Vías en Hikuai Pinnacles

Climb the left had face, 5m left of Hikuai route. The 1st accent included a run in with a loose rock and a fainting episode 60m up!.

1. 45m (21) 14 Bolts. Bridge up the short off width crack section to the top rock prow below the overhang. Crux lay away move to get established on the left hand face then blast up step ground on large holds. Move right based an abseil belay and climb to the face to the right of the tree up through step ground to ledge and DB belay. A great pitch on great rock.

2. 25m (19)8 Bolts. Climb block arete t left of belay then move left into overhanging corner. Climb this on big holds then up low angel head wall to delux belay ledge. Decent, Back down the route 3 abseils.

3. (21) 10 Bolts. Climb the step face above the belay onto a low angle ramp. Climb this then move left on the "fin" arete, climb up arete to ledge then move back right and climb the face. Move back left at top to DBC belay. Descent, abseil back down route, or 1 abseil across onto the top of the 3rd pitch on the Hikaui route.

This route climbs the main steep face up the centre of Hihi Pinnacle. The first pitch starts up the steep face right of the prominent right facing corner.

1. 32m (20). 10 bolts. Start on the steep face a couple of metres right of the prominent right-facing corner. Pumpy climbing up through a series of bulges (crux) to a large hole. There are two bolts above and slightly to the left of the large hole. After clipping the second of these bolts traverse rightwards along a ramp. There is another bolt hidden. Then continue up and right to the belay. A sustained pitch, stiff for the grade.

2. 25m (20). Move up and right from the belay into a steep white groove. Clip a bolt at the top of this groove below a small roof, then traverse hard left with delicate moves. Continue traversing left with very exposed moves around an overhanging arete to reach a ramp and short corner with a crack. Move up this to the belay. Slightly easy for the grade, but exposed.

3. 30m (20). Climb straight up from the belay past 3 bolts. Try to stick to the white rock, which is more solid than the black rock to the left. At the third bolt traverse right up and into a scoop with an overhang above it. Climb this into a steep corner, with steep sustained and exposed stemming straight up until you gain a slab above with belay.

4. 30m (20). Climb easyish slabs and corners up and to the right of the belay (slightly runout between some bolts). Then climb straight up a steep corner then into an exposed overhang with awesome powerful moves on jugs. Pull over the top of the overhang to a belay on a small ledge just above it.

5. 20m (15). Easy but exposed moves up the arete and slab past a few bolts. Don't stop at the first anchor you come to, continue up a track through the trees to a belay at a rocky knob at the very top of the pinnacle. Probably more like grade 12 than 15.

1. 30m (20) 12 Bolts. Climb up the vertical wall tending left to a small overhang. Climb this using a few deep pockets to the left (crux) up to a ledge at 15m height. Extend bolts and traverse the ledge left around a blunt arete to head wall. Climb groove and face to a large ledge system and DBC belay.

2. 45m (19) 14 Bolts. Variable rock quality on this pitch and lots of rope drag so extend extend extend. Step 1m right of belay and climb corner, move onto right wall of corner and pull up into base of large chimney. The rock here is a mix of conglomerate and friable black rock, however the chimney can be easily climbed by bridging on large holds with closely spaced bolts. At the top of the chimney the rock quality improves, move out right onto the head wall and climb the head wall and slab. At the last bolt traverse left 5m to ledge and DBC Belay

3. 30m (20) 12 Bolts. A steep exposed pitch on good rock. Climb corner directly above belay, the line stays left of the large roof systems on steep rock with good holds. At the top overhang, bridge up the overhanging groove until you can clip the last bolt, traverse right 2m to DBC belay.

4. (18) 30m 10 Bolts. Move right of belay and climb headwall on rock nubbins . Top out on the very top of the pinnacle DBC belay.

Tricky access around back of Hihi Pinnacle. Put up as a Aid route to access the top of the pinnacle. The free climbed in 2020.

