2. NZ
  3. South Island
  4. Castle Hill Basin
  5. Castle Hill Kura Tawhiti
  6. Spittle Hill

Spittle Hill

(48 routes)

Boulders of all sizes litter the hillside south of Woolly Valley. There are a few excellent climbing routes here, but also quite a few more that are of marginal quality at best. Most bolts are simply coach bolts hammered into the soft limestone – please treat them with extreme caution. For bouldering information visit http://castlehillbasin.co.nz

Type: 
Crag
Access: 

Follow the main access track from the carpark and Spittle Hill is on your left. Woolly Valley separates Spittle Hill from the Quantum Field. The Cyclops Boulder is a good place to orient yourself. It is a big diamond-shaped boulder with a huge pocket in the centre, near the valley floor.

Reference Title Grade Length Quality Bolts Gone Natural pro Link to edit content
Cyclops Slab 16 8m
2.01
 1bolts
The Cyclops Boulder is a good place to orient yourself. It's the large boulder with huge pockets in the middle of Woolly Valley. A hard rockover to start then easy up the middle of the slab.
U Usurper 21
1.02
 2bolts 4 1
Thin left-leaning crack on a white slab.
Ton Snelder 1985
Fire of My Loins 23
1.02
 2bolts
The nondescript arete.
Dave MacLeod 1989
TR Tales from the Riverbank 16
3
 5bolts
Climb up huge pocks.
Robin Hood 1986
Dark Side of the Moon 16
0
 2bolts
Start as for Tales from the Riverbank. Move rightwards onto the wall, over the corner and onto the shelf.
Peter K Dickson & DJ Matheson 1989
Lily of the Valley 24
1.02
 2bolts
Prominent rib down and to the right of Tales from the Riverbank.
Paul Harwood 1991
Married with Children 18
0
 2bolts
Left of Frozen Dinners. Guess what? It's a slab.
Merv English 1991
FD Frozen Dinners 22
0
 3bolts
A slab route on the right-hand side of a large free-standing boulder north-east of Only Dogs Eat Meat.
Paul Jackson 1991
Agony 29
1.02
A blank-looking wall with the mother of all rockovers.
Andy Cockburn, 1997
Honey I Shrunk the Holds 27
0
 3bolts
Go rightwards along the ledge to the big jug, then move left and upwards on monos
Phil de Joux 1996
For Your Thighs Only 16
2.01
 2bolts wire representing trad
Starts up the pocketed face , and shares finish with jumped up country boy
John Holand 1988
JC Jumped Up Country Boy 14,17
2.01
 9bolts
Start on the right of the wall, trend leftwards crossing For Your Thighs Only
#EwbankAlpine (Technical)Alpine (Commitment)Alpine (Mt Cook)AidWater IceMixedBoulder (Hueco)LengthBoltsTrad
1140m6No
 

Start on the right of the wall, trend leftwards crossing For Your Thighs Only
2170m3No
 

