Region Guide for South Island

Use this Region Guide to easily find and compare Crags.

Table of contents

1. South Island 6,405 routes in Region

Summary:

?,Boulder and other styles

Long/Lat: 170.467845, -43.811746

1.1. Golden Bay 333 routes in Crag

Summary:

Sport,?

Long/Lat: 172.791108, -40.740725

1.1.1. Paynes Ford 217 routes in Crag

Summary:

Mostly Sport

1.1.2. Tarakohe 88 routes in Area

Summary:

?,Sport

1.1.3. Cable Bay 28 routes in Area

Summary:

All Unknown

1.2. West Coast 198 routes in Region

Summary:

Mostly Trad or Sport

Long/Lat: 171.457463, -41.914781

1.2.1. Charleston 184 routes in Crag

Summary:

All Trad or Sport

Long/Lat: 171.458200, -41.912519

1.2.2. Fox Glacier 12 routes in Crag

Summary:

Mostly Unknown

1.2.3. Franz Joseph Glacier 2 routes in Crag

Summary:

All Boulder

1.2.4. Balfour Glacier 0 routes in Crag

1.3. Castle Hill Basin 1,994 routes in Crag

Summary:

Boulder,Sport and ?

Long/Lat: 171.734352, -43.208326

1.3.1. Spittle Hill 88 routes in Area

Summary:

Sport,Boulder

Long/Lat: 171.715891, -43.232217

1.3.2. Quantum Field 117 routes in Area

Summary:

Mostly Sport

Long/Lat: 171.715069, -43.228950

1.3.3. Castle Hill 76 routes in Area

Summary:

All Sport

1.3.4. Dry Valley 24 routes in Area

Summary:

All Sport

Long/Lat: 171.753020, -43.194289

1.3.5. Cave stream 0 routes in Sector

1.3.6. Flock Hill 28 routes in Area

Summary:

All Sport

Long/Lat: 171.747052, -43.184628

1.3.7. Gorge Hill and Prebble Hill 6 routes in Area

Summary:

All Sport

1.3.8. Spittle Hill Bouldering(2003 guide) 695 routes in Area

Summary:

Mostly Boulder

Long/Lat: 171.715891, -43.232217

1.3.9. Quantum Field Bouldering 957 routes in Area

Summary:

Mostly Boulder

1.3.10. Flock Hill Bouldering 3 routes in Area

Summary:

All Boulder

1.4. Banks Peninsula 260 routes in Crag

Summary:

Mostly Trad or Sport

Long/Lat: 172.884907, -43.760570

1.4.1. Mt Bradley 84 routes in Area

Summary:

All Trad or Sport

1.4.2. Fantasy Factory 35 routes in Area

Summary:

All Unknown

1.4.3. Crystal Clearlight 20 routes in Area

Summary:

All Unknown

1.4.4. The Monument 43 routes in Area

Summary:

All Unknown

1.4.5. Te Oka 13 routes in Area

Summary:

All Sport

1.4.6. Holmes Bay 29 routes in Area

Summary:

All Unknown

1.4.7. Otepatotu 32 routes in Area

Summary:

All Unknown

1.4.8. Stony Bay Peak 4 routes in Area

Summary:

All Unknown

1.5. Inland Canterbury 140 routes in Crag

Summary:

?,Sport

Long/Lat: 171.181487, -43.661275

1.5.1. Redcliffe 31 routes in Area

Summary:

All Sport

1.5.2. Mt Somers 82 routes in Area

Summary:

?,Sport

1.5.3. Cloudy Peak 27 routes in Area

Summary:

All Unknown

1.6. Mount Cook Area 142 routes in Crag

Summary:

Mostly Trad or Sport

Long/Lat: 170.140129, -43.554298

1.6.1. Twin Stream 68 routes in Area

Summary:

All Trad or Sport

1.6.2. Mt Lloyd 6 routes in Area

Summary:

All Unknown

1.6.3. Sebastapol Bluffs 37 routes in Area

Summary:

All Unknown

1.6.4. Tasman Valley 13 routes in Area

Summary:

All Unknown

1.6.5. Aoraki Bouldering 17 routes in Area

Summary:

Boulder,?

1.6.6. Mt Hicks 1 route in Area

Summary:

All Unknown

1.7. South Canterbury 244 routes in Crag

Summary:

Sport,?

