Skip to main content

Wobbly Wall

Type
Crag
Part of
Port Hills

The crag is on the Lyttelton Harbour side of the hills above Livingstone Bay and is a further outcrop of the dyke that creates the Jane Fonda Workout Wall. At least one route was put up with terrier bolts so development may date back to the 80's. There are around 15 sport routes, almost all grades 18–22, of about 20m height with more holds and (even better) more bolts than JFWW. Each route is at least as good as the best of (say) Transmitter crag, so an excellent crag for a warm day. It is only 100m west of JFWW but it is probably faster to approach from above via the Crater Rim walkway and abseil. Earthquake damage and hazard is relatively low and the rock is mostly good but helmets are worth it as development and traffic have not cleaned off all loose holds.
Apparently one or two trad routes have been done that may be of interest to pushy young alpiners but probably not rock climbers.

Wobbly Wall, Port Hills, November 2024
Walktime
15 min
Aspect
South
Lat/lon
-43.59529,172.762285, NZ Topo Map
Topo50
BX24 808 730
Approach

From Evans Pass on the Summit Road, drive 3km towards Godley Head. At the saddle above Taylors Mistake, park in the lay-by on the right.
Walk west along the Crater Rim Walkway and pick up the track to the base of Jane Fonda Workout Wall. The track extends westwards past the base of a rocky pinnacle, then up to the base of Wobbly Wall.
Alternatively, continue on the Walkway for about 8 minutes. Just past a point above Jane Fonda Wall, pick up a climbers’ trail angling down to the right towards a rocky notch. The notch is the east edge of the crag. When the trail peters out descend the broad spur for a minute ending in a distinct grassy ledge with a couple of old warratahs. There is a galvanised double bolt abseil anchor on the uphill side of the ledge, from here it is 30m to the base of the crag.
It is best if a rope is left in place for top-rope egress, as the central route anchors are about 5m below the grassy ledge. Otherwise, leave by descending and sidling to the base of Jane Fonda Wall.

Add Place Add Route

Routes

Reference Title Grade Length Pro Quality Alert Operations
 Bootleg, 11 11 20m
0
  • P1
  • 11
  • 20m
  • Trad

Not recommended. Climb the corner at the left end of the wall.

1 1Golden Years, 20 20 20m 8
0
  • P1
  • 20
  • 20m
  • 8
2 2Conservative, 17 17 20m 9
0
  • P1
  • 17
  • 20m
  • 9
3 3Style and Grace, 18 18 20m 7
1.02
  • P1
  • 18
  • 20m
  • 7

A good warm up.

4 4Casting Out Demons, 18 18 20m 5
0
  • P1
  • 18
  • 20m
  • 5
5 5Fear and Loathing, 20 20 20m 7
1.02
  • P1
  • 20
  • 20m
  • 7
6 6Grounded, 21 21 20m 8
0
  • P1
  • 21
  • 20m
  • 8
7 7The Wibbly Wobbly Way, 21 21 20m 7
2.01
  • P1
  • 21
  • 20m
  • 7

Climbs really well. Engaging technical moves with the occasional positive hold.

8 8Bills Words of Wisdom, 22 22 20m 6
1.02
  • P1
  • 22
  • 20m
  • 6

Bridge up through the bulbous brown blobs, then sustained climbing to the anchors.

9 9Why Won’t You Die, 20 20 20m 5
0
  • P1
  • 20
  • 20m
  • 5
10 10White Rushing, 22 22 20m 6
0
  • P1
  • 22
  • 20m
  • 6
11 11Gifts of Revelation, 20 20 20m 3
0
  • P1
  • 20
  • 20m
  • 3
12 12Plumb Line, 21 21 20m 7
0
  • P1
  • 21
  • 20m
  • 7
13 13Wobbling Like Jane Fondas Bingo Wings, 21 21 20m 8
0
  • P1
  • 21
  • 20m
  • 8
14 14Rexona, 19 19 20m 8
0
  • P1
  • 19
  • 20m
  • 8
15 15Peer Pressure, 20 20 20m 7
0
  • P1
  • 20
  • 20m
  • 7

Images

Comments
climber53

Wobbly Wall cimbing guide added, please download and use, please do not upload to climbing websites or data bases

Mon, 20/05/2019 - 17:09 Permalink
climber53

Ok TW, you got me, never made the connection with RS even though I know of him

Tue, 22/03/2016 - 16:35 Permalink
Simon Courtois

I'm not getting into a slanging match with Tony WH.

Mon, 21/03/2016 - 19:04 Permalink
tonywh

Geez people, cheer up.

