Whanganui Bay - a spot of cleaning?
27 October 2009 - 10:44am
I was at Whanganui Bay over the weekend and had a brilliant time, great weather and a nice group of people. I did find though that quite a few of the routes I climbed had a bush-bash approach, gorse bush crux, dead tree that'd skewer you if you muffed a clip, or mossy crack that needing scrubbing to take any gear.
Now I'm not a local, don't know the crag's history, haven't been climbing for long, and may be asking for a kick in the trousers for suggesting this, but I was wondering if folks were keen to get together for a bit of a crag cleanup. I'm not sure how big a job it'd be or whether the local community would be supportive, but I'd be happy to put in a day's work one weekend to give the gorse and blackberry a good seeing to.
Good idea? Bad idea? Been tried without success?
Steve
28 October 2009 - 7:52am
#2
I agree with you seatbeltpants. It would be great to have another working bee. There has been a few informal working bees organised over the years. Often much of the work has been left to a key few climbers. We just need one keen person to coordinate...
In terms of possible work to be done:
Track to the Plateau moved further up the road past the houses (this may help relations)
Re-building the ladder up to the main cliff
Replacing some of the fixed line anchors (ie use bolts instead of tree (bottom of on patrol)
Access way from climbers car park to camp area (floods when wet)
Tree planting around camp area (needs to be done in winter, planting plan already exists)
Rebolting of classic lines
Cleaning of classic lines
North End...routes inland from the beach are basically gone due to growth and houses
Happy to help - not keen to coordinate
Kristen
29 October 2009 - 4:17am
#4
Yeah what about a retrobolt of some of the routes on Lobotomy Buttress... last time I was up there it was old home made hangers on some routes. Perhaps might encourage a few more people to get down that end.
Also we got a stern warning from one of the home owners down the North End to not go climbing behind the houses etc. Which we weren't anyway and he calmed down quickly when he realized this but it seems some of these area's are now no go's.
29 October 2009 - 4:35pm
#5
These guys would be interested in your ideas http://www.sportsground.co.nz/taupoclimbingclub
29 October 2009 - 5:02pm
#7
A rebolt of some routes at Lobotomy (the 3 short 20's) has been on my to do list for a while. They are great routes. Not sure about a retrobolt (ie adding more bolts) but maybe just a slight repositioning of the existing ones.
30 October 2009 - 2:50pm
#8
Sorry a rebolt will be fine but I remember one having quite a high first bolt... and one of them having some very manky anchours, one bolt coming out.
30 October 2009 - 4:41pm
#9
I've just applied to the NZAC bolting fund for bolts to do this work... Watch this space...I'll have a chat to Mere next time i'm there (wont be for about 3 or 4 weeks).
a FANTASTIC idea... There are hundreds of actually unclimbable climbs! Some classic lines too I hear... Like at the south end etc... Its just a huge job! What area are you talking about??? pretty much whekenui and the plateau are all that gets climbed these days... I havent even ventured into the gorge etc!