Long/Lat: 171.238292, -44.148504

1.7.1. Hanging Rock 75 routes in Area

Summary:

Mostly Sport

1.7.2. Beautiful Valley 33 routes in Area

Summary:

All Sport

1.7.3. Raincliff 21 routes in Area

Summary:

All Sport

1.7.4. Mt Horrible 30 routes in Area

Summary:

All Unknown

1.7.5. Spur Road 85 routes in Area

Summary:

All Trad or Sport

1.8. North Otago 395 routes in Crag

Summary:

Boulder,Sport and ?

Long/Lat: 169.638444, -44.915841

1.8.1. Elephant Rocks Bouldering 253 routes in Area

Summary:

Mostly Boulder

1.8.2. Elephant Rocks 2 routes in Area

Summary:

All Unknown

1.8.3. Island Cliff Valley 62 routes in Area

Summary:

All Sport

1.8.4. Hulk Hogan Bouldering 78 routes in Area

Summary:

Mostly Boulder

1.9. Dunedin 268 routes in Crag

Summary:

Mostly Trad or Sport

Long/Lat: 170.565550, -45.845368

1.9.1. Long Beach 166 routes in Area

Summary:

Mostly Trad or Sport

Long/Lat: 170.643514, -45.748070

1.9.2. Doctor's Point 30 routes in Area

Summary:

All Unknown

Long/Lat: 170.607850, -45.733940

1.9.3. Mihiwaka 8 routes in Area

Summary:

All Unknown

Long/Lat: 170.608575, -45.788195

1.9.4. Lovers Leap 29 routes in Area

Summary:

All Unknown

1.9.5. Port Chalmers Quarry 2 routes in Area

Summary:

Sport,?

Long/Lat: 170.620176, -45.813036

1.9.6. Mapoutahi 33 routes in Area

Summary:

All Unknown

Long/Lat: 170.614631, -45.738627

1.10. Southland 102 routes in Crag

Summary:

?,Boulder

Long/Lat: 167.844634, -46.091084

1.10.1. Colac Bay 59 routes in Area

Summary:

?,Boulder

Long/Lat: 167.920956, -46.360567

1.10.2. Castledowns 43 routes in Area

Summary:

All Unknown

Long/Lat: 168.305734, -45.837577

1.11. Queenstown 237 routes in Crag

Summary:

?,Sport and other styles

Long/Lat: 168.669117, -45.029873

1.11.1. Wye Creek 122 routes in Crag

Summary:

?,Sport and Trad

Long/Lat: 168.767695, -45.141069

Unique Features And Strengths:

Exposure and amazing views

Approach:

Follow the highway out of Queenstown towards Milford Sound. The entrance is a small gate with a sign. Be sure to close the gate behind you ('Approach1.jpg') Follow the small road up to a grassy area where you can park your car, or if you have a 4WD keep going up to the top, there is space for 2 or 3 cars closer to the track entrance.

Once up the top you'll see a sign saying track and toilet ('Approach2.jpg'). Follow these signs and you'll pass a toilet. It's the last one so keep that in mind. (Approach3.jpg') This is the track to all of the walls at Wye Creek

Where To Stay:

Queenstown has plenty of accommodation. Camping is not permitted due to private land.

1.11.2. South Branch Wye Creek 3 routes in Crag

Summary:

All Trad

Description:

1 hours walk above lower Wye

1.11.3. Remarkables 30 routes in Crag

Summary:

Mostly Unknown

1.11.4. Chinamans Bluff 12 routes in Crag

Summary:

All Unknown

1.11.5. Queenstown Hill 28 routes in Crag

Summary:

All Unknown

Access Issues:

This crag currently closed to all climbers except for locals who know the landowners.

1.11.6. Sunshine Bay Crag 0 routes in Crag

1.11.7. Coronet Crag 15 routes in Crag

Summary:

All Unknown

1.11.8. Gorge Road 14 routes in Crag

Summary:

All Unknown

1.11.9. Arawata Terrace 9 routes in Crag

Summary:

?,Sport

Description:

Schist set on the side of the hill amongst cabage trees. Short but steep walk in.

