Mount Lloyd

On the Southern flanks of Mount Lloyd at the head of Fred's Stream is a complex multi-peaked rock buttress. This was the site of Andrew MacFarlane and Pete Darby's multi-pitch saga, Craig (NZ Climber Mag. No.13). In early December '96 this imposing bulk of alpine rock was revisited by a group of sadly disoriented sportclimbers. It is an easy 3.5 - 4 hour walk to the camping site by a stream in the upper basin, reached via grass slopes on the true right of the waterfalls. The local keas are friendly and non-destructive. From this idyllic setting we had leisurely starts each morning to give the rock time to warm. We followed the true left moraine ridge of a long since vanished glacier to reach the foot of the crag. We were attracted to the steeper, warmer west faces and managed to establish four routes on the first day. These routes provided satisfying climbing, and the airy nature of the topouts should appease the desires of those of the "peak bagger" persuasion. The next day we found a cunning access route to the South face with its dominating roof feature. We called it the One Hundred Dollar face after the wager Ingo had stubbornly placed that we were heading for the wall he had "reserved", and not the one with the huge roof visible from camp. In the end it was revealed they were one and the same, though we never received the wager. Ingo quickly redeemed himself by forcing a bold line directly up an apparently blank wall, bolting on lead, to produce Canadian Monkeys (21).

As a climbing location it is superb, with the impressive ice cliffs and couloirs of Mount Cran to the West providing regular avalanches to amuse belayers. The rock is part of the zone of schistose greywacke which sweeps from the West to the South around the Mount Cook region. The West faces are steeply oriented cleavage planes, weathered to a warm orange hue. These faces have sets of thin parallel cracks often providing perfect wire placements. In many places, especially the final pitch of the Pyramid face, there is a density of quarlz veins providing nice moves on solid "Wanaka-like" schist. The South faces are foliation planes and are of a more compact nature. On this aspect the rock is grey and has regular horizontal fracture lines which produce nice incut edges, and seams which accept pitons. Protection is generally good on all routes, and adequate belays are to be had without the necessity of pitons.

Ozone Free

17,17,21,15,9

Nick Sheen,Kane Hartill, Dec '96

This route starts on a ledge in a small alcove a couple of metres up on the left side of the wall, just right of black argillite bands.

Pitch 1 Grade 17, 40 metres.
Start up blocky alcove then trend right to left-leaning cracks leading to a small overlap. Then onto slab and trend right to belay below right end of prominent curved overlap/roof with cracks.

Pitch 2 Grade 17, 25 metres.
Climb through centre of overlap then trend left and up to ledge. Move up right to belay crack on ledge just right of short corner above.

Pitch 3 Grade 21, 20 metres.
Scale steep corner (~ 3 m) to gain beautiful crack on smooth greasy face. From top of crack traverse left beneath overhang to block and jugs then climb short steep corner above to ledge belay. Sustained.

Pitch 4 Grade 15, 40 metres.
Move up and right over blocks to gain arete. Climb crest of arete direct through bulge to belay on top of peak. Good exposure.

Pitch 5 Grade 9, 30 metres.
Handtraverse on right side of summit ridge to reach notch and easy descent gully on left side (north).

Kane Hartill on Ozone Free, Pyramid face of Mt Lloyd
photo: Richard Kimberley

Face to Face

18,19,19,9

Richard Kimberley,Ingo Machelheidt, Dec '96

Belay ~ 2 - 3 metres up the grove in the middle of the wall.

Pitch 1 Grade 18, 50 metres.
Follow left leaning groove/crack system then follow nose slightly right up slab to belay stance around right edge of the overhang.

Pitch 2 Grade 19, 45 metres.
Climb up corner, then to avoid hard moves skirt right below headwall to the right arete of face. Up arete then left to gain face above. Traverse left and climb centre of this face to large belay ledge.

Pitch 3 Grade 19, 40 metres.
Climb the fine arete to the bulge and traverse left under bulge then move up to gain final face. Trend left up face to airy belay at top of peak.

Pitch 4 Grade 9, 30 metres.
Traverse summit ridge to descent as above.

Kane Hartill above the overlap beginning pitch 2 of "Ozone Free", Pyramid Face of Mt Lloyd
photo: Richard Kimberley

Squirrel

17

Richard Kimberley,Ingo Machelheidt, Dec '96

Grade 17, 22 metres.
Mellow climbing up the centre of this well featured face. Single bolt belay and wire placements above ledge, 4 metres below top of face.

Seagull

14

Richard Kimberley,Ingo Machelheidt, Dec '96

Grade 14, 25 metres.
Sifty climbing on face and right arete to bolt belay.

Canadian Monkeys

21,19

Richard Kimberley,Ingo Machelheidt, Dec '96

Pitch 1 Grade 21, 35 metres, two bolts
Climb the thin grey wall passing a bolt, then trend slightly left to an obvious knifeblade placement then another bolt to reach a bolt belay near the arete. Sustained!

Pitch 2 Grade 19, 35 metres, one bolt
Move up past a bolt then follow the arete to the top on natural gear. Belay in notch on ridge and to descend climb down North side 4 metres to "Squirrel" rap bolt.

300 Tonne Surfboard

20,15

Nick Sheen,Kane Hartill, Dec '96

Pitch 1 Grade 20, 30 metres
From the belay cracks at left end of ledge move right along ledge to a deep finger crack 3 metres left of the major corner. Follow this diagonal crack to where it meets the corner then varied climbing up the corner and arete to a welcome belay crack in the wall below the large roof.

Pitch 2 Grade 15, 40 metres
The "chicken out" pitch. Climb the right arete up and around the roof, carefully avoiding the hanging pillar. Then move left and directly up face on incuts left of broken ground to belay on top. Climb down North side to ledge and traverse left to "Squirrel" rap bolt.