It is clearly not an attempt to "denigrate" or discredit". The operative phrases are: "at least as good as the best of (say) Transmitter crag", "excellent crag"
It is clearly not a guide. The operative phrases are "In lieu of further information", and "Below is some approximate beta on the routes given that FA's, names, grades etc are all unknown.".

I visited a couple of times, a couple of weeks ago. I thought the place was far better than most Port Hills crags,and under-appreciated because it is undocumented. ( I didn't know it was in PHC prior to these comments). It faces south and daylight saving and warm days are ending soon so I thought I'd publicise it so maybe others could enjoy the place before it gets too cold. That's all there is to it.

Mon, 21/03/2016 - 14:10 Permalink
Simon Courtois

I had better name my Coopers Knobs routes.
Strictly Alpine 20- 3 pitch climb
Graham Henrys Face 20 1 pitch

Sun, 20/03/2016 - 21:36 Permalink
climber53

I'd be very interested to see TW show us a crag picture with all these lines on, that would mean, including the new lines Simon and myself did, there would be 22 climbs plus the trad routes, it would be one of the more significant crags on the Port Hills

Sun, 20/03/2016 - 11:15 Permalink
climber53

The above list of climbs and crag details are totally incorrect.

The crag is Wobbly Wall and has been called that since the early 90's so why should it be renamed.

If Richard Simons bolted the (12) routes listed above they are not at WW. He may well have climbed 5 which are shown in my WW guide and attributed as'Unknown', this was in no way a sleight Ao Richard but there is no record I can find of anyone claiming these pre-quake routes.

Richards routes may well be at a mix of areas as there are a number of bolted lines spread along the broken buttresses that head back towards Ampitheatre wall, for example the arete that sustained earthquake damage west of WW (now debolted due to the dangers), the pillar below and slightly further West sports three bolted lines, two on the seaward side one on the hill side. The next bay west has two bolted lines and again the next West after this. But non of these routes are at WW. All these climbs utilised the same make of hangers, so I assume were done by the same person.

It would also appear that the author of the new addition to the NZAC website is not familiar with the crag, or the routes, and possibly didn't bother to read the printed guidebooks, refer to the WW guide from 1998 guide by Lindsay Main. The first recorded route was by Lindsay Main (1978) and the next three routes were climbed by John Reisinger, Johns routes were bold and interesting all protected by terriers, again I can find no record of any other routes.

It does appear to me that this guide to a previously un-acknowledged crag has been prepared hastily and mischeaviously to denigrate the rehabilitation work that Simon and myself have carried out and to discredit the new climbs that we have done.

So in conclusion what can you say:
1- If you climb a new route record it and claim it
2 - If you write a guidebook check your facts and at least do some research

Sun, 20/03/2016 - 11:07 Permalink
Simon Courtois

Accurate and modern information about this crag is available from the facebook page: "Where are you Climbing in Christchurch".

Sun, 20/03/2016 - 10:04 Permalink
Simon Courtois

Accurate information for this crag WAS available on the face book page "Where are you climbing in Christchurch tonight", but has since been removed thanks to Tony WH's comments. Also updated guides to Barnett Park, Rapaki, bouldering and Tamatea have all been removed. Well done Tony WH. Maybe you can go down to Wanaka and rename and grade the local crags and climbs that info isn't available for on-line for in that area too. Say hi to the locals

Thu, 24/03/2016 - 17:39 Permalink
sbaclimber

Just had a look in the ol' PHC. Any ideas as to which, if any, of the routes listed here for the RSWW are the same (or retrobolted) as routes listed in PHC for the Wobbly Wall or West Wall?
PS, cragrat's memory is still working well ;-). According to PHC, John R was responsible for at least 3 routes done in '92

Sun, 20/03/2016 - 08:40 Permalink
climber53

The answer to your question is that the routes noted as 'Unkown' are I assume by Richard, all the rest are new, the routes listed by TW is completely wrong in the assertion that they are at WW

Sun, 20/03/2016 - 11:10 Permalink
climber53

The answer to your question is that the routes noted as 'Unkown' are I assume by Richard, all the rest are new, the routes listed by TW is completely wrong in the assertion that they are at WW

Sun, 20/03/2016 - 11:10 Permalink
cragrat
content_editor

Yeah it was the Wobbly Wall as I recall and I think big John R put up at least one climb on it - we're talking around the 1990 ish era

Sat, 19/03/2016 - 22:11 Permalink
Simon Courtois

This is quite comprehensive. Thanks. I saw Wobbly Wall listed in "Port Hills Climbing 1998". Where did the new crag name come from? Please tell me which part of Port Hills climbing history I missed out on.

Sat, 19/03/2016 - 21:49 Permalink
Files
UUID
 
acbce9db-8341-440d-8107-f87735d6f8b8