Just in case you did not know this: family trips can be voyages of discovery, they can make or break you especially when involving teenagers .Remembering that if you stare long enough into the abyss, it will stare back at you, we do well not to dwell too much on this minutia but focus instead on embracing the escape from our quotidian lifestyle in search of that special essence of je ne sais quoi. I am not trying to be particularly philosophical about our sublime family adventure, but rather capture a moment in time as a kind of lieu the memoire to be relished at some future point in time, when such an undertaking will no longer be possible. The memory will sustain us and feed our imagination well beyond the experience of the trip. There is no better word for our experience in Queenstown than ‘remarkable,’ pun intended naturally. From the frenzy of conquering the classic TNT (25***) roof problem, plunging headlong down the giant boulder of Hydro (23***) towards the waterfall below, the Proud Monkey Roof and Aretika, the giant boulders of the Jardins with the Kick (v8) and the “wet” Possum (v9) to the steepness of Cadrona Alpine resort and the endless slopes of Treblecone, too much chicken parmigiana and monstering our way through giant pizzas we put most roller-coaster to shame easily. Perpetua Mobile would have been proud of us and Heraclitus had no idea what panta rai was really all about. We have easilyfound our essence in the singularity of the moment.
South Wye Creek
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Chris La Belle Vie 23*** |
Aretica 23*** |
Belayboys |
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Cloudwalking is possible |
Chris on Submission |
South Wye Main Face |
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Biggest pizza in town |
The Dream Thing |
Hanging Out at Wakatipu |
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Never leave your guide behind |
Hydro-phobia |
The Proud Monkey Roof |
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Roman on TNT 25*** |
Seniority on TNT |
The lake climb |
"The most dangerous thing you can do in life is play it safe" 
So we left Sydney to discover ourselves overseas or perhaps rediscover our potential is more accurate, but you be judge, we could do no more. Eight days straight we did not rest but rather traded activities from climbing to skiing to bouldering and then reverse cycling the system again. Out rest day was not getting up at 6am to catch the ski-bus instead gorge ourselves on the melted chocolate blueberry muffins at our favorite café, with the freshly squeezed beetroot juice and a dash of thyme. Reinvigorated we would explore the waist deep hawthorn grasses surrounding the monolithic schist boulders of the Jardines, surrounded bythe majestic alpine landscapes of the Remarkableshovering above us and cowering us in their shadows. All the time the low winter aprecity warming the surface of the rock and illuminating our path through the fields of golden boulders. The afternoon sunlight was particularly mesmerizing – showering the landscape with shimmering rays of pure gold that accentuated our movement over the rock constantly accompanied by the companionship of our long shadows. This double action of climber and shadow moving seamlessly through the landscape like umbilical brothers lend an ethereal touch to the natural world. Here and there, we would find nameless lines in nameless locations with unknown grades, give them imaginary names and move on only to discover a better one just around the corner. But nature always leaves the best for the end when just behind the car a sneak peek reveals the best of them all: a tall, majestic and very hard boulder. And that’s where we laid everything we had to rest. Only to start the cycle again the next morning.
Needless to say there were many highlights: sinking into the warmth of bed after a very long day filled with giant pizza slices and Tui is surely one of them, but here are some of our famous moments in time:
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Chirs on the Needle |
Spoting |
Cranking at night |
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Louise Bouldering Hard |
Microchip glory |
Endless Boulder Fields |
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The traverse problem |
The "wet" Possum |
The Mark Problem |
Hydro (23R***) This one we discovered in the guidebook and it took us some time to find it hidden amidst the house size boulders of the creek. When we eventually found it, it took our breath away - quite literally and almost a little more than that. This one is for the wild at heart.We will have to return better prepared with more gear to set a ground anchor so that the belayer does not get dragged into the water. Strong contender for the most unique and picturesque climb in New Zealand. Hard, exposed, slippery, wet, steep and scary.
TNT (25***) the best line unforgivingly breaching straight through the worst part of the Proud Monkey Roof. Starting with a hideously overhanging section to a half-arsedkneebar rest where the crux crimp boulder problem transitions into a smooth slab. One climb that has it all: roof, vertical and slab all in one, the full package with positions and exposure over Lake Wakatipy – to die for.
Aretica (23***) 30meters of pure overhanging aretes with more holds on both sides than you can imagine. But can you find them. This is the place where the power of youth met the experience of age in a single triumphant moment in time. Relentless, breathtaking and unforgiving.
Proud Monkey Face (17***) This one is for the next trip we did not get to it but it must be one of the most unusual featured climb on the planet. We just marveled about it and I will let you know next time….
The Kick (V8***) bestsloper move in the Jardins, we got very close to sticking the move as darkness encroached and shut us down. This will go……
The traverse boulder (v6-9***) this one is hidden so close to where you park the car, you will never find it. I wish I knew the name? It has one of the best rising crimp traverse I have ever seen – culminating in a kick arse mantle. You can split the traverse into three parts: first section to the top – with a very tough two crimp move that shut me down completely. Chris managed to unlock the sequence: potentially V6-V7.
Second section is the middle gast-on about V5 and the final third section is from the end of the traverse to the top of the boulder also about V5. Combining these three section into one would make for a remarkable line rising slightly from left to right for about twenty moves mostly on tiny but very positive crimps with bad footholds. The lengthening shadows and plummeting temperature shut us down when several close attempts failed at the last dyno to the mantle. Could be v8-V9 but who knows, we will have to come back for this one….
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Cadrona |
Treblecone Panorama |
"My best vacation is your worst nightmare" 