Trend rightwards after leaving the ledge.
Dave Newstead Robin Hood 1992
NP Noxious Fish Plot 21
0
 2bolts wire representing trad
A small round arete to the left of Manufactured. Traverse in from the left, past the bolt (and the crux) to the thread runner, before finishing past another bolt.
Richard Thomson 1987
Manufactured 22
0
 2bolts 1
This route no longer exists , holes filled , bolts pulled out in 2018
Only Dogs Eat Meat 24
0
 2bolts
To the left of Death Trap.
Colin Pohl 1989
DT Death Trap 19
0
 wire representing trad
The crack behind and above Tales from the Riverbank.
John Howe 1984
Thrifty Belgians 22
1.02
 2bolts
Turn subterranean grottoes into mushroom farms. Climb the pocketed arete. You'll notice a distinct cap and a small shrub at the top.
John McCallum 1987
Sculpting Time 20
2.01
 2bolts
On the opposite side of the TB boulder. Scamble to a ledge, then start climbing.
Robin Hood 1992
General Saint 25
0
 1bolts
Opposite MB.
Dave Fearnley 1988
Miss Bojangles 23
2.01
 2bolts
Uphill from YA. Start by rocking up on a small slab, and climbing a line of pockets finishing through a small overhang.
Paul Tattersall 1987
GC Groove Chicken 22
0
 1bolts
The rounded groove.
Richard Thomson, John McCallum 1988
Wedding Bells 19
1.02
 2bolts
Climb the steepening slab, with an exciting clip on the 1st bolt.
Paul Tattersall 1987
Yet Another 18
0
 1bolts
Found opposite from WB. Bouldery start to finish on pocks.
Das capital 16 13m
2.01
 505bolts
In gully on left side of capitalism boulder. Starts up outside of chimney and finishes at capital chains , 5 hangers , good climbing ,good beginners lead route
Robin Hood, 1994
Cm Post Capitalism 27
1.02
 4bolts
One very difficult high step/press out should see you go all the way to the top of the wall. Glue-in ring bolts. Supercedes Capitalism (23, Paul Tattersall, 1987), which stopped at the third bolt.
John Palmer, 15 July 2020
New dawn fades 20 11m
1.02
 5bolts
On the west side of capitalism boulder finishing at half height.
Robin Hood, 1994
TA Tectonic Awarness 21
1.02
 1bolts 4
A pinnacle
Ray Beentjes 1987
Fat Transplant 19
1.02
 1bolts
Just down from TA. Slab route.
John McCallum 1988
Surf Nazis Must Die 18
1.02
 2bolts
Next boulder down from FT. Climb the wall with the big pock feature.
Dave Fearnley 1987
Wanderlust 18 17m
2.01
 9bolts
Starts at hitch hiking horrors and moves traversing left for about 14 metres , 9 bolts plus top anchors , stainless hangers , best 18 at castle hill
Robin Hood, 1997
HH Hitchhiking Horrors 19
0
 2bolts
25m down from ToTR, to yellow/grey pocked wall. Follow the S shaped crack, exiting R-wards to top.
David Newstead 1989
FS Slab 18
0
 2bolts wire representing trad
Slab to the L of Hp. Start on L, traveres R-wards into groove, over the flake sharing the finish with Hump.
Simon Ballantyne 1991
Hp Hump 18
1.02
 3bolts 3
Small arete. Gain the ledge, then step L-wards along the flake.
David Newstead 1989
Douglas McDougal 20
0
 2bolts
On the yellow wall above Hump but below the roof. Move delicatley past the 2nd bolt, then L-wards to climb the crack to finish.
Merv English 1990
Br Bullroarer 23
0
 3bolts
Faces Woolly Valley. Start on big pockets then move R-wards up the slab, to set youself up for the final lunge at the top.
Phil de Joux 1987
LT L'Air du Temps 24,26
2.01
 6bolts
Found on the back of the perfume bottle. Dyno up the north arete, then move L-wards upp the slab, the through the bulge and finishing up the groove.
#EwbankAlpine (Technical)Alpine (Commitment)Alpine (Mt Cook)AidWater IceMixedBoulder (Hueco)LengthBoltsTrad
1240m6No
 

Found on the back of the perfume bottle. Dyno up the north arete, then move L-wards upp the slab, the through the bulge and finishing up the groove.
2260mNo
 

Rather modified large pocket
Dave Fearnley 1989
OO That Obscure Object of Desire. 18
0
 2bolts 5
On the Craigiburn side of the perfume bottle. Start up the slabs on the Rh-side.
Caroll McDermott 1986
Baby Boom 21
0
Behind the perfume bottle. Smear on to the arete, cross the wall onto the groove.
Merv English 1991
The Face 24
2.01
 3bolts
Short edgy face down and right of That Obscure Object of Desire. Named for the 1980s magazine.
David Newstead, 1998
Leftie 13
2.01
 3bolts
Start on Lh-side, climb through the bulge, finishing on a slab.
Robin hood 94
Poncho 13
2.01
 3bolts
The route to the R of Lefty
Robin hood
SY Sickly Rebel Yellow 23
1.02
 2bolts 4
Corner that features a groove.
Ton Snelder 1984
Bt Blots 24
2.01
 3bolts
To the R of SRY. Climb through the middle of the large white wall.
Richard Thomson 1986
Country Touch 20
0
 3bolts
10m R of Bt
WT Strike me down lord Baden Powell 18
0
 3bolts
Behind AP, on the same boulder.
Robin hood
AP Allah Protects 23
2.01
 2bolts 5
Found at the head of Woolly Valley, ascends the obvious yellow wall. Grovel out of the groove and ascend the yellow wall, to finish below the roof.
Dave Fearnley 1986
Last one to the tops a hetrosexual 20,20 14m
1.02
 42bolts
Hard start, then a nice slab to finish.
#EwbankAlpine (Technical)Alpine (Commitment)Alpine (Mt Cook)AidWater IceMixedBoulder (Hueco)LengthBoltsTrad
1200m2No
 

Hard start, then a nice slab to finish.
22014m40No
 

Finishes at top of boulder

Hood /newstead
Time to Pack 18
1.02
 2bolts
Has 4 bolts , has had 4 first ascents .....Rodney's was the 4 th
Rodney Newburn 1997

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UUID: 
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