March 24, 2011
August 3, 2010
Kaipo Wall, 1974
The Adventure World of Sir Edmund Hillary: spills on the Hollyford rapids, spills on the Kaipo wall. A classic!
Now free to watch at nzonscreen.com/title/the-adventure-world-of-sir-edmund-hillary—the-kaipo-wall-part-one-1974
June 14, 2010
Darrans on Facebook
Just search “Darrans climbing” on Facebook and you’ll find all your crusty old mates there.
Trout fishing in the Hollyford
Rick McGregor sent these notes (“based on notes from my climbing logs 12/12/74-11/1/75 and 12/1-14/2/75 and some later notes”) on a route he climbed on Moir’s mate in the seventies: (more…)
Dreaming of Babylon
Rick McGregor sent these notes (“based on notes from my climbing logs 12/12/74-11/1/75 and 12/1-14/2/75 and some later notes”) on various routes he climbed in the seventies: (more…)
April 12, 2010
Where is Pawnbrokers?
Has Pawnbrokers Rock been gambled away by the Tutoko River? Don French was up in the head of the valley recently: (more…)
October 27, 2009
Northeast ridge of Madeline

Madeline. You can see the top and some of the middle of NE ridge – the left skyline
Ian Brown and Tom Williams climbed the probable first complete ascent of the North East Ridge of Mt Madeline in February 2009 over two days. The pair encountered fresh snow and rock gendarmes that made for difficult travel on the upper ridge. They bivvied at 1400 metres and thought the route would be about grade 3 on the Mt Cook scale.
July 23, 2009
The Celtic Connection
A new mixed route in the McPherson Cirque takes a devious line up the right-hand side of the overhanging wall right of Gomer to reach the top of Rabbit Run. The Celtic Connection is named after the two jokers who climbed it with Al Uren – Scotsman Ron Dempster and Welshman-from-Wellington Max Gough.
Read more and see photos on mountainz.co.nz.
Three pitches to reach Rabbit Run
Grade III, 7
Al Uren, Ron Dempster, Max Gough, July 2009
March 16, 2009
Cragging near Turner’s Eyrie

Hanging Out the Washing
Two routes right by the Eyrie: Hanging Out the Washing, 17 and Having a Bit of a Tidy Up, 22 up the wall just to the left.
It’s All Gone Biltong, 22 is a two pitch arete on a wall below the east ridge of Patuki.

It's All Gone Biltong
South ridge of Te Wera

South ridge of Te Wera
Not really fair to describe Te Wera’s south ridge as “Loose in places” – as it says in the guide. “Stone cold old-school classic” does it justice though.