Jardines climbing area is currently closed between 1st September until 20th October for lambing. This is private property so please respect the closure so we can access the area after the lambing season.
Thanks a lot folks :-)
Jardines climbing area is currently closed between 1st September until 20th October for lambing. This is private property so please respect the closure so we can access the area after the lambing season.
Thanks a lot folks :-)
The Queenstown Climbing Club is organising a Family snowshoeing trip to Lake Alta! All are welcome - even non-club members! Mums, Dads, babies, toddlers... Let's show our kids how beautiful the outdoor is and encouraging them to like being outside! We can all have a great time together! Home cake will be served at the Lake!
Date : 17th September Where : Meeting at 11.15am, bottom carpark Remarkables. We should be back by 4pm.
Gear to bring: snowshoes (not compulsory depending on snow conditions but fun!), hiking poles, hiking boots, warm clothes, sun glasses, food, water, baby backpack if your child won’t walk to the Lake. (Count about 2 hours walking time). If you don’t have the gear, we can probably find some for you. Unfortunately there are no snowshoes for little feet…
Please contact Celine to register your interest or for any questions via queenstownclimbing (@) gmail.com with the subject “Subject: Lake alta trip” (Sorry for the funny email format - it's just to stop us getting a lot of spam email)
Please pass this on to anyone who you think may be interested. This is the first family day of the new season. It's happening soon so don't ponder about it - drop an email through just now.
There was a well attended committee meeting on Friday night to discuss upcoming ideas and plans for the next year. There were a number of items discussed that are just being finalised and discussed a bit further, but look forward to a busy calendar and some dates to put in your diary for the following year.
Thanks to Guillaume for hosting a great meeting and everyone else for attending.
Only my first week in"job" so I'm delighted to have some news sent in, and a new route as well! Route “Searching for Sumo” 20/08/2011, Craig Jefferies and Daniel Joll.
M5+ maybe M6 ?? 6 Pitches
Located on a buttress just left of the west face and about 200m left of the North summit on Double Cone, tops out onto the ridge.
The line follows a very close to the arête of the buttress on the left hand side (of the arête) in several spots you could have escaped onto easier pitches or snow slopes to the left however at each of the crux pitches we choose the harder looking of the two corners that always seemed to be available. 6 pitches not sure if its M6 definitely pretty solid M5 two of the cruxes are quite bouldery so its hard to grade them. The final pitch is a definite three star 55m corner with some nice ice runnels and steep hooking to get you established into the corner. There are three similar grade crux pitches one pitch of M4 and a couple of easier ones P1 50degrees (head up a right leaning snow ramp P2 M4 (wide corner on left half way up snow ramp) P3 M5+(boulder over small roof to steep pic & finger crack easier option could be wide crack to the left) P4 M3 P5 M5 (take the left corner capped by nice roof traverse left and up at the roof) P6 M5+ (drop 15m down a snow gully to the base of this ausome corner, there is a shorter easier looking corner available on the right) . The route protects very well and all the crux sections have good gear.
A couple of knife blade pitons are handy, single set of wires and we had a double set of cams. However you probably only need doubles of zero to 2 with one number 3 & 4
The pic showing the top 35m of the last pitch, the crux of this pitch is not shown in the pic and is probably the bottom 10-12m of the pitch with some committing moves required to get you established in the corner.
Also can report conditions on Fridays fool are thin but good soloed wed 17. Upper section is in great shape. Neil also says that minge cunt had some nice ice on it soloed Friday 19, no doubt the big snow dump will have changed that though.
Thanks again Dan, always great to have new routes being put up. Apologies I had some issues getting the pictures up but I'll get them up as soon as possible as they're great.
Hi All, Thanks for Sally for the welcome message. I thought I'd give a brief background of myself as I take on the Website Administrator role.
I've been in the area for around 5 months now and thought I'd get involved in the climbing to help the already stretched committee, and to meet some new folk. We have some great ideas to enhance the website and add more information. To do that we need your input so if there's anything you think should be added to the website, or regular features you'd like to see on here please let me know. It may take a few weeks to notice any difference but hopefully this year, having someone dedicated to the role will allow us to get more information online for you and the numerous visitors to the area.
As for me, I've been in New Zealand for over a year and hope to make Queenstown home. I left Scotland around 18 months ago, arriving here via Central Asia, the wildernesses of Kyrgyzstan and the wild west of Mongolia. I'm loving having the opportunity to live in the wonderful playground of the Southern Lakes and look forward to getting out and exploring more.
Like a recent email about the AGM said, I can't solo a 23 or do any other miraculous climbing.....I'm very much there with the average Joe bumbling around the easier grades, and fitting my climbing into everything else that's offered on our doorsteps.
There's definitely a buzz around the extended committee and this website is only one facet of the club - there is always a lot more going on behind the scenes : fundraising, activities, advocacy, projects and lots more. Over the following week's we'll get a survey up here to see what you want on the site, and we'll enhance some of the existing features.
As always, this website is for you. Keep the stories, pictures and anything else newsworthy arriving in the inbox. If you're keen to write anything or have any pictures or updates, please send them through.
The snow is still coming sporadically but some signs of Spring are in the air. I'm a newbie in town so I still can't work out whether I want winter to continue, or Summer to start.
