Rock climbing in New Zealand, as a sport in its own right, emerged in the late 1960s and early 1970s. While it has been practiced at least since the late 1800s it was largely considered as training for mountaineering. By 1968, however the first dedicated rock climbing guide had been published by the University of Canterbury tramping club, and the following decade saw a rapid improvement in standards and the introduction of new technologies and approaches including the bolting of routes that paved the way for sport climbing to emerge as an alternative to traditional route protection. Pursuit of trad climbing, sport climbing and bouldering all began developing their distinct trajectories separate from each other and from mountaineering.
Access
Rock climbing in New Zealand is pursued in many settings: sea cliffs (e.g. Ti Point, Long Beach), lakeside cliffs (e.g. Kawakawa Bay and Whanganui Bay on Lake Taupō), riverside cliffs (e.g. Waipapa Dam), old quarries (e.g. Mt Eden Quarry), farmland crags (e.g. Wharepapa Rock, Waipari), and alpine crags (e.g. Wye Creek in The Remarkables). Access rights to these climbing areas vary across the country due to the circumstances of land ownership and governance. Sustainable access to rock climbing areas in New Zealand has become an increasingly important issue and in recent years a number of historically important climbing areas, such as Mt Eden Quarry and Whanganui Bay have become closed to the climbing community. In response to these difficulties the Aotearoa Climbing Access Trust was formed to engage with landowners and public land governance bodies to maintain sustainable access to rock climbing areas in New Zealand.
Major climbing areas Detailed descriptions of climbing areas and climbing routes in New Zealand can be found on specialist websites including climbnz.org.nz, 8a.nu and thecrag.com. The table below details those areas that have been most popular over the years, although some are closed.
Competition climbing Competition climbing in New Zealand is administered by Climbing New Zealand, a member of Sport New Zealand.
History Although rock climbing in New Zealand has a post-colonial history that can be traced back at least to the 1890s, it was primarily employed as training for mountaineering. It was not until the 1970s that a community of dedicated rock climbers emerged focused primarily on rock climbing to push the sport into the modern era. The key protagonists advancing rock climbing standards in the 1970s included Robbie McBirney and Rick Mcgregor in Auckland and John Allen, John Howard and Dave Fearnley in Christchurch. Robbie McBirney and Rick Mcgregor contributed many first ascents in the Mt Eden Quarry, including Robbie McBirney's ascent of Supergroove in 1976. Although McBirney initially graded Supergroove at 24, it was soon recognised as the first 26 to be established in Oceania. Although rock climbing standards were greatly elevated in the 1970s, largely driven by members of the Auckland Rock Group, it was the 1980s the has been called the "revolutionary epoch" of New Zealand Climbing. It was the decade when bolting became ubiquitous, opening up many of the rock faces in New Zealand that had previously been unprotectable by traditional gear placements. In the North island the focus of activity was at Whanganui Bay with many climbers making significant contributions, including: Len Gillman, Graeme Aimer, Grant Davison, Bryce Martin, Simon Vallings, Robbie McBirney, Rick McGregor, Roland Foster and Micke Rockell. The 1990s saw the proliferation of indoor climbing walls and the rapid development of Paynes Ford, arguably New Zealand finest sport climbing crag.
Timeline
1890s 1893 (1893): A summit of Paritutu from the seaward side by Malcolm Ross was the first post-colonial record of a rock climbing ascent in New Zealand.
1900s 1903 (1903): First recorded female ascent of seaward side of Paritutu Rock.
1910s 1913 (1913): "Edgar Williams made the presumed first ascent, solo, of Hellfire Gully"
1920s 1924 (1924): repeat of Pinnacles Traverse in the footsteps of Horace Holl 1927 (1927): Horace Holl, an early post-colonial rock climbing enthusiast dies while trying to cross a flooded river.
1930s 1930 (1930): A.D. Jeffrey gives a lecture on rock climbing to the Mountain Craft Guild in Auckland 1931 (1931): D.W.O. Hall writes an article in the Press in which he declares "I am a rock climber by predilection" and in which he describes the distinctive nature of the rock climbing specialist. 1931 (1931): G.L.N. describes rock climbing routes at Pencarrow Head in Wellington 1934 (1934): Members of Christchurch tramping clubs practice rock climbing in the Port Hills
1950s 1957 (1957): Ascent of "The Nose" (Ewbank grade:15) of Humphries Castle on the slopes of Mount Taranaki by Vic S. Rhodes and Doug Ball 1957 (1957): "Climbing School" at Te Tihi-o-Kahukura / Castle Rock, organised by the Canterbury Mountaineering Club.
1960s October 1960 (1960-10): local tramping club members Dick Corin and Jim Finch make a trip to Baring Head, establishing one of NZ's first bouldering locations 1968 (1968): The Canterbury University Tramping Club publishes "Guide to the Port Hills/Castle Rock and Rapaki Rock : history, geology, rockclimbing, plants" (edited by Don Hutton), NZ's first rock climbing guide, covering routes at Te Tihi-o-Kahukura / Castle Rock and Rapaki Rock in the Port Hills.
1970s 1970 (1970): Rigid Digit (19) established by Graeme Dingle at Tītahi Bay. 1970 (1970): Graeme Dingle publishes the North island's first rock climbing guidebook, complete with topographic maps and grades. 1971 (1971): Tibia (16) was climbed by Graeme Dingle, Mike Gill and Eric McMahon, establishing the first route at Whanganui Bay, a venue that became central to development of rock climbing in the North Island in the 1970s and 1980s. 1972 (1972): Cliff Smith established the Auckland Rock Group (A.R.G.), with members soon including Robbie McBirney, Rick McGregor, Peter Giles and Bryce Martin. May 1973 (1973-05): First free routes were erstablished on the Long Side at Mt Eden Quarry by Robbie McBirney and Rick McGregor. November 1976 (1976-11): Robbie McBirney establishes Supergroove (26) at Mt Eden Quarry, originally graded 24, but soon after recognised as Oceania's first grade 26. 1979 (1979): John Allen established Nether Edge (21) in the Castle Hill Basin, and the first use of bolts in the area.
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