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Bouldering North Is of NZ - Recommendations??

PJS

29-Jan-2006
9:41:03 PM

Hey everyone, I'm going to visit the reli's in NZ and am planning to squeeze in some bouldering. I won't have a mat so if anyone can recommend any areas with safe landings, or even a place that hires mats out (!) I'd be keen to hear. I boulder up to V5 or so.
Cheers, Have a good one!
Phill.

Dalai

30-Jan-2006
9:05:13 AM

Baring Head is on the South end of the North Island. It's bouldering on the beach - the amount (or lack) of sand at the base is dependant on when the last storms came through.

http://www.rockclimbing.com/routes/listArea.php?AreaID=6791

skink

30-Jan-2006
1:12:19 PM

Which part of North Island will you be based - if you are planning to "squeeze in" some bouldering I can't imagine you wanting to travel too far.

drdeviousii

30-Jan-2006
10:02:35 PM

> Bouldering North Is of NZ - Recommendations??

ditch the pox NZ rock & head to the Grampians!!

Gunta Skirtpulla

31-Jan-2006
9:26:39 AM

check this out.

http://powerband.cactusclimbing.co.nz/

guides for all the major bouldering spots on the North & South Island of New Zuland.

gemmaw

31-Jan-2006
12:44:39 PM

On 30/01/2006 drdeviousii wrote:
>> Bouldering North Is of NZ - Recommendations??
>
>ditch the pox NZ rock & head to the Grampians!!

Aaahh, heathen!!

Castle Hill is heaven on a stick!! (in fact I read somewhere it's considered to be one of the premier bouldering destinations in the world)

nmonteith

31-Jan-2006
2:18:32 PM

Unless someone has just put Castle Hill on a boat I think you'll find it firmly located on the South Island
Gemmaw!

kezza

31-Jan-2006
4:38:49 PM

Hehe just imagine it!! Castle Hill on a boat, transported to the closest shore for your convenience !! Absolute bouldering bliss!!! hehe

PJS

31-Jan-2006
10:51:44 PM

That would be an understatement and a half judging by the footage in "Frequent Flyers"!

Thanks for the response so far guys, Baring head sounds promising.

I'm going on hol for almost 4 weeks, 2 in Auckland with reli's - Hence the squeezing in (might boulder at Mt Eden crag??), and the rest where ever I find myself. Plan on Rotorua, Taupo, National Park, Wharepapa South (a good crag apparently. any bouldering??). Probably go north to see Bay of Islands as well. I figure the place is made of mountains of rock so wherever I go there must be something, just a question of how safe without a mat.

skink

1-Feb-2006
8:43:09 AM

Dude, the NZ north island is not mountains of rock, it is mounds of ash and the occassional lava bit covered in moss! The rock in NZ is crap compared to Oz - if you want to get any bouldering done on the North Island you will have to find the pockets of OK rock and even then be prepared to be somewhat disappointed. I am not into bouldering, just going by what I have observed trying to get some decent cragging done around the North Island.

Check out www.mojozone.co.nz and the powerband site for info - I remember seeing some info about Waiheke Island which may be your best bet for around Auckland. Wharepapa South has a boulder field so that would be good. Waitomo has good limestone bouldering.

nmonteith

1-Feb-2006
9:36:03 AM

On 31/01/2006 PJS wrote:
>Wharepapa South
>(a good crag apparently. any bouldering??).

Yep, there is quite a bit of worthwhile boudlering in the Wharepapa area. I climbed at Frogget Edge and
noticed quite a few pocketed and chalked up boulders at the crag. The place sucks in wet weather
though - mud and slippery rock. You could easily spend a day bouldering in this area.

Pic of one V2ish problem I did at Frogget Edge

gemmaw

1-Feb-2006
12:25:52 PM

On 31/01/2006 nmonteith wrote:
>Unless someone has just put Castle Hill on a boat I think you'll find it
>firmly located on the South Island
>Gemmaw!

Yes, it's okay, I'm not geographically challenged - I do believe I was in the South Island when I was bouldering there. I was defending NZ rock in general since drdeviousii said NZ rock was pox. Maybe drdeviousii has spent most of his time on the infamous 'weet-bix' rock in the mts, or the other chossy-sounding stuff andesite mentioned.

But now that you've mentioned it, I had considered transporting a few of those delightful Castle Hill boulders to my backyard. There are so many, I don't think they'd miss a few!!

BadBrad of the Isles

1-Feb-2006
5:35:05 PM

Best bouldering in north island:
Waiheki island (Stony Batter) in the Hauraki gulf. 1/2 ferry trip from Auckland. Superb rock, setting, problems, landings and lots of them over fairly small area.
Followed by Waitomo - the airstrip including grot cave aka the rad overhanging limestone prow. Can be bit spread and small but a some really good probs here,
Then Mangaotaki - some good limestone at the base of the crag and even better fields on the top.
My picks are to avoid Frogetts and Baring - rock, weather, setting not that good although you can still have a fun on a day out.
Turikarae (the other head in wellington) is supposed to have a good rep but never bouldered there so cant say.
All fail in comparison to Castle.
Brad.

There are 13 messages in this topic.