Skip to main content

Holmes Bay

Type
Altitude
460m
Part of

The Crag is approx 60 metres long by 10 to 15 metres high. It consists of columnar trachy basalt. It faces almost due south and is excellently protected from the north-west and north-east. The crag dries quickly after rain, particularly where it has been cleaned. However, as it receives almost no sun, it is slow to dry in winter and can be very cold.
Descents are available at both ends, the easiest being at the left end as the right end is very overgrown. There is a two-ring anchor station at the top of Hump The Lump to allow abseil descents, and this works well with an abseil rope set up for the day. Protection is available with a set of camming devices and a set of wires. Most of the loose rock has been cleaned from the listed climbs, but there is still more to be found, particularly around the summit blocks. Please be careful if you are heaving rocks down into the scrub below as the goats give the native plants a hard enough time without us adding to the damage!
Grades have been updated from Murray’s original guide based on comments from Phil Stuart-Jones and Joe Arts. In every case the grades have gone up – typically by one or two grades.

Image
Walktime
5–10 mins
Aspect
South
Lat/lon
POINT (172.87092039 -43.65987559)
Topo50
BX25 896 659
Access

Take the Akaroa highway to Hilltop. From here take the Old Pigeon Bay Road until the second cattle stop. At a fork in the road go left. Go 200m past sheep yards on the left side of the road. Park off the road before the gate, walk up the hill, parallel with the fence then cross down the small boulder field to to the left and through the opening in the bush.
Holmes Bay crag is on the 'Balcarres' property, owned by Andy Richardson who is quite happy for people to rock climb there. Call him before visiting the crag on 03 304 6822.

Add Place Add Route

Routes

Reference Title Grade Length Pro Quality Operations
Because It's There 10 5m
0
Guilty Conscience 13 5m
0
Blockhead 12 5m
0
Magpie 15 10m
1.02
Delusions 21 10m
0
YMC Yellow Matter Custard 18 12m
0
NWP Northwest Passage 23
1.02
CJM Cracker Jack Mac 20 15m
3
FI Fallen Idol 15 15m
0
Bi Bridg-itte 20 15m
0
Pinnochio 20
0
Easy Day for an Ageing Alpine Faggot 10
0
RM Reptilian Mantle 18 15m
0
Pethidine Peace 15 15m
0
EdJ Escalade du Jour 22 15m
0
CoD Crack of Delight 19 15m
1.02
FoR Fox On Rocks 21
0
Broadleaf Lane 15 13m
2.01
SaR The Spies Are Out 20 14m
1.02
HL Hump the Lump 16 8m
1.02
AAP Abandon All Preconceptions 24 12m
0
DdB Death by Blocklets 22 15m
3
PhF The Pigeons have Flown 24 15m
3
Supraspinatus 22 15m
0
How Queen Guinevere Made Him a Nun 17 15m
0
SAM Space Age Medasin 18 15m
0
Les Liaisons Dangereuses 14 15m
1.02
Bodylength 14 8m
0
Holmes Alone 18
0
Sarnia 19
0

Images

Comments
This place appears in
Attribution
Information by Lindsay Main & previously hosted on website by John Davis

UUID
 
9cd3d6d2-54c7-460a-a371-48f6d3eca6fa