Here's to a great new season for the club. If you don't have one already, grab the guidebook and start planning your 'bucketlist' of outings for 2011/12 and I'll look forward to being dragged up some harder climbs this season.
Welcome to Darren Craig. I'd just like to quickly thank all the people who sent me their photo's and let me know who was doing what out there. I wouldn't have had anything to put up without your help
Cheers Sally
You are invited to the.... Queenstown Climbing Club 2011 Annual General Meeting.
Where: Events Centre / Upstairs Room
When: Thursday 11th August 2011 - 6pm
Ni Hao! Great to be back in the Wakatipu after my trip and looking forward to meeting a lot of new members. This year there are some strongl incentives to come to the meeting. We want to know your views about the direction of our club. During the meeting we will stop proceedings to allow some discussions and for people to circulate and organise nominations for the committee. The club is putting on drinks and nibbles at this point.
We have had a relatively small committee up until now, however the club is growing and becoming involved in many more things (hopefully you have noticed some of them). So the committee hopes to grow to 14 members. We want you there too!
After the formal part of the evening is over, we have booked out the climbing wall. From 7 to 9pm, the wall is free for members to use, so bring your gear along.
See you at the AGM,
Guillaume
If you attend the AGM on Thursday August 11th, you will be able to renew your membership for $25 or $10 (under 16) during the meeting, a saving of $10.
5 REASONS TO COME TO THE AGM!
PROPOSED COMMITTEE POSITIONS
We would love for Every one to come along and Help build the club
See you there
The folllowing is a report from Rupert gardiner- Along with Dave bolger, he was an Instructor on the day The club ice climbing day was a great success. Even though there was limited ice the two teams got to squeeze out some quality laps on a small hidden alcove of ice directly below the Grand Coulior. We left the car park at 7 am and did some avalanche beacon practice as the sun came up at Lake Alta. We were disappointed to see very little ice on Alta States but Dave knew of this small alcove that would be perfect.While Rupert rigged the ropes Dave took the group over general crampon and ice axe use. Once the ropes were up he then gave the team a demo and let them at it. By lunch time the ice was beaten out and there had been a lot of V threads made as Rupert taught those waiting in line for a lap the art of escaping off ice routes. After lunch Aaron our trusted helper and ice climbing fanatic moved the ropes and another two climbs were enjoyed for the remainder of the day
Rupert and Dave would like to thank Mike and Melanie for the hard work in organizing such a great opportunity for local climbers and Aaron for being a tireless helper and sharing his climbing skills and knowledge with the group.
The AGM date will be announced shortly. It's time to start thinking...What do you want the club to be doing? Are you happy with what has been done so far? What would you like to be involved in? Come to the AGM, make the club yours by becoming involved.
This year- The guide continues to sell, there is a subsidised Ice trip, Several slide shows and social gatherings, A toilet installed at Wye creek, New signage at Jardines, rebolting of substandard anchors at Wye has begun.
StolenTouringGear If anyone is offered some skitouring gear suspiciously cheap please check against the list attached and contact Adrian
Graham Zimmerman is talking at Revolver 7 pm Thursday the 5th of Aug. $5 door charge.
His Chch talk was good apparently
Bands after! see Mel's comment below for details
Thanks again Melanie x
Rupert Gardiner and Danny Murphy went to try the south face of Aspiring this weekend. Rupert reports: The face was in great conditions but travel to it was very slow, it took us 6 hours in the dark to get there from French ridge. The quarter deck was in good condition though we got a little lost and had to climb over a serac! When we got the face the wind picked up and clouds started to come in. We had a go at the first couple pitch's of Bruce Haslers route Mixed Aspirations but backed off while trying the second pitch because of really intense spindrift. We then headed for home and decided to check out the break away. It was not quite as filled in as we thought and we had to do one rap to get through it.
ARAPILESIn May ten club members made a trip over to "New Zealand's best crag" - Mt Arapiles in Australia. A direct Jet Star flight to Melbourne and a 3.5 hour drive west and you arrive at Mt Arapiles National Park, home to thousands of amazing multi pitch trad climbing routes for all levels and abilities. Thanks Celine for inspiring many of us to join you, Mark and Audrey. Fabulous climbing and the craic was mighty. Photos of Celine on a Pitch 4 of Syrinx, Mark belaying from a comfy block on Siren, Wendy & Phil enjoying climbing at the Organ Pipes, and all the gang heading off climbing for the day. Melanie
Wye Creek Toilet Installed On Saturday, Aaron, Niall, Danny and Tom did a fabulous job of installing the Wye Creek long drop at the top of the 4WD track (thanks guys for all your hard work!). Under the circumstances, the top of the 4WD track was the most suitable and cost effective location for the toilet and was agreeable by the Club and the Department of Conservation. This toilet will provide toilet facilities for all recreational users of the Wye Creek area and help minimise the effects recreational users have on this environment. Hopefully all of you will see the benefit of having these facilities in the Wye Creek catchment.
It is important to mention and recognise the support the Queenstown Climbing Club received from the Department of Conservation, Central Lakes Trust, Community Trust of Southland, and of course, our club members. Without this support the project wouldn’t have got off the ground. THANKS!
Melanie and Mike