1. 10m (16). Climb the low angle groove that cuts through the sea of rata, up past 6 bolts to a large ledge system and DBC belay out left. The rock on the right side is solid , on the left side its no so.

2. 20m (22). Step back right onto the steep head wall and climb the grove to the roof. Move right across the groove on buckets until you’re on the face immediately below the roof/corner. Difficult move to gain corner Once in the corner clip the bolt then move left out of corner onto the head wall. Climb steep wall above (crux). Belay in small hollow on DBC belay, 8 bolts.

3. 25m (21). Muster up some courage then climb the exposed head wall up and to the left of the belay. Once over the lip continue up technical climbing to a small ledge and DBC belay. 10 bolts (approx.)

4. 5m (16). Scramble up arete past 2 bolts to large ledge and DBC belay.

Descend by abseiling down the route. If you have a 60m rope then abseil down to pitch 3 then pitch 2 belay and then from here to the ground.

Having climbed the Hikiuai or Hihi routes why not keep going by tyrolean-traversing across to the Kaweka pinnacle. The Hikuai to Kaweka climb is 9 pitches, probably some sort of record for the North Island and definitely the only one with a Tyrolean traverse in the middle.

1. 15m. Tyrolean Traverse. On the eastern side of the top bollard, abseil off the double ring bolt belay, 10m down to the start of the tyrolean. Clip into the belay and chain. Thread the Tryoloen then climber 1 traverses before reversing the rig and bringing the second climber across. Please read the instructions on Tyrolean below.

2. 30m (20) 13 Bolts. From the belay, climb the overhanging face tending left. Mantel onto the lower angle wall (crux) then climb the slabs on edges and knobs.

3. 30m (20) 10 Bolts. Up the knobby little headwall then traverse right into the corner. Climb the short headwall and traverse back left at the top and mantel onto slab. Climb the slab up to the ledge and DBC belay.

4. 25m (18) 8 Bolts. Climb straight up past 2 bolts then traverse left. Continue climbing and traversing left up the low angle head wall all the way to the top and DBC belay.

Descent is 4 abseil back down the route. The last abseil is 50m to the ground.

The smaller front pinnacle. From the base of Hihi scramble up the hill to a small platform at the base of the slab.

1. 40m (21) 14 Bolts. Scramble up slab to the left facing corer. Start in corner till 1st bolt then move onto wall. Climb steep face (21), at 5th bolt you can either go, right around bulge (19), or continue straight up (21). Continue past intermediate abseil station and climb shallow groove above on small nubbins and edges. A sustained pitch.

2. 20m (18) 6 Bolts. More about the destination than the climbing. From the belay to the DBC belay continue up and right through the garden to the top of the pinnacle to DBC Belay. Abseil Back down line or do Tahi Rua Tryolean

Tahi, Rua(21,Ty,18,21,16) 120m A Tyrolean traverse from the Tahi pinnacle across to the HiHi pinnacle.

1. 40m (21) 14 Bolts. Climb the first pitch of Tahi.

2. 15m (Tyrolean). From the first Belay ledge of Tahi. Move left along the chain to the Tyrolean-traverse pull cord. Set up the Tyrolean (see instructions below). This Tyrolean is on an incline so I strongly recommend taking a shunt or jumar to haul you up the last section.

3. 15m (18) 4 Bolts. (10m). Climb and traverse up the left ledge system to DBC belay and large grassy ledge. 4 30m (21) 12 Bolts. Climb up the right tending arete until you get to the large low angle ramp on the right of the arete.. Climb ramp and head wall past 6 bolts until you get to the roof. Traverse left around the roof and up to DBC belay.

4. 20m (18) 6 Bolts. (10m). Climb and traverse up the left ledge system till you get to the 4th pitch of Hihi, climb this to top of the pinnacle. Cliff Ellery, Jess Dobson & Rachael Mayne. Sep/2022