Routes as trad in Ōtākou / Otago

Great bridging up to the welcome mega-jug. Start at the prominent R facing corner - best belay is at the broadleaf tree 4m above ground level. Pro is a bit sparse at the crux - take small wires.

Start up Living in the Past, then move L into R facing corner. Finish at the top of Deliverance (original finish), or move R under the block to join the top of LITP (6a) at about grade 15.

The full-on climbing through the bulge onto the big ledge relents to a nice bridging corner. Step L when the corner fades out and scramble a further 8m to belay from the manuka. The corner is a drainage line which can take some time to dry out after rain.

Arguably the climb of the crag - consistently good climbing to the adrenaline-inducing (though well-protected) crux. The original start goes Comici-style direct to the base of the hanging corner above the Mandrake ramp. A nice alternative is diagonally up R (11a) from the top of the big detached block. After arranging your runners and your head, launch out into the exposed hanging corner above the roof – it’s not all over once you get into it.

Hudson – ‘A superlative route !!! My favourite anyway’. Best split into 2 pitches. The left diagonal ramp slashes the main wall at mid height and provides access to the great roof climbs of Aqualung, Bwana Dik, and Bomb Bay.

A grade 13 that overhangs for 20 metres? An excellent adventure for the grade. Originally started further L, the best start is up the wide crack past the chockstone (as for Mandrake). For the two stars (and better pro), climb diagonally R up the upper wall to finish as for Transmag. Watch out for rope drag on this wandering excursion.

You could do this route in one pitch, but then you’d miss out on the great belay ledge. Pitch1 (16) - Start from Deep Wide and Frequent (better) or Stray Cat (19a). Sustained climbing up to and through roof (crux) to a commodious belay ledge. Pitch 2 (13) - Steep start to the easy L leaning ramp.

From the broadleaf tree, move up the wall diagonally R and finish just left of the arete. Good pro higher up in the interesting creases. Has a direct start at about 17 just left of the real steep country of Photogenic Doubt and Pasta la Pizza.

A bridging groove with cams and wires, leads past 4 bolts to a small roof. A bulge with a final bolt leads to an easier, but run-ou,t finish.

Stemming box (fingers and hands) directly above the first "batman" chain

Used to be two pitches of grade 20 called The Long and Winding Road. A big pillar fell off the first pitch, which is now called VW and is an excellent grade 23 sport climb up a v corner. Seven bolts. The second pitch is still grade 20 and takes plenty of gear.

Belay from the Bird Dropping/ VW anchor.

Pitch 1: grade 21, 1 bolt. Step left past the bolt, then back right to a ledge. Tenuous bridging to the chains. Don't fall onto the ledge!

Pitch 2: grade 24, 3 bolts. Negotiate the roof to the arete.

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.

A classy technical face climb forking left halfway up P2 of The Ravages of Time. Almost all sport; bring a slimmed down rack for the 15m of gear on P2.

P1 (6 bolts) - climb the first pitch of The Ravages of Time

P2 (5 bolts + gear) - climb the first 15m of P2 of The Ravages of Time through 1 bolt off the belay and gear before veering left (2m before a roof) at a ledge to continue up and left through 4 bolts to a hanging belay.

P3 (10 bolts) - steepening face climbing through an overlap (crux) before easing off to the next hanging belay

P4 (11 bolts) - cruisey face climbing veering right on good edges through the first 7 or 8 bolts before thinning out and veering back left for the final few bolts (crux)

It is possible to climb from the last anchor of Chink in Shining Armour to the rappel station on the halfway ledge, but requires climbing another ~10m through some dirty rock and plants protected by slinging trees (no bolts). Safer to link into this from P4.

Descent: Rappel down the anchors used on the way up in 2x50m rappels or 3x30m rappels

As of March 2022, this route was dirty with some moss on the face holds and vegetation in the cracks. With a proper clean the climbing would be really enjoyable however in its current state is probably undeserving of 3 stars. Approach - Walk up to Ravages of time and continue from the base of the route Right following a "track" to till you see a DBA at belayers height a few meters further right you will see a left-facing corner start just right following the crack into the corner. P1 - climb up adjacent to the right-facing corner on bolts and gear. Rather dirty pitch.

P2 - Guidebook describes as 'double crack'. Rather it is a single crack that then closes and another opens up slightly to the left. Anchors are up and left of the second crack near the small corner. Sustained thin crack with tricky placements. Takes small cams and nuts. Quite scary if this is your grade.

P3 - The money pitch which unfortunately has a small amount of vegetation in the cracks detracting from its quality. Up obvious crack right of the belay through a small roof, continuing up to moss-covered face clipping 2 bolts. Continue straight up through vegetation to ledge and chains.

P4 - Head upright trending crack to ledge and chains. Dirty pitch.

Follow the obvious crack.

Start Sensa Dextra and climb straight up the crack without traversing, then through the overlap.

Start off the ramp at the thin crack, then traverse right to another crack, which leads through the overlap. Traverse right below a roof to the anchor. The cracks take good natural pro, but take care with placements - some stunning groundfalls have occurred here.

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

Thin moves up the face to finish either in the wide crack or up Wasted on the Wing.

Climb the diagonal crack up and left.

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!)

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

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

Tree stands in the way of beginning of climb, overgrown with moss and lichen, an adventurous trad climb.

Up the black and blue wall with lot's of potential gear. Head left to anchors

Head up towards Cavernous crack and finish out left to anchors Information off climbnz.org.nz

Follow right slanting flake into left facing slightly overhanging corner. Originally only 7m and grade 14, it has been bolted to the top of the cliff

Climb the crack.

Start up “88 chocolate treats’ to 4th bolt .Move R to large ledge then up corner left of Bigger than big on good natural pro[wires small friends] .Move onto wall on R when corner blanks out at bushes move R to belay of Bigger than Big. Can also start as for Alien Resurrection

Climb up the ramp to the base, then up the crack system.

Wide chimney right of Aratika.

Clip the two bolts left of the offwidth, then up the crack joining with another crack on the right.

Starts on pinkish slab near base of wall. Fairly runout first and second pitches. First anchor is easy to miss but if you're looking a bolted slab it's behind you.(and probably to the left). Gear is where you need it. Awesome moves through the second pitch headwalls.

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

Crack climbing on compact schist.

A distinctive "V" roof.

Climb the arete. Shares DBA with Party Line.

Delicate climbing to first bolt then follow the beautiful crack

Unrelenting mixed line.

Right-leaning crack