The Black Wall and Valley of Swallows Guide

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Contributors

Thanks to the following people who have contributed to this crag guide:

Thibaut David Jefferson Alexei Drummond Joshua Merriam nicole plewinski Tony Burnell TG John Pitcairn Colin Barrack Leonardo Correa

The size of a person's name reflects their Crag Karma, which is their level of contribution. You can help contribute to your local crag by adding descriptions, photos, topos and more.

1. The Black Wall and Valley of Swallows 65 in Crag
2. Index by grade

1. The Black Wall and Valley of Swallows 65 routes in Crag

Summary:

Seasonality

Sport climbing, Trad climbing and Bouldering

Lat / Long: -43.595691, 172.777937

	Route	Grade	Style	Selected ascents
Valley of Swallows
2	Lardarm FA: Tony Billing, 1998	18	Trad
3	Swallow FA: Mike Smith, 1998	15	Trad
4	Grovel FA: Tony Billing, 1998	13	Trad
5	X Marks The Spot (Left) FA: Tony Billing, 1998	17	Trad
6	X Marks The Spot (Right) FA: Tony Billing, 1998	15	Trad
West Wall
8	Domino Effect FA: Tony Burnell, 2016	20	Sport 5
9	Quota Exceeded FA: Tony Burnell, 2016	21	Sport 5
10	All On Edge FA: Tony Burnell, 2016	19	Sport 4
11	★ Crispy Corner FA: Craig Smith, 1998	16	Trad
12	Miss Kitty FA: Tony Billing	17	Trad
13	Naval FA: Tony Billing, 1998	20	Sport 12m, 5
14	★ Swan Song FA: Tony Burnell, 6 Feb	24	Sport 12m, 6
15	Rush Hour FA: Tony Billing, 1998	18	Trad
16	★ Glimmer FA: Craig Smith, 1998	19	Mixed trad 4
17	Exceeding The Quota FA: Craig Smith, 1998	19	Sport 5
18	Right Brain FA: Tony Billing, 1998	17	Trad
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	Route	Grade	Style	Selected ascents
Pine Tree Leads Wall
20	New Tricks FA: Tony Burnell, Apr 2016	23	Sport 10m, 5
21	Pine Tree Leads Destroyed during the earthquakes. FA: Craig Smith, 1997	16	Trad
22	Don Whillans Drilling FA: Simon Courtois, Jun 2016	16	Trad 10m
23	★★ Dangelina Jolie FA: Simon Courtois, Apr 2016	19	Trad 10m
24	★★ New Years Revolution FA: Tony Burnell, 2021	23	Sport 10m, 5
25	Desert Storm FA: Tony Burnell, Apr 2016	23	Sport 10m, 6
Main Wall (Left Side)
27	★★ Learning to Fly FA: Simon Courtois, Apr 2016	20	Sport 15m, 7
28	★ Tension Head FA: Richard Kimberley, May 2016	21	Sport 15m, 6
29	★ Liaisons Dangereux FA: Simon Middlemass, 1991	15	Trad 15m
30	★ Between The Lines FA: Tony Burnell, Apr 2016	19	Sport 15m, 6
31	★★ A Slice Of Life FA: Simon Middlemass, 1998	22	Mixed trad 15m, 3
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	Route	Grade	Style	Selected ascents
32	★ Game of Stones FA: Tony Burnell, Jan 2022	26	Sport 15m, 5
33	★★ Tarn FA: Pete Sykes, 1991	23	Sport 15m, 5
34	★ Stepping Out FA: Tony Burnell, May 2016	23	Sport 15m, 6
35	Bolting With The Dolphins FA: John McCallum, 1998	21	Sport 15m, 4
36	★★ Hugs And Drugs FA: John McCallum, 1998	22	Sport 15m, 4
37	★★ Navel Gazing FA: Tony Burnell, May 2016	23	Sport 15m, 6
38	★★ Steel Rain FA: Athol Whimp, 1991	23	Mixed trad 15m, 3
39	★★ Steel Corner Start up 'Steel Rain' and climb to it's third bolt. Instead of questing off into the head wall with dubious nuts to protect the top half of the route, climb rightwards into the dihedral of 'Rodeo Corner' and finish for that route. Combines the best bits of both routes.	24	Sport 15m, 5
40	★★ Rodeo Corner FA: Pat Deavoll, 1998	25	Sport 15m, 6
41	★★ Spice Up Your Life FA: Pat Deavoll, 1998	24	Sport 15m, 6
42	★ Let's Off Road! FA: Pat Deavoll, 1998	24	Sport 15m, 5
43	★★ Carl’s Car Wash Start left of the capped corner directly under the roof. Surmount this on small crimps, then move slightly right after the third bolt, then back left again. Finish up the obvious white groove. FA: Owen Davies, Jan 2022	26	Sport 15m, 7
Main Wall (Right Side)
45	★ Galvanised Action FA: Tony Burnell, 1998	24	Sport 15m, 7
46	★ The Full Monty FA: Simon Middlemass, 1998	18	Mixed trad 15m, 3
47	Smokescreen FA: Craig Smith, 1998	21	Mixed trad 15m, 1
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	Route	Grade	Style	Selected ascents
48	★ Pin Cushion FA: Tony Burnell, Apr 2016	22	Sport 15m, 7
49	★ Attitudes and Platitudes Starts left of ‘The Power of Piss’ and cross right before going straight up the wall, over the roof and then the steeper rock to a common anchor. FA: Tony Burnell, Jan 2023	22	Sport 15m, 5
50	★ The Power Of Piss FA: John McCallum, 1998	21	Sport 15m, 5
51	★★ If Jenny Craig Could See Me Now FA: Simon Middlemass, 1997	21	Sport 15m, 5
52	★ Half Man, Half Biscuit FA: Gavin Tweedie, 1991	19	Sport 15m, 2
53	★ Dreaming of Dry Rocks FA: Tony Burnell, Apr 2016	22	Sport 15m, 5
54	★ The Uprooter FA: John McCallum, 1997	15	Trad
55	★ Blinky The Three Eyed Fish FA: Chris Owen, 1997 FFA: Pam Yee, Apr 2016	16	Sport 7m, 4
56	Winky The One Eyed Snake FA: Simon Courtois, Apr 2016	19	Sport 10m, 4
57	Twisting By The Pool FA: Simon Middlemass, 1998	16	Boulder 4m
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	Route	Grade	Style	Selected ascents
Joker Face
59	Kelvinator Crack FA: Grant Piper, Jun 2016	17	Sport 10m, 5
60	★ Finalmente FA: Simon Courtois, 2021	21	Sport 12m, 5
61	Joker Hysterical Face FA: J Wilkinson, 1998	23	Sport 5
62	Pressure Test FA: Tony Burnell, 1998	24	Sport 5
63	★ Chain Reaction FA: Grant Piper, Jun 2016	20	Sport 12m, 4
64	★ Pink Palette Pulling FA: Tony Burnell, Jun 2016	21	Sport 12m, 4
65	★★ Miro FA: Pete Sykes, 1991	19	Sport 5
66	★ Staple Diet FA: Grant Piper, Jun 2016	17	Sport 12m, 5
The Pinnacles
68	Camelot Corner FA: Cameron Pawson, Jun 2016	16	Sport 12m, 4
69	Die Yuppie Die FA: Athol Whimp, 1991	20	Trad
70	Principal FA: Bill McLeod, 1991	20	Trad
71	Aplomb Sneak past the big hollow flake. FA: Simon Cortois, 2021	19	Sport 12m, 5
72	Avoiding The Crowds FA: Tony Billing, 1997	17	Trad

