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Chockstone Forum - Crag & Route Beta

Crag & Route Beta

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Author
Climbing in the Darran Mountains
bjorniam
3-Dec-2012
2:12:21 PM
Heading across the ditch in a few weeks to spend 2 weeks climbing in the Darran Mountains.
I've got (and started to read) the guide but would love any advice on routes/peaks/areas to go for!
Partner and I are comfy leading up to grade 20 on trad (of a relatively adventurous flavour as in the Wolgan, which will probably be the closest thing to the Darrans we have done).

Any epic stories would also help build the anticipation...
bradc
3-Dec-2012
8:06:22 PM
one of those places where the weather dictates the climbing. Have only climbed two routes there, East Ridge of Talbot and North Buttress of Sabre, both awesome routes. I thought the bivy beneath Sabre was one of the best places to camp/climb I've been to. Stunning scenery and if you get enough of a weather window the other climbs up on Barrier looked brilliant. Use metvuw to watch the weather forecasts in anticipation. Enjoy!

vwills
3-Dec-2012
10:26:00 PM
Last time I was there in a January it didnt stop raining and there was still heaps of snow around Homer tunnel. Thus we ended up spending more time at the Chasm, Babylon and Little Babylon. This guide is available as a download for a small fee from the NZAC and is well worth it for wet weather days.
The locals take a pair of gumboots for the approaches to these crags. I also heard recently they were closing the Milford road at night (and vacating Homer) though whatever precipitated this may have resolved.

Via the NZAC website you can link to ClimbNZ which has updates for new climbs. I am told the Shotwell slabs can be good. Ive only done the Bowen Allen Corner on Moirs mate. There are heaps of good routes up Moir, Moirs mate and Moirs little brother. Bowen Allen Corner was a classic.

Suggest having a car and be prepared to bail to Wye Creek or the Remarkables or Chinamans Bluff or Wanaka when you have had enough of the rain.
duploboy
5-Dec-2012
10:06:30 AM
Bjorn's belay bunny here. Thanks for the advice folks. Will pack the Scrabble board.

Speaking of weather... I imagine pea soup fogs/white out blizzards forseeable even at this time of year. Is navigation from Homer Hut up and down the different valleys relatively straightforward if you know what a contour line is, or would a GPS be advisable for getting you back to civilisation?


ajfclark
5-Dec-2012
10:53:08 AM
On 5/12/2012 duploboy wrote:
>Will pack the Scrabble board.

Skip the board, just bring the tiles: http://www.wikihow.com/Play-Speed-Scrabble (though I play take two rather than take one).
grangrump
5-Dec-2012
11:53:13 AM
Locals were just telling me that the road is closed (at Te Anau?) every night while they work on the tunnel, so you cant get up to Homer Hut via late drive. May affect your logistics.
Emirates were very good for a bouldering/climbing trip into Christchurch (30 kg baggage, no limit on number of bags, with bouldering mats fine to take, including large taco).

Weather was pretty good: 2 wet days out of 11!! (where we were, not in Darrans)
anthonycuskelly
5-Dec-2012
12:14:19 PM
On 5/12/2012 ajfclark wrote:
>Skip the board, just bring the tiles: http://www.wikihow.com/Play-Speed-Scrabble
>(though I play take two rather than take one).

We play take two. You can also buy Bananagrams, which is similar, but has a higher ratio of "hard" letters.
brendan
5-Dec-2012
3:39:55 PM
This was posted on the NZAC Facebook page on the 21st November
"Homer Hut update: IT IS OPEN. The roading contractor, Downers, are closing the road at night. Over the last few weeks they have put the chain up across the Homer Hut entrance to prevent day-trippers and tourist from parking up, heading off for a day-walk and finding themselves stranded when the road closes. Downers are more than happy to facilitate access to Homer Hut. They can be contacted on (03) 249 7004 for an update on road closures or you can call in at their Te Anau Office which is open 5:30am to 8pm, 7 days. Explain that you wish to stay at Homer Hut and they will arrange access. Any questions, just post here and we will answer. Best of luck for your climbing in the area this summer."

skink
5-Dec-2012
5:44:19 PM
On 5/12/2012 duploboy wrote:
>Speaking of weather... I imagine pea soup fogs/white out blizzards forseeable
>even at this time of year. Is navigation from Homer Hut up and down the
>different valleys relatively straightforward if you know what a contour
>line is, or would a GPS be advisable for getting you back to civilisation?
>

I'd be surprised if you got snow, or fog. You will just get plain old rain, or if you are real lucky, sun.

So leave the GPS at home, you'll be lugging enough crap anyway (trad rack, rope, bivy gear maybe)

nmonteith
5-Dec-2012
5:53:03 PM
Bring a boat. It can be useful to get between the hut and your car. Or between your car and the highway. Or between your tent and the hut. I've never seen so much rain as in the four days that Ness and I spent there a few years ago.
grangrump
5-Dec-2012
7:24:16 PM
On 5/12/2012 nmonteith wrote:
>Bring a boat. It can be useful to get between the hut and your car. Or
>between your car and the highway. Or between your tent and the hut. I've
>never seen so much rain as in the four days that Ness and I spent there
>a few years ago.
The Kiwis told me that it was only Aussies who lugged tents around in NZ: the locals just aimed for huts / bivvies.

(I dont know about more remote parts of Darrans)
duploboy
6-Dec-2012
1:03:33 AM
Hah. Priceless info folks. Right, so we'll forget the scrabble board, GPS and tent but bring a boat and maybe snow chains.

Yeah the bivvies near Barrier Knob look pretty sweet, but maybe the tarp won't go astray. Am worried about how to get food out there once the rack and double ropes are packed though!

Good tips on alternative areas too. Bugger to find a guide book though.
Wanaka rock is out of print, and the the controversial Rock Deluxe guide (which pinched all the Wanaka club's info) won't be out til next year.
http://newzealandguides.blogspot.com.au/2011/05/please-help-wanaka-rock-climbing-club.html

And the remaining 'South Island Rock' gets a pretty bleak review!
http://www.climb.co.nz/references/GuideBooks/Reviews/SouthIslandRockReview.htm

Will have to rely on this informative gem from the Crag:
'Maori Alphabet' 400m (17)- This route actually goes where "Nice Guys Come Last" goes.
'Nice Guys Come Last' (17)- This route takes the same line as "Maori Alphabet" and was done several years later.

Does it count as a first ascent if you've no effing idea where you are?


grangrump
6-Dec-2012
3:56:36 PM
Plenty of Wanaka rock guides in Outside Sports (Dunmore St) store opposite supermarket in Wanaka a week ago.
But we only ended up spending 2 days climbing around there and didnt buy one, so no review.
YMMV

There are 13 messages in this topic.

 

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