A concentrated burst of effort from Murray Judge and friends from Oamaru produced 15 mainly bolt protected climbs in the quarried blocky rock, sometimes sharp and with unreliable solidity, and not always scrupulously cleaned. The great north facing site would be even more pleasant if the gorse was eradicated. The crag has been well equipped with epoxied stainless steel bolts and ringbolt rap stations. Take some natural pro to supplement the primary bolt protection on most climbs.
To access the Railway Cutting crag, climb up the grassy slope to the railway line, which traverses the hill about 75m above the beach. An alternative way to the cutting is to turn into White Rd (it really is white) 700m before the beach and park at the railway crossing. Walk east along the line for 20 minutes to the tunnel portal, which marks the RH end of the crag. Keep a careful watch for trains, and stay out of the tunnel at all times. Alternative access from the east is as follows: from Mapoutahi crag, walk 100 m to the neck of the peninsula (Mapoutahi Pa, a near impregnable Maori fortress inhabited until the 18th century). A rough track ascends the spur to the railway line, coming out close to the eastern portal of the tunnel. Total walking time from Mapoutahi crag to Railway Cutting crag
Routes
Reference | Title | Grade | Length | Pro | Quality | Operations |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Teletubbies | 19 | 22m | |||
2 | Loony Tunes | 21 | 22m | |||
3 | Couch Potato | 19 | 22m | |||
4 | Lounge Lizard | 19 | 22m | 2 | ||
5 | Lounge Lizard Direct Start | 17 | 22m | |||
6 | Blueskin Bay | 17 | 25m | |||
7 | The Light at the End of the Tunnel | 17 | 20m | |||
8 | Saskatoon | 19 | 22m | |||
9 | Babewatch | 20 | 20m | |||
10 | Cam Overkill | 18 | 18m | |||
11 | Manic Motorbike Muncher | 15 | 18m | |||
12 | Hole in the Wall | 15 | 17m | 5 | ||
13 | Escalator | 16 | 17m | 5 | ||
14 | Teflon President | 16 | 16m | 7 | ||
15 | Tunnel-Web Terror | 15 | 15m | 6 | ||
16 | Erotic Vulture | 18 | 15m | 5 | ||
17 | Late Press | 19 | 10m |
Have added detail to climbs 12 through 16. Fantastic location. Take a saw and machete and do some gorse pruning in between climbing.