2. Index by grade

Grade	Stars	Name	Style
13		Grovel	Trad
15	★	Liaisons Dangereux	Trad 15m
		Swallow	Trad
	★	The Uprooter	Trad
		X Marks The Spot (Right)	Trad
16	★	Blinky The Three Eyed Fish	Sport 7m, 4
		Camelot Corner	Sport 12m, 4
	★	Crispy Corner	Trad
		Don Whillans Drilling	Trad 10m
		Pine Tree Leads	Trad
		Twisting By The Pool	Boulder 4m
17		Avoiding The Crowds	Trad
		Kelvinator Crack	Sport 10m, 5
		Miss Kitty	Trad
		Right Brain	Trad
	★	Staple Diet	Sport 12m, 5
		X Marks The Spot (Left)	Trad
18		Lardarm	Trad
		Rush Hour	Trad
	★	The Full Monty	Mixed trad 15m, 3
19		All On Edge	Sport 4
		Aplomb	Sport 12m, 5
	★	Between The Lines	Sport 15m, 6
	★★	Dangelina Jolie	Trad 10m
		Exceeding The Quota	Sport 5
	★	Glimmer	Mixed trad 4
	★	Half Man, Half Biscuit	Sport 15m, 2
	★★	Miro	Sport 5
		Winky The One Eyed Snake	Sport 10m, 4
20	★	Chain Reaction	Sport 12m, 4
		Die Yuppie Die	Trad
		Domino Effect	Sport 5
	★★	Learning to Fly	Sport 15m, 7
		Naval	Sport 12m, 5
		Principal	Trad
21		Bolting With The Dolphins	Sport 15m, 4
	★	Finalmente	Sport 12m, 5
	★★	If Jenny Craig Could See Me Now	Sport 15m, 5
	★	Pink Palette Pulling	Sport 12m, 4
		Quota Exceeded	Sport 5
		Smokescreen	Mixed trad 15m, 1
	★	Tension Head	Sport 15m, 6
	★	The Power Of Piss	Sport 15m, 5
22	★★	A Slice Of Life	Mixed trad 15m, 3
	★	Attitudes and Platitudes	Sport 15m, 5
	★	Dreaming of Dry Rocks	Sport 15m, 5
	★★	Hugs And Drugs	Sport 15m, 4
	★	Pin Cushion	Sport 15m, 7
23		Desert Storm	Sport 10m, 6
		Joker Hysterical Face	Sport 5
	★★	Navel Gazing	Sport 15m, 6
		New Tricks	Sport 10m, 5
	★★	New Years Revolution	Sport 10m, 5
	★★	Steel Rain	Mixed trad 15m, 3
	★	Stepping Out	Sport 15m, 6
	★★	Tarn	Sport 15m, 5
24	★	Galvanised Action	Sport 15m, 7
	★	Let's Off Road!	Sport 15m, 5
		Pressure Test	Sport 5
	★★	Spice Up Your Life	Sport 15m, 6
	★★	Steel Corner	Sport 15m, 5
	★	Swan Song	Sport 12m, 6
25	★★	Rodeo Corner	Sport 15m, 6
26	★★	Carl’s Car Wash	Sport 15m, 7
	★	Game of Stones	Sport 15m, 5

The Black Wall and Valley of Swallows Guide

Warning

Contributors

Table of contents

1. The Black Wall and Valley of Swallows 65 routes in Crag

Valley of Swallows

West Wall

Pine Tree Leads Wall

Main Wall (Left Side)

Main Wall (Right Side)

Joker Face

The Pinnacles

2. Index by grade