Cattlestop Crag
By Lindsay Main
Introduction:
The crag is an extension of the lava flow that forms Lyttelton Rock, named for the cattlestop about 200m east along the Summit Road towards Evans Pass. The crag is included in Canterbury Rock; however, there are so many errors, omissions, and confusions in that description that a completely new guide for the crag has proven necessary.There are nearly twenty routes described here which are not found in Canterbury Rock. Three routes were omitted by the editor for the 1989 version, but two were subsequently claimed as new ascents and added to the 1994 version. In this guide, the old name has been re-instated for one of these.
Of the other new routes, only two or three were most likely done previously, but can't be attributed.
To check that the information here is reliable, Lindsay has climbed all but one route over the past four months. In the course of this he has adjusted some grades, and assigned stars to some routes. These are mostly based on his own opinion, rather than a consensus of lots of people.
History:
The first climbs were by Lindsay Main in 1974. Despite a few additions in 1980, it still didn't catch on. Richard Thomson and Peter Sykes added a few harder routes towards the end of the decade, notably Dead Possum and Shimmering Jelly. Neil Sloan filled in some of the gaps in 1992, picking up some good routes, such as Solar Powered and Nuggets in the process. Recently, Lindsay Main and Stu Allan searched out a few remaining routes that are unlikely to become classics, except for the overhanging Surgical Strike which has four (4) bolts.
Access:
There seems to be no problem with access at present, and hopefully the land the cliff is on will be added to the Mt Pleasant Spur block which was purchased by the City Council in January 1996.The easiest approach is to park right by the cattlestop. For routes south of Nuggets cross the cattlestop and and walk straight down the hill to a gully. To the left is In Tatters, to the right Flap Flap. Or, cross the fence east of the cattlestop and go 80 metres north and climb down a steep gully between Pinched and Nuggets. Alternatively, abseil from the bolt chain at the top of Satanic Verses.
Character:
The rock is the same coarse-grained trachyte that forms other crags in the area, including Lyttelton Rock and The Three Sisters. It is a little crumbly at first, but soon cleans up with traffic. The crag has good shelter from the North-east and South, and is often a good bet in marginal weather. There are about 45 routes known, with most grades up to 23 represented. The best grades to climb here are 17, 19, and 20.Where there are bolt anchors at the top of the cliff, these are indicated. These are usually single bolts with no chain or hanger. Otherwise anchors are CDs and wires.
The routes are described from right to left ie, from the Summit Road end. The first 16 routes are on the wall left of the plaque. From right to left:
Lindsay Main on "Shimmering Jelly"
| Gambling | 14 |  |
Start just left of the plaque and move left across a slab to the V corner and up. Minimal pro.
| Road Kill | 19 | Lindsay Main '96 | |
At the right edge of the cave pull through the overhang on big holds. Then straight up the wall above. Good pro - two ropes are useful. CD and sling anchor.
| Chip Off The Old Block | 19 | Brett Gracie | |
Climb the left side of the roof using a large block; then balance up to the right of the hebe and on up through a groove. Good pro if you trust the block not to move.
| * Dead Possum | 19 | Richard Thomson | |
Straight up at the left edge of the roof, good natural pro and one bolt.
| * Reserves Need Gondolas | 14 | Neil Sloan '92 | |
From left edge of wall at a gully, up and right onto a small ledge, then continue up centre of wall next to yellow lichen. A good route with good pro from wires and CDs.
| Lichenable | 12 | Lindsay Main '81 | |
The left side of a rounded arete. Marginal pro.
| Unknown | 16 | Unknown | |
Clip the first bolt from the security of the ledge, make a few hard moves, then grovel left to the second (strangely located) bolt. Then up easy (natural pro possible) and over the bulge to the 'sacred plummets' belay.
| Sacred Plummets | 17 | Neil Sloan '92 | |
Just left of a vegetated gully. Start at the ledge and step left; then up the left side of the arete past a bolt. From the ledge, scramble up the gully and right to the belay on the ledge to the right. Double bolt belay.
| Cold Turkey | 17 | Lindsay Main '80 15m | |
A steep crack from a ledge. Bolt anchor.
| ** Shimmering Jelly | 20 | Pete Sykes | |
The wall with two bolts. Great moves, though the route wanders a bit following the holds. Double ring bolt anchor.
| Gift Horse | 12 | Lindsay Main '74 | |
Just left, following cracks and edges rightward to finish at SJ anchor.
