Mt Horrible is a plug of quality basalt very close to Timaru. If you enjoy trad climbing on good pro and sound rock then this is the place for you. The routes are quite short but have an abundance of well-rounded holds and cracks that vary from finger width to semi offwidth. There are many other unrecorded routes that are shorter, blocky lines on both sides of the main wall. Some of these can be treated as boulder problems. Be aware that there is no access to this crag during lambing season.
Expect clean, solid rock with sound gear possibilities. Make sure you take a few quickdraws; a standard rack (a couple of large cams are useful); long slings and a single rope.
The top of the crag is totally flat and user-friendly and the anchors are bomber. Since you can wander around easily between anchors, it is most efficient to set up one rope for descents.
The first routes are on the far left of the main wall before it gets vegetated or blocky.
Beware of old carrot or expansion bolts, it is recommended you do not use these! The basalt here is quite soft. There are a few new glue-in bolt anchors, these are good to go.
From Timaru:
Just north of the Timaru city centre is an intersection with Wai-iti Rd. Turn right here and drive 4km to Gleniti. Veer left into Claremont Rd and follow this for 7km past Claremont School to Whalebone Corner (intersection with Fairview Rd). Turn left on to Fairview Rd and take the next right, which is Mt Horrible Rd. After 5km, there is a farm gate on the left , as the road flattens out. Park here but please do not obscure the gate access. The owners have asked people to steer clear of the property at lambing time end of August -start of November and leave all gates as you find them.
From Dunedin:
Turn off just before the Pareora bridge into Pareora River Rd. After 12km, turn right in to Holme Station Bridge Rd. Turn left in to Fairview Rd and travel for 3km before turning left in to Mt Horrible Road (as above).
Cross through the gate and walk along the hedge on your left. Go through another gate. Head slightly right and southwards for the next 500m to the edge of the scarp and over the swampy pond to the big pine trees on the other side of the paddock. Either use the single pine as an abseil anchor or scramble down one of the gullies to the crag.
Routes
Reference | Title | Grade | Length | Pro | Quality | Operations |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Politics of Utopia | ||||||
Banana Man on Tour | 14 | |||||
Future Fantasy | 20 | |||||
Whose Line?? | 20 | |||||
Hip Replacement | 14 | 10m | ||||
Hippopotamus | 16 | 10m | ||||
S | Compost Bin | 16 | ||||
Anthropology | 18 | |||||
Dipper Mouth | 17 | |||||
WW | Windy Wander | 17 | ||||
Competition | 17 | |||||
Art for Art's Sake | 18 | |||||
CS | C.C. Special | 16 | ||||
Potato Head | 17 | 12m | ||||
Physical Graffiti | 17 | |||||
JR | Jelly Roll | 17 | 12m | |||
Turn to Gold | 24 | 12m | 2 | |||
HP | Hyperformance | 23 | 12m | |||
PC | Pareora Corner | 18 | 13m | |||
B | The Bird | 19 | 13m | |||
The Arete | 24 | 14m | ||||
SJ | Slim Jim’s Jam | 16 | 14m | |||
Slim Jim's Arete | 17 | |||||
GH | Groove in High | 18 | 14m | |||
Twin Cracks | 17 | 14m | ||||
RM | Rural Monkeys | 16 | 14m | |||
CB | China Boy | 14 | ||||
BM | Blue Monday | 18 | 13m | |||
AD | Arch Dig | 17 | 12m | |||
Treacherous Cretins | 20 | |||||
WM | Wildman | 19 | 12m | |||
YC | Young Coronary | 16 | 11m | |||
Otago Youth | 18 | |||||
Pigs in Space | 20 |