New Zealand Climbing - Area Guides


South Island

Christchurch - Port Hills


Bolt Replacement

Over the last few seasons there has been an effort by Tony Burnell, John McCallum and Simon Middlemass (using funds from the Canterbury Rock bolting fund) to replace old, dangerous bolts on local routes. Their efforts have seen many of the worst bolts at crags such as Lyttelton Rock, Cattlestop Crag and Jane Fonda upgraded to modern, high-strength bolts.

However, it's impossible for any one person to know the state of every bolt in canterbury - so they need your help to identify any other bolts in need of replacement. If you notice old, bad bolts on routes or belays, email Tony and let him know.

Please note : this is a one for one replacement (i.e. rebolting, not retrobolting) - don't email him if you think a route is runout and needs more bolts.

Welcome to Christchurch's closest climbing area. There are half a dozen good crags here, all within 20 minutes of the city. So even if you have only two to three hours available, this is still plenty of time to scare or pump yourself silly. The rock is mostly trachyte, courtesy of the Lyttelton Volcano. Steep walls and cracks abound.

Great variety, good views and a relaxed social scene can be found at Christchurch's most popular and least weather-dependent cliff - Castle Rock. If you're in to steep sustained routes of grade 20+, then head for the Jane Fonda Workout Wall or Lyttelton Rock. For beginners, there's good easy and middle grade climbing especially suited to toproping at Rapaki Rock. A change of scene and a couple of middle-grade classics are to be found at The Tors. And for a taste of the best rock that volcanoes can produce, there's Gibraltar Rock (except that it's currently off-limits to climbers)

Handy Hints

Some anchors on the Port Hills have been replaced with two Fixe Belay Rings side by side.

If you feed the rope through both rings and lower off  your rope can develop twists. Abseil off instead of lowering from the rings. This also helps the rings  last longer as there is less direct wear on them.

If you want to top rope - do not top rope thru the rings directly. Aattach two quickdraws (or short slings with screwgates if you are worried) to the rings and clip the rope through them. This avoids accelerated wear, cuts rope drag, and also avoids kinking your rope.

  • Breeze Bay
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  • Farm Park Crag
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  • Black Wall
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  • Jane Fonda Workout Wall
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  • Evans Pass
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  • Punk Rock
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  • The Superbowl
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  • The Wunderbar Wall
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  • Crag X
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  • Crag W
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  • Coalditz Crag
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  • The Three Sisters
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  • Lyttleton Rock
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  • Cattlestop Crag
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  • Mount Pleasant
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  • Castle Rock
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  • The Tors
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  • Rapaki Rock
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  • Huntsbury Crag
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  • Gibraltar Rock
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  • Albert Terrace
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  • Sumner Boulevard
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  • Port Hills Miscellany
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  • Britten Crag
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    Banks Peninsula


    There are gems of routes and cliffs tucked all over the Peninsula. They offer a variety of climbing, generally on excellent rock. But there's more than just the rockclimbing. Other things are there which make a day spent cragging on the Peninsula a well-rounded experience you can feel satisfied with. Beautiful scenery uncluttered by people; icecreams at Governer's Bay and Little River; fish & chips complete with outdoor seating at Akaroa; a pleasant walk to the crag as a warm-up: all are there to help satisfy your physical and spiritual needs.

    There's potential too - the Peninsula crags haven't received a lot of attention in recent years (the photographs reflect this), and all the cliffs, especially Stony Bay Peak, Devils Gap, and Purau Valley Wall have hard lines to offer those with focussed attention and a brush. For those after middle grade classics, Otepatotu, the Monument and Mount Bradley await you. If steep jamming is your forte, Crystal Clearlight will gladly rip your hands up.

  • Remarkable Dykes
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  • Mount Bradley
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  • Fantasy Factory/Crystal Clearlight
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  • Fawlty Towers
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  • Dawn Wall
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  • The Monument
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  • Mount Evans
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  • Holmes Bay
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  • Te Oka
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  • Little River
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  • Devils Gap
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  • Otepatotu
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  • Panama Rock
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  • Stony Bay Peak
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  • Brasenose
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  • Banks Peninsula Obscurities
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    Castle Hill Basin


  • The Homestead
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  • Flock Hill
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    Arthur's Pass


    Graeme Kates has done an excellent job of putting his guide to climbing in Arthur's Pass online, plus has really good weekly condition updates. You can access it all via this link.

    The Darrans


    If you're into big granite walls and multipitch routes, this is the place to head!! Unfortunately the weather is notoriously bad (one of the world's wettest spots), but given a window of good weather great things are possible. For those looking for something a bit more accessible, there's roadside cragging at The Chasm. A printed guide is available via the NZAC.

    South Canterbury


  • Hanging Rock
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  • Mt Somers
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  • Mt Horrible
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  • Spur Road
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  • Elephant Rocks
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  • Beautiful Valley
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  • Mt Lloyd
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  • Twin Stream
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    West Coast


  • Charleston
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    Golden Bay / Nelson


  • Paynes Ford & Golden Bay
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    THE NEW GOLDEN BAY GUIDE IS OUT NOW!!

    Otago


  • Queenstown
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  • Wanaka
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  • Waitati Crags
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  • Chinaman's Bluff, Dart Valley
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  • Long Beach
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