| Fowl Play | 13 | Lindsay Main '74 | |
This route a metre left goes past a flake in the middle of the wall, then up. Good protection, but rather loose.
| Bagatelle | 16 | Lindsay Main '81 | |
Start between the cracks two metres left of FP and then slightly right for some (not great) protection. Finish straight up.
| Dressed to Kill | 16 | Alan Hill '97 | |
the wall, pro only low down.
| Roadside Attraction | 18 | Lindsay Main '80 | |
Could be 17. Follows the shallow crack.
| Thin Hedgehog | 19 | Richard Thomson | |
A steep wall with one bolt. Start up the right side of the wall against the RA crack; then move leftward past the bolt. Bolt anchor at the top of IT. You can also climb directly from the base, but it's harder than 19.
| In Tatters | 19 | Paul Tattersall '90 | |
The overhanging arete just left with one bolt. Nocuous. Start up the face following the arete, moving right to the bolt then straight up, or else climb up around the corner, place wires and step around to the face. Bolt anchor without hanger. Again, it's possible to climb the face directly from ground level, but it's trickier and there's no pro 'til you reach the single bolt.
| After The Deluge | 10 | Lindsay Main '74 | |
Wanders up the corner, good pro.
There are some boulder problems in the gully before the next section of crag 20 metres to the left.
| Flap Flap | 19 | Pete Sykes | |
A short, steep, right-leaning groove with one bolt. Bouldery start. Bolt anchor.
| Bull In A China Shop | 22 | Richard Kimberley '97 | |
face to the left of Flap Flap. 2 Bolts.
| Fluff-dog's Fifteenth | Daryl Forsyth '97 | |
face and arete to the left of Bull In A China Shop
| Merlin The Happy Pig | 19 | Marcus Thomas '90 | |
Just left of the arete. Up the wall past a bolt, going right to the flake. Natural pro at the top. Anchor at the FF bolt.
| Basil Brush | 19 | Perry Logan '97 | |
| Fun | 11 | |
A nice little route in the corner, natural pro.
| All Aboard Geeks | 13 | |
Up the arete, a direct start to top of A Slight Thud. The top may be a bit run-out, as the crack is not great for pro. CD anchors.
| * A Slight Thud | 15 | Richard Thomson | |
The wall just left of MTHP. Move right after the bolt and finish as for AAG.
| A Dull Thump | 18 | Lindsay Main '96 | |
A left variation to AST. Clip the bolt and move left to place CDs in the crack, then straight up.
There's a top-roped route to the left beside a loose block.
| * Nuggets | 18 | Neil Sloan '92 | |
Facing north is a short yellow wall. Up and left past the bolt. Anchor to the (rotten) fence post.
Just left is a corner which has been soloed.
| Carbonivorous | 14 | |
A little left is this very short corner on black rock.
| Sticky End | 17 | |
About 20m left of Carbonivorous, by itself. Start in a corner and swing around to the right on to an arete with a crack. Natural pro. Rather loose and lichenous.
Fifty metres along there's another prominent wall. For all the routes on this cliff there's a bolt anchor up high and to the left, which can be backed up with a CD and/or wires.
| Pinched | 20 | Neil Sloan '92 | |
Starts in a short, overhanging open corner, moving up to a ledge. Then easier climbing up the wall above with good pro.
| Electricorpse | 17 | Neil Sloan '92 | |
A metre left is a steep crack with a gully above. Instead of stepping right to grassy ledge, continue up right edge of wall past the bolt.
| * Solar Powered | 20 | Neil Sloan '92 | |
A wall two metres left, with two bolts. Between the bolts and slightly left you can place a small wire. Finish directly (largish wires,cams). Ring bolt belay on the tier above, shared with Pssst and Electricorpse.
| Pssst | 19 | |
A shallow corner a metre left of SP, natural pro (above the bulge use the horizontal crack).
| Lizard | 16 | Neil Sloan '92 | |
Steep corner immediately left, but start a few metres over and follow the crack and ledge rightward. Then steeply up the crack.
| Another One Bites The Dust | 16 | Lindsay Main '96 | |
Start just left and climb straight up with pro in scrubby cracks on both sides. Strenuous, but good pro.
| Amnesia | 15 | Stu Allan '96 | |
Start in the steep shallow groove on big holds with no pro. Then reach left for pro and move up.
| Anomaly | 14 | Lindsay Main '96 | |
The broken corner at the left end of the wall, good climbing.
