A Better Way?
8 February 2005 - 10:27pm
The last time I was at the Bay I was feeling a bit restless in the evening so I decided to go down to the other end of the bay (you know, the wall opposite Whekanui, where nobody ever seems to go) for a bit of an explore.
I didn't know how else to get there, so I just waded across the river and then wandered alongside the lake until I reached the cliffs. The walk was fine (although rather overgrown with blackberry and gorse), but I did wonder as I stumbled along (particularly when I walked into a small graveyard, which I thought might well be tapu) - is that the usual way for climbers to get there or is there some more clearly defined access route around the back?
Secondly, once I did get there, I had very little success in working out where the hell I was in the guide book (probably didn't help that it was half-dark). The one obvious feature I did manage to find was a single, fixed rope. So, just for clarification - is that the rope ladder which is mentioned in the guidebook? Or is it a completely different fixed rope? Can anyone help? I think if I knew what that single fixed rope is called in the guidebook I might be able to use it as a kind of orientation point to work out where the climbs are in real life...
9 February 2005 - 11:39am
#2
Sounds like the north end. Its very rarely climbed on now days and is getting overgrown. Im pretty sure (not posative) that your still alloud to climb there
9 February 2005 - 12:18pm
#3
There are some greta routes at the North End. The first time I went to the Bay the only access was through a farm above the Nth End then down a big gully. People camped in this area then also. A tad hard to figure things out but a bit of daylight might help.
9 February 2005 - 3:03pm
#5
Yep, sounds like Heinz's Rope to me. It should hang just left of a scrubby crack. There's an overhanging tree at the top. There should also be some rough hand and foot holds hacked in the rock. Usually you climb the holds and clip into a loop on the rope as a safety, otherwise ya just go hand over hand... The ledge at the top of Heinz's is just below twin cracks: 'Follow the Worms' and something sle I can't remember...
Good North End moderates:
Simply Fishy (16) trad
Who the F*ck is Jim Collins (19) bolts
Who on Earth is Chris Morris (16) bolts
A Moveable Feast (19) trad
The mossy ledge at the bottom of Who the F*ck is Jim Collins is one of the coolest places at the Bay for hanging out and appreciating how primo the place is. And the cool thing is there are three more ropes to negotiate to get there - it's like a big playground...
9 February 2005 - 4:07pm
#7
I definitely rate 'who the Fu*k is Jim Collins' as the best climb at the Bay. Highly recommended, the climb is just half of it, the approach is also a classic.
I remember the day when the best female sport climber of that time gracefully used who knee to lever herself up onto that final ledge.
Kudos for those who can name her??
9 February 2005 - 4:13pm
#8
elgrande - stab in the dark here: megan turnbull ?
lucy: best access is to walk along the beach. i'll bet you saw the rope (that andrew nevin left ?) hanging on dead men don't bash. this is a blank looking, vertical, ~ 25m tall prominent open book corner (27), back from the beach. in the daylight its obvious.
heinz' rope is found by scrambling along the 'path' which skirts the lake - it starts on trees partially hanging over the lake, right in the corner. head away from the beach for about 20m or so, and then turning left up a wee muddy slot (straight ahead goes to other routes, like simply fishy which is totally overgrown). the heinz rope hangs down over a rock step about 5-6 m high. climb it using the loops and the fock features. after this you'll find your way to the base of WTFIJC with a bit more rope climbing and scampering if you have the guide book map.
that ledge sure is primo, and the route is very nice. rebolted, and with not too small edges and balance on compact rock.
round trip from the usual campsite, you're looking at something like 2.5 hours. if you 're there for a long weekend, try it one morning. you don't want to be groping around in the dark up there. who knows, you could lose your shorts.
9 February 2005 - 4:44pm
#9
like simply fishy which is totally overgrown
That's a shame - someone should resurrect it...
The North End rock quailty is the best at the Bay by miles.
9 February 2005 - 7:38pm
#10
Certainly is paddles. It just needs some "Sport Climbing Faggots" to get down there, rebolt it, add some decent belays, sanitise the place , reclean everything, remove any chance of injury then it will surely become a highly popular area again. Any volunteers to engage in a bit of Faggotry?
9 February 2005 - 9:15pm
#11
not sure about this faggotry business Martyn, but I'm gunna be down at Easter.. be good to catch up.
10 February 2005 - 11:41am
#13
kudos to DanP
Sounds like you are on the right track there Lucy. You are talking about the north end right?
Unleashing the Fury since 1997