先ずは、山想会だより４４番２０１８年を送ってくださってありがとうございます。相変わらず法政山岳部が活発な日々を送ることについて読むと私も大変喜んでいます。海外遠征の伝統も継承して行うと充実感を覚える。原稿を募集しているだそうです。わたくしもなるべく投稿させていただきたい。
ちょうどいま、クイーンズタウン、ニュージーランド南島のオタゴ地方で家族ぐるみで岩登り合宿に出かけています。ワカティプ湖畔に面した山町で有名な登山場が多いので、年に一度ぐらいは訪問しています。
周囲の山々に囲まれた美しさは「ヴィクトリア女王にふさわしい」のでQueenstownと名づけられて、周りの山々が並外れと思われて、「Remarkables」というのです。やっぱり、その「素晴らしさ」の中に一家そろって、うろうろ登り回っています。
普段はオーストラリアでアルパイン・クライミングと本チャンがお好みですが今回は家族連れで主にフリークライミングとボルダリングに注目を払っています。男の子の双子は今年十七歳になるで、まだ若いつもりでいる私より遥かに上手ようになっています。
まずは「Remarkables」の岩場を紹介します。
上記の写真は有名なボウルだーJardinesという強大な岩場。後ろ姿はRemarkablesの聳え立つ山脈に囲まれている。岩のサイズはだいたい10メートル以上の高さでクラッシュパットを使用しないととても怖いのです。日本にも流行っていると思いますし、登山道具が少ないので若者には快適。
周りの湖景色ですぐさま快感に我を忘れる。ここはクリスが登っています。
上記の重い姿は私何ですが、Roman ジュニアがスポッティングをして、落ちたらつぶれるだろう。巨大なボルダーは渓流側にもありますが、あまりにも高いので、ボルトが売ってあります。そこで川の上で登っていくと自然のすばらしさをたっぷり味わう。
次はWyeCreek 渓谷というちゃんとした岩場を紹介いたします。 ワカティプ湖に流れ込むワイ小川の上流にある岩場は高山の岩場ですが、南向きの断崖で日当たりがとてもよい。そのせいで、雪が残てもマルチピッチクライミングができる。それに興味深い岩の妙な姿もあります。見えますか。
「猿顔」見つかりましたか。鼻、耳、目、眉毛まですべてあります。その顔の上にかぶってある突き出た部分（オーヴァーハング）はProud Monkey Roof (輝かしい猿屋根)と呼びます。そこのハングを超えるのは高給の楽しみ。次の写真で我らはちょうど猿顔の上部屋根を登っています。
反対側から写真を撮るとWyeCreek 渓谷が見えます。
このルートの名前はTNT（トリニトロトルエンの略称）です。
最後には家族の写真が同封いたします。登り終わったところビールとステキの美味しさ。
歯切れ良い原稿はなっていませんがまた旅はしばらくつづいて、取り急ぎお礼まで。
ロマン
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" 