1.11.10. Event Centre 0 routes in Crag

1.11.11. Glenorchie 4 routes in Area

Summary:

All Alpine

1.11.12. Kingston 0 routes in Crag

Description:

At the south end of Lake Wakitipu

1.12. Port Hills 1,416 routes in Crag

Summary:

Mostly Trad or Sport

Long/Lat: 172.696118, -43.609347

1.12.1. Farm Park 77 routes in Area

Summary:

All Trad or Sport

1.12.2. Breeze Bay 22 routes in Area

Summary:

All Unknown

1.12.3. Black Wall 30 routes in Area

Summary:

All Unknown

1.12.4. Jane Fonda 40 routes in Area

Summary:

All Unknown

1.12.5. Evans Pass 24 routes in Area

Summary:

All Unknown

1.12.6. Punk Rock 40 routes in Area

Summary:

All Unknown

1.12.7. Coalditz 17 routes in Area

Summary:

All Unknown

1.12.8. Crag X Area 28 routes in Area

Summary:

All Unknown

1.12.9. Barnett Park 43 routes in Area

Summary:

Mostly Sport

1.12.10. Wunderbar 12 routes in Area

Summary:

All Unknown

1.12.11. Three Sisters 88 routes in Area

Summary:

All Trad or Sport

1.12.12. Lyttelton Rock 98 routes in Area

Summary:

Mostly Trad or Sport

1.12.13. Lyttelton Rock (duplicate - see South Island / Port Hills) 63 routes in Area

Summary:

All Trad or Sport

1.12.14. Cattlestop 72 routes in Area

Summary:

All Trad or Sport

1.12.15. Mt Pleasant 92 routes in Area

Summary:

All Trad or Sport

Long/Lat: 172.722368, -43.588789

1.12.16. Britten Crags 233 routes in Area

Summary:

All Trad or Sport

1.12.17. Britten Crag (duplicate - see South Island / Port Hills) 58 routes in Area

Summary:

All Trad or Sport

1.12.18. Paraglider 13 routes in Area

Summary:

All Unknown

1.12.19. The Tors 36 routes in Area

Summary:

All Unknown

1.12.20. Castle Rock 183 routes in Area

Summary:

All Trad or Sport

Long/Lat: 172.703439, -43.591902

1.12.21. Rapaki Rock 31 routes in Area

Summary:

All Unknown

1.12.22. Huntsbury 33 routes in Area

Summary:

All Unknown

1.12.23. Albert Tce 34 routes in Area

Summary:

All Unknown

1.12.24. Gibraltar 14 routes in Area

Summary:

All Unknown

1.12.25. Minor Crags 34 routes in Area

Summary:

Mostly Unknown

Long/Lat: 172.649190, -43.604452

1.12.26. one tree crag, Sumner 1 route in Area

Summary:

All Unknown

1.13. Milford 421 routes in Crag

Summary:

Mostly Trad or Sport

Long/Lat: 167.901185, -44.628402

1.13.1. The Chasm 31 routes in Area

Summary:

Mostly Unknown

1.13.2. The Earl Mountains 21 routes in Area

Summary:

All Unknown

1.13.3. Darran Mountains 358 routes in Area

Summary:

Mostly Trad or Sport

1.13.4. Babylon 8 routes in Area

Summary:

?,Sport

1.13.5. Little Babylon 3 routes in Area

Summary:

All Sport

Description:

Keep going up hill above Babylon

1.14. Wanaka 248 routes in Crag

Summary:

?,Boulder and other styles

Long/Lat: 169.114542, -44.696051

1.14.1. Little Big Wall 5 routes in Area

Summary:

All Unknown

1.14.2. The Tombstone 7 routes in Area

Summary:

All Unknown

1.14.3. Crackhouse 3 routes in Sector

Summary:

Trad,Sport

Description:

Implied in the name there are some cracks to climb along with an assortment of good bolted routes

1.14.4. The Main Cliff 10 routes in Area

Summary:

Mostly Unknown

1.14.5. The Cutting 9 routes in Area

Summary:

Mostly Sport

1.14.6. Sunnyside 15 routes in Area

Summary:

All Unknown

1.14.7. The Diamond 12 routes in Area

Summary:

All Unknown

1.14.8. Riverside 18 routes in Area

Summary:

Mostly Unknown

1.14.9. Roadside Attraction 17 routes in Area

Summary:

Mostly Unknown

1.14.10. The Alcove 11 routes in Area

Summary:

All Unknown

1.14.11. Motatapu 1 route in Area

Summary:

All Unknown

1.14.12. Phoebe Creek 2 routes in Area

Summary:

