Stony Bay Peak | ClimbNZ

Type

Altitude

500m

Part of

Stony Bay Peak is the prominent crag above Akaroa. Lots of possibilities exist here for those with a gorse slasher and a brush ! It has excellent, compact trachyte rock and a lot of the climbs are quite long. The crag is sunny and has a panoramic view overlooking Akaroa Harbour.

History

The first recorded visit was in 1974, resulting in *Asthmatic Hedgehog (17) by Hugh Logan. Visits in the mid-70s were sporadic and not much was done, until Rick McGregor put up *Ubique (19) in 1979. In the early 80s John Howard, Brent Davis and Brian Fish did various routes, notably *Spice (20) and ***Afterdinnermint (23), but many of these efforts were not recorded. Since then the crag seems to have been neglected.

Climbing Notes

Take a slasher, since the crag suffers from gorse around the base. Descent routes are round each end, down a gully near Anorexic Banana, or down the big gully in the middle of the crag.
Another stratagey for climbing here is to walk to the summit[45 mins], abseil into the base of the climbs then climb out. There are two in situ bolt belays situated roughly 20m NE of the summit. Due to the current thickness of gorse this seems to be the only current feasible access point to the base of the crag without a slasher.

A few easier routes that have no particular merit a re not recorded here. There is confusion about the exact position of some routes. Be sure to visit the Akaroa fish & chip shop on your way home.

Walktime

45min

Aspect

West

Lat/lon

-43.82013782,173.00606802, NZ Topo Map

Topo50

BY25 005 481

Approach

Access is either from the low road to Akaroa by turning off on Long Bay Road and following this to the junction with the Summit Road, or via the Summit Road itself from Hilltop. From the junction with Long Bay Road, take the unsealed road south (Purple Peak Road) until it ends at one of the nicest spots on the peninsula.
From the carpark follow the track towards the crag, at the saddle there is the Summit Track, turn left and follow the slightly overgrown track up the hil to the summit of Stoney Bay Peak, you are now directly above the climbs on the right hand side of the crag.
There is about a 45 minute walk to the crag.
Ontanrito Station, including Stony Bay Peak, is now owned by Hinewai Reserve Trust and managed by Hugh Wilson. It is a private reserve but public access is allowed.

Add Place Add Route

Routes

Reference	Title	Grade	Length	Pro	Quality
	Bootless, 19	19	14m	2	0
Classic. First arete from the Summit Road end. Two bolts. P1 19 14m 2 Trad
	Spice, 20	20	15m		1.02
A cracked overhang on a small isolated buttress on the far L. Up the overhang, then the slab. P1 20 15m Trad
	Red Hot Chilli Peppers, 20	20	25m		0
Sloping overhang immediately right of Spice, over lip then up slab. CD's at the lip and large CDs at the top. P1 20 25m Trad
SO	SOStepping Out, 15	15	15m	1	1.02
To the right of the next gully. The obvious slab with a steep wall to start. One bolt is the only pro. P1 15 15m 1
	Taking Off, 15	15	10m		0
P1 15 10m Trad The slab which begins 5m up and right of Stepping Out. Reach it either via Anorexic Banana or from the top. Climb the slab just inside the line of the arete on the left. No pro.
	Simple Sidle, 15	15	12m		0
P1 15 12m Trad Also on the Taking Off. slab. Start up the line of holds right of Taking Off. and follow these until level with the top of the flakes. Move right, and then back left diagonally to the top (crux). Zero pro.
AB	ABAnorexic Banana, 11	11	25m		0
The prominent arete to the R of the slabs. Climb the overhang at the bottom at the point of least resistance and proceed up the line of the rib. P1 11 25m Trad
RA	RABig Red Arete, 18	18	25m		0
Up A.B.. Move R across grassy slabs to spike. R to arete and up. P1 18 25m Trad
	The Empty Quarter, 20	20	20m		0
Black overhanging wall. Bolt belay off to left. P1 20 20m Trad
Ps	PsPsychoslut, 18	18	20m		0
3m L of the next rib (which is capped by a roof 15m up). Up a steep groove, past a sloping roof, and up the broken corner above. Variation start: Up the obvious crack to the dead tree, traverse L to join direct line. P1 18 20m Trad
	un-named, 17	17	20m		0
Climb arete to single bolt belay with two old krabs. P1 17 20m Trad
KM	KMTo Kill a Mockingbird, 24	24	25m	3	0
Climb through jumble of overhangs. Three bolts and natural pro. P1 24 25m 3 Trad
	un-named, 19	19	25m		0
Up a steep wall/arete to the belay bolt on TKAM. P1 19 25m Trad
	Brent's Route, 18	18	20m		0
Starts 4m R of rib. Up steep cracks and through the overhang. P1 18 20m Trad
Ub	UbUbique, 19	19	40m		1.02
A prominent corner capped by a large overhang. Climb to below the L side of the overhang. Traverse R across the wall to the ledge at the foot of the (promine nt) crack. Climb this (crux), and continue round the arete to small bush. Then up to the belay ledge. Or finish directly up the crack (about 21, Brent Davis). P1 19 40m Trad
NG	NGNocturnal Goatsucker, 19	19	40m		1.02
A R variation start to Ubique, joining it at the ledge below the prominent exit crack. P1 19 40m Trad
Ad	AdAfterdinnermint, 23	23			3
A 4m 45 degree roof with a fingercrack. Belay on ledge. A second pitch goes up a black wall. P1 23 Trad
	Hypochrondria, 17	17	30m		0
Up the square-cut corner (good pro at crux) to a scoop below small bulge, which is turned on the R past the vege. Finish up the rib. P1 17 30m Trad
	Astigmatism, 17	17	25m		0
An indeterminant crack-line to the R of the large overhangs. Cruxes on the first and last bulges. Unreliable rock. P1 17 25m Trad
	Fester, 18	18			0
Starts in L-facing corner (good pro). L onto the wall, bridge up L to a recess (poor pro), exit L off a square block. P1 18 Trad
	Hedonist, 11	11	30m		0
The next routes are well to the R, past the gorse-filled gully. R of some easy slabs, a long L-angling corner. Steep at the bottom. P1 11 30m Trad
	Delusions of Grandeur, 16	16	25m		0
Start up Hedonist to where it gets easy. A small flake leads across the R wall to the finish of Spunk. P1 16 25m Trad
	Spunk, 14	14	25m		0
3m R of H. An obvious crack in a V-groove. P1 14 25m Trad
	Red Rooster, 13	13	20m		0
2m R of S., a corner with a wide crack with a red R wall. P1 13 20m Trad
	Interjection, 13	13	20m		0
4m R of R.R.. A technical start followed by a grassy gully. P1 13 20m Trad
	Devil's Advocate, 10	10	0m		0
P1 10 Trad Follows a series of flakes. Steepest at the bottom.
	Asthmatic Hedgehog, 17	17	18m		1.02
A sharp-cut corner. Crux about 4m up. P1 17 18m Trad

Comments

kimparker66

Now is the time to go to check out this crag, a fire has recently been trough here and burnt the gorse leaving a surreal scorched forest which breaks easy and a trail can quickly be trodden, just don't wear your Sunday best. So a good time to go and blaze a trail before the gorse comes back hard and fast. Excellent place for a day out on the rock, this place need traffic people! Go get some.

Tue, 27/11/2012 - 13:05 Permalink

Attribution

By Lindsay Main Previously hosted on a website by John Davis Copied on by Grant Piper

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