge below the bulge. A great trad lead for beginners.

Climb the crack on the left side of the pillar of 'Ogopogo Strikes Back' (17). Good nut placeable from the ground saves your ankles, juggy but somewhat powerful start leads to easier ground above. Plenty of options for cams/nuts, enjoy mantling up at the top.

Climb the technical face on small edges past 2 bolts to a steep finish. Sustained!

Climb the large blocks to the boulder and crack. Protection goes in the crack, you go to the left of the boulder - hexes and nuts work well. Traverse right to the anchors of "Sylvie’s Blast Hole".

Just right of Fowl Play, starting from ledge and tending rightwards.

This line is permanently closed to all climbers

Climb the face to the right until you reach the crack on the right side of the BB pillar. Same anchors as BB.

Start is between Fingertip Face and MV6.Follow the crack,groove,drillhole,up to the MV6 anchors. Good stances for gear placements but a little run out at the top.

Starts in the little alcove behind the tree. Move onto ledge then up the corner.

The short crack facing the sea, Crux is the second section of the crack proper, tree belay back from the top.

Direct start (Dave Brash, 2018): 3 bolts then straight up crack with reasonable pro. Original route comes in from the left (2 bolts) to crack.

Climb to the black shattered ledge, then up the crack with a knuckle-fucking flare through the bulge above. Continue up, moving right toward Silver Airman at the top.

Starts on the face to the right of the waterfall (the slabby jutting out pieces where birds hang around, look for the guano), traverse left under the waterfall and then steel yourself for the big haul up and over!

Top half is a breeze and fun to climb up where the water flows after heavy rain.

Hard start direct into the groove (the ledge on the right is out). Climb the crack to the hanging block then exit left to the anchor above Silver Surfer. Alternately, move right and up the top groove and bulge of Badfinger.

Classic, and not as easy as it looks. Jam the crack or go for the somewhat more desparate layback approach. As for surrounding routes, the start is now considerably easier.

The bolts have been taken out due to the dangerous state of the flake. May still be climbed on gear at your own considerable risk... ( it seems the hangers are back!)

Face crack with very good pro. There is an optional bolt after the ledge but quite useless as the two last meters are just a walk to the anchor.

Climb the blocks then pull through the steeper section to the right of the tree. Easy slab finish to the anchor. Stay left of the arête to avoid the choss and place gear in the thin crack on the left.

Rhubarb direct start.

crux start needs a good spot until the 1st piece of good placement.

Climbs the face up to the first bolt of "Blood Sweat and Sunblock" then traverses left to a diagonal rail. Some big moves lead to the horizontal crack with a bomber placement, then a big move to the lip.

finger crack

Easy slab on small wires, leads to a bulge with a small cam to protect the crux. Named after a mythological creature the Potarta that tickles feet and eats heads, which seemed kind of analogous to a climb with dubious gear and a slab to fall on.

Several metres back on the shelf you top out onto is the anchor to lower off.

Destroyed during the earthquakes.

Start as for Go Up The Waterfall but instead of traversing leftwards under the overhang go straight up to the same anchor. Possible earlier FA unknown.

climb up to underclings and large feet under the overlap feature, clipping a high first bolt and then pulling up to good gear in a horizontal. Follow the flake feature up and right with obvious but sparse gear easily to double modern anchor

Climbs the blocks to the right of 'The South Face', follow the blast hole line towards the anchors of 'Fingertip Face'. Some good placements on the first half, the bolts can be used for a mixed route or there's a small crack with a couple of placements leading up to the anchor.

The serrated finger crack and bridge corner on the face left of Rohan's Little Sister, topping out above its anchors. A good first trad lead, extremely well protected on cams or nuts and hexes. At some point you need to commit to moving across, if you do so at the slot lower down (as per the ground-up first ascent) and just use the crack the grade is about 17.

Start either on the left or right of the pillar (left is 18), follow the main flaring corner up & right to a very cool blast hole. Continue upwards and left to the DBC anchor (shared with Atomic Rooster).