All Unknown

1.14.13. Kai Whaka Pai Crag 10 routes in Area

Summary:

All Unknown

1.14.14. Farside 11 routes in Area

Summary:

All Unknown

1.14.15. The Hangover 2 routes in Area

Summary:

All Unknown

1.14.16. West Wanaka Scrabble wall 2 routes in Area

Summary:

All Unknown

1.14.17. Top Boulder 2 routes in Area

Summary:

All Unknown

1.14.18. Road End 0 routes in Area

1.14.19. Cattleyard Crag 0 routes in Area

1.14.20. Pencil Dick Wall 4 routes in Area

Summary:

All Unknown

1.14.21. Track Side 0 routes in Area

1.14.22. Jimmy Cliff 0 routes in Area

1.14.23. Delta View 0 routes in Area

1.14.24. The Engine Block 1 route in Area

Summary:

All Unknown

1.14.25. Mt Iron 15 routes in Area

Summary:

?,Sport

1.14.26. Lakeside Boulder 15 routes in Area

Summary:

All Boulder

1.14.27. Luggate Boulders 43 routes in Area

Summary:

All Boulder

1.14.28. Hospital Flat Boulders 2 routes in Area

Summary:

All Boulder

1.14.29. Glendhu Bay Boulders 4 routes in Area

Summary:

All Boulder

1.14.30. Sharon Stone 4 routes in Area

Summary:

All Unknown

1.14.31. Warm Leatherette Buttress 4 routes in Area

Summary:

All Unknown

1.14.32. The Garden Bar 5 routes in Area

Summary:

All Unknown

1.14.33. Whale watching wall 3 routes in Area

Summary:

Sport,Trad

Description:

did through bracken then up old fixed rope to airy belay ledge

1.14.34. Bakehouse 8 routes in Sector

Summary:

All Sport

Description:

A good beginner to intermediate area with easy access

1.14.35. Icehouse 3 routes in Sector

Summary:

All Sport

Description:

Small shady cliff with a few nice climbs and good rock quality. It is a cool place to climb on hot day

1.15. Mount Aspiring National Park 2 routes in Feature

Summary:

All Alpine

Description:

Mount Aspiring

1.15.1. Plunketts Dome 1 route in Cliff

Summary:

Approach:

Approach via Dart / Rees Valley or Via Aspiring Hut

1.15.2. Mount French 1 route in Cliff

Summary:

Approach:

Access from French Ridge Hut. Approach from Colin Todd hut is across the Bonar Glacier

History:

Mount French was climbed by J.K. Inglis, A.E. Duncan and J.R. Murrell on 30 November 1914 [1]. Note that both the name and the date reported in the NZAC guidebook are incorrect [2]. On its first ascent, the mountain was baptized after Field Marshal John French, Commander of the British Expeditionary Force in the first World War, which was raging at the time [1]. It is ironical that John French should have a mountain named after him, since he suffered from a pathological fear of heights [3], and climbing would have been at the very bottom of his list of priorities.

A party of five, including H.F. Wright and H.E. Hodgkinson, left for a trip during which “they were 20 days absent from Dunedin, and there was not one day during that time fit for high climbing”. The party reached the Bonar via a new route to the left of French Ridge, probably making the first crossing of the Breakaway. After an aborted attempt on the NW ridge of Mount Aspiring, where they had to turn around near the top of the Ramp because of high winds, they crossed back over the Bonar and split into two groups. Wright and Hodgkinson claimed the virgin Mount Joffre, while the rest of the party climbed Mount French via the north-west ridge [1]. Wright refers to “first ascents of two peaks on either side of the Quarter Deck Saddle, which we named Joffre and French” [4]. It seems that he was confused about the actual location of the Quarterdeck, and that they were on the Breakaway instead.

The party returned down valley to Cameron Flat, then set off into the Matukituki River East Branch, over Albert Burn Saddle into the Albert Burn South Branch, down and up into the North Branch and over a pass west of Mt Twilight into the Wilkin River. The whole country between the East Matukituki and the Wilkin was previously unexplored [1].

1.16. Mount Aspiring 3 routes in Crag

Summary:

?,Alpine

1.17. Pioneer hut 2 routes in Crag

Summary:

All Unknown

1.17.1. Mt Conway 1 route in Area

Summary:

1.17.2. Humdinger 1 route in Area

Summary: