A Climber's Guide to the Glasshouses - The Hidden Slabs, Mt Ngungun

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The Hidden Slabs, Mt Ngungun

This slabby, juggy wall is not bad for getting beginners started with climbing. The described routes are situated in the middle of the cliff. The southern end is low-angled and very juggy, perfect for a person’s first climb or abseil. Do not attempt these leads if you are not feeling confident as they involve long runouts. Generally the climbs are soft touches for the grade on warm slabs with good exposure.

Access as per The Sentinels to Stonehaven Lane. Drive to the top, then turn R and drive up to the base of the large water tank. Park behind the water tank. Follow the tape markers (if they still exist) from R of the rock wall up the ridge, onto a rock slab and up to the base of the crag (five to ten minutes).

Climbs are listed from R to L.

Prehistoric Dog 30m 15
Start: 15m L of cliff’s start.
Scramble up slab to first BR. A reachy move follows to jug and second BR. The climb continues upwards past two more BR’s then finishes with an easy but very runout slab to a DBB on the L.
Neil Monteith, Marten Blumen 1995

Prehistoric Dog Hueco Variant - 18
Climb Prehistoric Dog to its third BR, then step R and climb up thin wall keeping R of loose block to big hueco-jug and rap rings. Rap off.
Neil Monteith 1995

Purple Pack 25m 8
Start: 5m L.
Weave up the slab on big jugs finding the LLR to ledge then finish directly up to DBB. Bold with only minimal protection.
FSA Neil Monteith 1995

Slow Motion Grass Smoker 30m 13
Start: 10m L.
Solo up juggy wall keeping R of small tree to BR. Climb up to second BR and edge delicately up onto red slab. Thin moves follow up this passing two BR’s to DBB.
Mark Bennett, Marten Blumen, Neil Monteith 1995

Acid Dropper 30m 11
From Slow Motion Grass Smoker’s second BR, step 1m R and climb onto slab. Climb this for 6m then traverse R and up to Purple Pack’s DBB. Very runout at top.
Neil Monteith, Mark Bennett 1995

Dinosaurs And Volcanos 30m 10
Start: 5m L.
Climb the big jugs (sling them as protection) trending slightly R to below second smooth red slab and BR. Up slab easily to top with no pro. Belay on DBB. Limited protection.

Prehistoric Dog 30m 15 Start: 15m L of cliff’s start. Scramble up slab to first BR. A reachy move follows to jug and second BR. The climb continues upwards past two more BR’s then finishes with an easy but very runout slab to a DBB on the L. Neil Monteith, Marten Blumen 1995	Prehistoric Dog Hueco Variant - 18 Climb Prehistoric Dog to its third BR, then step R and climb up thin wall keeping R of loose block to big hueco-jug and rap rings. Rap off. Neil Monteith 1995
Purple Pack 25m 8 Start: 5m L. Weave up the slab on big jugs finding the LLR to ledge then finish directly up to DBB. Bold with only minimal protection. FSA Neil Monteith 1995	Slow Motion Grass Smoker 30m 13 Start: 10m L. Solo up juggy wall keeping R of small tree to BR. Climb up to second BR and edge delicately up onto red slab. Thin moves follow up this passing two BR’s to DBB. Mark Bennett, Marten Blumen, Neil Monteith 1995
Acid Dropper 30m 11 From Slow Motion Grass Smoker’s second BR, step 1m R and climb onto slab. Climb this for 6m then traverse R and up to Purple Pack’s DBB. Very runout at top. Neil Monteith, Mark Bennett 1995	Dinosaurs And Volcanos 30m 10 Start: 5m L. Climb the big jugs (sling them as protection) trending slightly R to below second smooth red slab and BR. Up slab easily to top with no pro. Belay on DBB. Limited protection.