Ascents in Waikato by John Pitcairn

Faces getting a bit slimy either side after rain but the crack interior is clean, brushed a few face footholds. Made it to the ledge after a sit on a #4, realised I needed more #3s for the top, couldn't fidget a decent hex in, backed off and retreated from the Cafe Hands anchor. Seems pretty good, will return with more gear.

ACAT working bee. Dogged/aided while dirty, then scrubbed clean. Didn't have the energy or will to re climb it, must return. Crux will be tricky.

Mostly great 16 ish fist/hand jamming until you hit the beefy crux, then back to easier stuff above. Well protected. Jenga blocks above are solid, stuff 1m left of the anchor probably isn't.

In approach shoes to clean the Stargazer anchor. Might as well have soloed due to the extreme pendulum potential...

Easy. But none of us were any better than this...

Stumped in the overhanging corner. Perhaps not the first time either.

Stumped at the roof. So was Magnus. Bailed to Froggatt.

FInally got up it, with a couple of decent falls on 2nd bolt. A tricky bugger through the lower half, stiff for 18. Stayed over the bolts to the right up high then a very delicate wee step left to meet the top slab of Baby Driver. Really good, will return.

After Gareth got it with one fall, being a bit taller helps. I was almost at the 3rd bolt jug, then pitched off unexpectedly. Dammit. Lowered and pulled the rope.

Fell getting across out of the crack this time. Ankle behind rope, partially inverted, nice rope burn. Lowered and pulled the rope. Getting pissed off.

Getting too pumped. A few sits. Nemesis. Screw it.

Finally off my dog list. A desperate moment with wrist lockup and rope behind leg before bolt 3. Took the separate finish at top. I never need to climb this again.

Moss down low is navigable enough, fingers got bloody cold though.

Retrieving anchor.

Warmup. Declined to get on Star Gazer.

A thinking 16, really enjoyable. Still tired.

Struggled up the face to about the second bolt on top rope then gave up.

TR attempt. Couldn't do the moves across above bolt 2. Enough, happy to take on belay chores.

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.

Mossy and dirty at the bottom and will probably stay that way due to the angle and trees above. Had to dig out handholds and placements, first cam and tiny nut very very sketchy. You may find it preferable to nip right to Dani for better gear. Continued up the top bolts of Dani, more enjoyable.

So Jonno tells me it's 19, cheers mate ... draws on. One sit. Clipping the draw above the crux then downclimbing takes some sting out, then bridging above the layback is 19-20 ish. Centre is a greasy drain, avoid, apart from the jam. On the revisit list. Nothing clean, another Waipapa spanking.

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

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.

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.

Short but fun. Take some big gear, or you'll be running it out up the top crack (duh).

Lugged the gear in, might as well use it. The OR jam gloves were great, fully committed on 2 hand jams. Wez seconded.

Gareth's first trad fall, on his 21st! Gear was good. Did the middle crack as pure hand/foot jamming, very nice.

Jammed the hand crack, spanned the top this time. Gear beta: #3 nut, then cams 0.3, #1, #3 x 2, #4, #5.

Bottom requires committment, jammed the middle, grunted the top. Physical.

Haha, brilliant. If you like your trad to be just gear-protected sport routes, don't get on this. Had one brief wimp-out sit on gear at the crux commit, I really need to trust my jamming skills more. Would definitely do again.

Galaxy wall too damp, got on this which looked dry. Jam crack made tougher & more painful by moss out right so both feet in the crack. Got up above the tree to discover a wall of slime, very very tricky finding workable feet. Clean & dry again above second tree. Phew. Used a lot of hexes. Stephen took a long stretchy fall seconding the bottom.

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.

Not the best choice for first route of the day. Interesting but considerably harder than 18 start, sat a couple of times, eventually got to the crack fingerlocks, couldn't pull up above to get my feet onto the slab before 3rd bolt. Downclimbed and cleaned. Might consider a ball nut next time.

The left is indeed less awkward starting the slab. But most of the fun is below that.

I must have been on this before surely?

Following Lenka and ShiChang. Supposed to be a warmup but feelin' pretty tired. You can get 3 people up this by tying the second into the middle of a 60m rope.

Been a while. Clean and controlled. Nice top belaying in the sun. Prob not the best Waipapa intro for Matt.

Been a while I think. Start a bit goey for a warmup.

Not bad. A bit slimy down the bottom right now so the start is harder than 14, will be an easy clean next summer. Perfect fists for me, take a couple of #4s. The remainder was mostly hexes. Linked into Dog's Breakfast.

Nervy balancy wee number in places, sketchy top out. Maybe we were too far left but the arete was pretty green in the first half.

Just the top half, coming in from Thirsty Boots. Forgot how nervy the top crux is!

Traversed in across the face which is a bit tetchy. Avoided the mantle by climbing up at its left edge (better). Think this route is supposed to go straight up the arete from the bottom but that is very unappetisingly green after rain.

Bottom now clean but can't see how to climb the arete above first bolt. Good fall off the top, tried to mantle. Then remembered my own beta.

Balancy to the first bolt.

Always tempting as a warmup, always has a hard balancy start.

Been a while. Prob too far left at 1st bolt.

For some reason I thought this was 18 and launched up it. Fell off after the second bolt, managed to get up to 4th and and cross to the crack with a few more falls, then ran out of steam and willpower, bailed off the bolt with chain link. Bolt positions seem pretty awkward, and there is possibly groundfall potential at 2nd and 3rd. Might attempt it again some day.

The moves turn out to all be pretty do-able, but finding the holds and linking things is not at all obvious.

Getting warm and greasy. Better attempt than last, fewer sits, some control, maybe starting to form some memory.

3 rests. It's starting to feel like it might go.

A number of rests, couldn't put it together. Got up it but I am really out of shape.

Totally forgotten everything. Started in stiff shoes, sat and switched, hauled up chalk. Bit of a shitshow.

Watch the rope drag

A great trad lead at the grade but make sure you protect ahead of yourself as you traverse under the roofs to avoid a nasty swing into the left wall. ShiChang is very excited.