Climbing New Zealand
Looking up at Flock Hill
Well I can officially say that New Zealand has some of the best climbing in the world, a strong statement I know, but hear me out. I'd always heard that Castle Hill had amazing limestone bouldering but I was apprehensive to check it out, I'd heard that the rock has no texture, is too slick, and is not featured enough. This, and the fact it is on the other side of the world meant that other areas closer to home became a priority. I was so pleased I decided to make the long trip, the climbing here is incredible and whilst it's true that Quantum Fields is pretty slick and featureless, it offers a really unique style of climbing. I needed shoulders of steel as a lot of problems provide no holds, just different angles to push and wrestle your way up. One problem that comes to mind is Monkey and the Magic Peach which involved a massive rock over while trying to do a one armed shoulder press, I didn't succeed on that one and I'm sure my shoulder thanks me for it.
Spittel Hill
Quantum Fields and Spittle Hill are great but I could see myself getting a little bored here after a while. But they aren't the only areas you can climb at, the mother land is just 5 mins further up the valley. Flock Hill sits proudly as a massive boulder field on the hill side and its amazing! It's about a 45 minute walk and it's worth every step, the bouldering up there is world class. It is more textured and definitely has more holds then further down the valley. What I found weird coming from the UK was climbing on limestone boulders and massive ones at that, huge house sized boulders with the most beautiful features and shapes on them, it is a truly magical place with beautiful views of snow capped mountains surrounding the area.
Photo, Lans Hansen of Vapour Trail at Flock Hill.
One way I could describe the area is to imagine a limestone Fontainebleau, the precision and delicacy you have to use there transfers well to Castle Hill. There was a lot of standing on small feet and a lot of tricky mantle top outs. The features and formations around the area are one of its best attributes, I wasn't climbing a face with holds up it (although that can be an option) I thought the best lines were climbing the features , big squeeze prows and funky ribs that stick out of the rock, huge pockets you had to manipulate your way through or around, all of them big and oh so beautiful.
I wasn't expecting to be climbing as well as I did, the only two problems I really wanted to try when leaving the UK were Little Book of Calm and Interstellar Overdrive. Little Book went down will not to much of a fight, all it took was a cold night and a bit of psych from a fellow Brit (see previous post). Interstellar Overdrive is one of the most well know boulders up there, it's a steep prow which requires a decent amount of squeezing and some tricky heel hooks to secure victory. At first sight I knew it would suit my style and took it upon myself to try and flash it. I did have help, I sat patiently watching while my mates Cliff and Lans worked it out. I am 6ft4 and Cliff is 6ft5, watching him on the problem and how a big man fits into the sequence helped massively. After about 45 minutes of watching I couldn't wait any more and excitedly sat underneath ready to try and flash a problem I had seen in photos for years. All of Cliffs beta and a huge injection of psych helped me flash this amazing boulder problem. Another life dream ticked.
Mid Flash on Interstellar Overdrive Photo, Lans Hansen.
With my two dream problems ticked I turned my attention to another line that caught my eye, The Big Show is a huge prow that sits proudly in the middle of Flock Hill. It is an awesome line and one I was drawn to, it's big, not dangerously big, you just don't want to fall from the top big. It starts on a sharp little crimp and a big move to a slopey rail, a hard heel hook and cut loose help to gain good edges and the arete where the squeezing begins. Four hard compression moves get you to the last long lock off to a goodish hold and the top. I worked the top four moves on a rope and they felt tough, they are full commitment moves at a point where a fall wouldn't be very enjoyable. I had help with this one too, Mr David Mason came to the rescue finding the crucial beta for the start. Dave is one of the most psyched individuals I have ever met and is great fun to work though a problem with. After a day of working through the top four moves and a day of trying the start I was ready to try and send. It's an intimidating problem and I got through the bottom without any problems, I let out a few screams on the top four moves to stop my brain from freaking out and just cracked on. The moment on the top section felt amazing, it was delicate yet powerful. There was no glory jug, I had to keep climbing till I was stood on top to celebrate, I walked away that day with the second ascent of The Big Show and Dave grabbed the third.
There are so many lines that have yet to be climbed up there and I managed to get a first ascent of my own. I came across a cool looking arete whilst warming up one day and started trying it, it was tricky and needed a clean before I could do it. The locals were always prepared making the long walk up with ropes, brushes and spray bottles just in case they wanted to clean a new line. Within minutes a few guys had offered me their gear so I could clean the problem. It was incredibly generous of them to do this, I don't think I have been anywhere else where the locals are so keen for development and welcome foreigners to come and open lines. I called the line Do Wrong By None because that was the feeling I got from the people and the place, there was no wildlife looking to hurt you and the people always had your best interests at heart.
I had a great two months in New Zealand, flying into Auckland and out of Christchurch we managed to see lot of the country and experience a lot of New Zealand's climbing. We loved it, the people are just as beautiful as the countryside around them. The climbing was amazing for me, what makes a trip great is trying to climb on as many different moves, styles and amazing lines as possible, I feel I succeed in that this trip.
Problem List In order of ascension:
Milliennium 7b+
Mobius 7b+
Sunset Arete 7b+ (flash)
Psychic Tea Lady 7a+ (flash)
Jet Stream 7c
Little Book of Calm 8a+
Vapour Trail 7c+
Interstellar Overdrive 7c+ (flash)
Joker 7c (flash)
The Phoenix 7a+ (flash)
The Outcast 7b+
Do Wrong By None 7a+ FA
The Big Show 8a+
Caption Sassy Pants 7b+ (flash)
Caption Sassy Pants Direct 8a
Monster Society of Evil 7c (flash)
Obelisk 7c (flash)
Caption Crush 7c+
Mullet Arete 7a
Disconnect Low 7b (flash)
Chaos Out of Order 7c (flash)
Komodo 8a
Limstone Orgasm 7b+
Superman 7c+
Succession 7c+
Monkey see Monkey Do 7a+
Snake Eyes 7b+
Quantum Mechanics 7a+
Achilles Last Stand 8a
Archvile 7b+
Cold Fusion 8a
Juggernaut 7c
Grandad Vest 7b+
Megalithic 7b+
Fears Crimpie 7c
Alchemist 7c+
Opium 7a
Origami 7a
Charlie Brown 7c (flash)
Gun Slinger 7b+ (flash)
Okinawa Steel 7b+ (flash)
Ground Zero 7a (flash)
All in all a great trip with amazing people and some of the best bouldering in the world. I will defiantly be going back to Flock Hill, there are still some many projects to be climbed and some unfinished business to finish off.