Port Chalmers Quarry

Type

Altitude

60m

Part of

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, The Great Escape, Army Route and Bob's Way are protected by bolts of a trustworthy nature. Elevator and Ren, as well as the separate 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.

Walktime

3min

Aspect

East

Lat/lon

-45.812888,170.619993, NZ Topo Map

Topo50

CE17 151 240

Approach

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.

Add Place Add Route

Routes

Reference	Title	Grade	Length	Pro	Quality
	Chakrata Wall, 15	15		4	0
P1 15 4 3 or 4 beginner bolted leads approx grade 13 (left) to 15 (right).
Ev	EvElevator, 23	23	9m	3	1.02
Scamble up R onto the Hauraki Wall. P1 23 9m 3 A fingery classic. Climb trough to the bolts after a delicate mantle onto the thin ledge.
Rn	RnRen, 25	25	8m	3	0
P1 25 8m 3 Start well L with thin technical moves up through 2B, then traverse across to the 3rd B.
Sy	SyStimpy, 19	19	8m	3	0
P1 19 8m 3 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 ramp above without using the tree or the gully to the L. Contrived??
GE	GEThe Great Escape, 14	14	53m	8	1.02
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 off DBB to big ledge with twin rings left of the pitch 2 belay. 30m rap to ground. Alternatively 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. P1 14 20m 8 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. P2 14 13m 5 Up the nose between the eyebrows (surely you can see the face), then traverse left to belay. P3 14 20m 7 Up the steep groove, then easy ground to finish up left side of apex of the quarry. After pulling through the drill hole on manufactured holds, you can climb the line direct using two bolts placed by Daniel Rogers- Bromley and David Newstead.
TAR	TARThe Army Route, 16	16		6	0
P1 16 6 Start as for The Great Escape taking the right hand line of bolts directly over the bulge then leftwards to the belay. P2 15 4 Continue on slabby terrain up and left.
BW	BWBob's Way, 17	17		7	0
P1 17 7 Begin on the same platform as The Great Escape and Army Route. Finesse your way up and onto the slab and move right into the corner. Up onto the ledge and follow the left facing corner to a small ledge at the headwall.
LP	LPThe Tree Little Pigs, 26	26	8m	3	0
P1 26 8m 3 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.
EB	EBEaster Blues, 19	19	36m	6	0
P1 19 36m 6 Start up groove near macrocarpa, then L side of the prominant arete. Clip 1st, 3rd & 4th bolts of JP.
JP	JP Jitterbug Perfume, 19	19	36m	4	0
P1 19 36m 4 Climb the R side of the arete at its steepest point and move on up to the top of the arete. Manky bolts??
Vg	VgVerging on the Ridiculous, 21	21	36m	4	0
P1 21 36m 4 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.
RA	RARiotous Assembly, 15	15	7m	2	0
P1 15 7m 2 A small corner. DBB at top
IE	IEIndecent Exposure, 16	16	7m	1	0
P1 16 7m 1 Climb face onto arete R of RA.

Comments

Attribution

Dave Brash, Andy McDonald

UUID

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