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  6. Port Chalmers Quarry

Port Chalmers Quarry

(12 routes)

A collection of sport routes within the urban area of Port Chalmers. The crags are at the back of a small public garden/ park with a view of the port and the town. Just 10 minutes drive from the centre of Dunedin.

The Chakrata Wall and The Great Escape are protected by bolts of a trustworthy nature (all mid-late 2000s, by Dave Brash). Elevator and Ren, as well as the seperate Stimpy anchor were rebolted in September 2015 (Stimpy rebolting ASAP), but all routes climber's right of TGE are historical in nature, and may not be safely climbable without significant rebolting effort.

Type: 
Crag
Altitude: 
60m
Aspect: 
East
Walk time: 
3min
Access: 

Drive into Port Chalmers from Dunedin. Turn left into Mount Street, then next right into Church Street. Go along Church Street, over the railway crossing and look for the remnants of a quarry, and the Lady Thorn Rhodedendron Dell, on your left.

New Zealand map

Map, Topo

Lat/Lon: 
-45.812888000000, 170.619993000000
NZMS260: 
I44 249 856
Topo50: 
CE17 151 240
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Reference Title Grade Length Quality Bolts Gone Natural pro Link to edit content
Chakrata Wall 15
0
 4bolts
3 or 4 beginner bolted leads approx grade 13 (left) to 15 (right).
Ev Elevator 23 9m
1.02
 3bolts
Scamble up R onto the Hauraki Wall.
Andy McDonald 1992
Rn Ren 25 8m
0
 3bolts
Start well L with thin technical moves up through 2B, then traverse across to the 3rd B.
Andy McDonald 1992
Sy Stimpy 19 8m
0
 3bolts
Start as far L as you can and head gradually L through 3B, to step R again onto a ledge with a small tree. Climb through the crux into the crux into the rampabove without using the tree or the gully to the L. Contrived??
Andy McDonald 1992
GE The Great Escape 14,14,14 53m
1.02
 20bolts
This entertaining little multi pitch climb snakes its way up the cliff seaching out the best climbing to the apex of the quarry. Great beginner route with good views to the Port, the occasional wedding in the garden below, and out to the Peninsula. Can be climbed at night with lights from the Port, and the route makes a good simul-climb. The first few metres of P1 can remain damp several days after rain during winter, but the rest of the route generally dries quickly. Descent - 20m then 30m rap off DBB at top, then mid-station L of the top of P2. Or, scramble up 5m through the trees, hard L through the scrub to pick up a good (exposed) trail leading around the top of the quarry above the Chakrata Wall to the viewing platform.
#EwbankAlpine (Technical)Alpine (Commitment)Alpine (Mt Cook)AidWater IceMixedBoulder (Hueco)LengthBoltsTrad
11420m8No
 

Start among the bush in the centre of the bowl. Head left to arete, tricky. Step right above the block and truncated tree to a nice slab. Up to the belay.

21413m5No
 

Up the nose between the eyebrows (surely you can see the face), then traverse left to belay.
31420m7No
 

Up the steep groove, then easy ground to finish up right side of apex of the quarry. After pulling through the drill hole, you can climb the line direct using two bolts placed by Daniel Rogers- Bromley and David Newstead.

Marcus Thomas 1996
TAR The Army Route 16,15
0
 10bolts
Start as for The Great Escape taking the right hand line of bolts directly over the bulge then leftwards to the belay.
#EwbankAlpine (Technical)Alpine (Commitment)Alpine (Mt Cook)AidWater IceMixedBoulder (Hueco)LengthBoltsTrad
1160m6No
 

Start as for The Great Escape taking the right hand line of bolts directly over the bulge then leftwards to the belay.
2150m4No
 

Continue on slabby terrain up and left.
Army Adventure Training Instructors 2019
LP The Tree Little Pigs 26 8m
0
 3bolts
Looks impossible. Walk left behind large macrocarpa tree to far end of low overhanging wall. Crank through finger pocks to the arete above. Look for the secret hold out to the left to begin. The ability to perform one arm lock-offs is advantageous.
Andy McDonald 1992
EB Easter Blues 19 36m
0
 6bolts
Start up groove near macrocarpa, then L side of the prominant arete. Clip 1st, 3rd & 4th bolts of JP.
Jeremy Strang 1987
JP Jitterbug Perfume 19 36m
0
 4bolts
Climb the R side of the arete at its steepest point and move on up to the top of the arete. Manky bolts??
Jeremy Strang 1987
Vg Verging on the Ridiculous 21 36m
0
 4bolts
Climb up the drill hole L of the bolt and dyno for a hidden jug above the second bolt. Then as for JP. Surrepititously climbed by Jeremy Strang before Simon did the 1st ascent.
Jeremy Strang 1987
RA Riotous Assembly 15 7m
0
 2bolts
A small corner. DBB at top
Ross Cullen 1987
IE Indecent Exposure 16 7m
0
 1bolts
Climb face onto arete R of RA.
Simon Cox 1987
Attribution: 
Dave Brash, Andy McDonald

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UUID: 
6ea4a53f-bc78-449f-baed-058bf56b14eb