About 50 metres left is a small wall with lots of green lichen and four routes. There's an anchor chain at the top of Fast Forward.
| Tunnel Vision | 14 | Phil Stuart-Jones '96 | |
Just left of a native broom bush, right of High Heels. Take a direct line up the slabby wall finishing just right of a large bowed flake leaning against the top part of the wall. Careful with the flake. No pro.
| High Heels | 12 | Lindsay Main '96 | |
A direct route on the highest part of the wall. Two bolts and natural pro at the top. Finish over the detached block at the top. Anchor at a boulder five metres back.
| Looking Back | 17 | Stu Allan '96 | |
Two or three metres left. Straight up the wall on good holds past a bolt, moving right to the ledge and the anchor chain.
| Fast Forward | 16 | Stu Allan '96 | |
Up the wall two metres left, climbing the face between the bolts on SS and LB. Shares a bolt with Sensible Shoes. Single anchor bolt with chain.
| Sensible Shoes | 13 | Stu Allan '96 | |
About a metre left, and a metre right of a vague crack. Originally soloed wearing street shoes and wearing a pack.
About 10 metres left is an prominent red wall, with a steep lower part and a small overlap in the centre. There are anchor bolts with chain links at the top of Satanic Verses and Midnight's Children. From right to left:
| Violet Crumble | 20 | Bruce Dowrick '90 | |
Up a weakness on the right side of the wall. One bolt, then wires above. Better than the name suggests now that it's clean. Anchor to a large block.
| * Passage To India | 23 | Paul Tattersall '90 | |
Up to undercut bulge, left at first bolt and right to second, then straight up. Anchor to the SV chain.
| ** Midnight's Children | 19 | Peter Sykes '90 | |
Corner left of overlap. Two bolts, plus natural pro low down. You can move right and finish as for PTI (as done originally), or finish directly up over steep ground on good holds, clipping the last bolt on SS.
| ** Surgical Strike | 21 | Lindsay Main '96 | |
Overhanging arete with four bolts. Straight up on good holds, then a bouldery move at the top. The only "sport" route at the crag. Go to it.
| * Satanic Verses | 22 | Paul Tattersall '90 | |
Overhanging corner with two bolts and wires between them. Steep but with huge jugs.
| Quick and Dirty | 17 | Phil Stuart-Jones '96 | |
Boulder up the steep black wall belong the main corner. Rest on the ledge, then commit yourself to the steepening corner with loose holds followed by the climactic loose juggy overhang. Exit L. Variable Pro.
| Fiesta | 21 | Phil Stuart-Jones '96 | |
Boulder up the awkward black groove (crux) above the nasty pointy rock then left to a rest on the arete. Move R to the next ledge then L up the crack to the top of the pillar. Exit R or L. Copious pro.
| Gutless Wonder | 25 | Tony Burnell '99 | |
over the roof to the right of Cattle Thief. 4 bolts plus other pro.
| Cattle Thief | 22 | Tony Burnell '96 (fka) | |
About three metres left there's a route about which nothing is known, with a bolt a few metres up and its own chain anchor at the top. Whoever bolted it and climbed it originally remains un-known, Tony got stuck in, climbed and named it.
Start below an old bolt above roof, just right of the "19" crack and to the left of the overhung arete. For maximum pleasure climb directly over the roof to the bolt using layaways, cunning and guile. From the bolt move left and up to the break before going right to a resting ledge. Finish easily up the wide crack above. Bolt belay/ lower off up and right.
| Cattle Pro | 20 | Tony Burnell '99 | |
the arete left of Cattle Thief. Grim protection.
Another five metres left of this, a large flat rock sits a little out from the bottom of a flat wall.
| Eleven Forty | 20 | Phil Stuart-Jones '96 | |
In front of the rock is a weak discontinuous crack running up through two horizontal breaks followed by a stack of bulgy ledges. The grunty start (about 20) is followed by an almost constant easing of the grade through to the top (about 12). Interesting natural pro.
Acknowledgements
Thanks to Neil Sloan, Simon Middlemass, and Phil Stuart-Jones for supplying information, and to Phil, Martin Gledhill, Pete Cleary, and especially Stu Allan for doing the climbs with me.Copyright Notice: This route guide is copyright and may not be re-produced without the express permission of Lindsay Main.