Well done to all the climbers who headed over the Crown Range to Basecamp Wanaka for the "Cliffhangers Comp" last Saturday. We were proud to hear that Tom Van den Burg and the Youth team all placed very well in the competition. Congrats on your achievements and doing your bit to represent!
Thursdays = Social Climbing!
Thursdays social climbing: come to meet locals and newbies at the club weekly social outing.
Check on the club facebook page for the latest location or email us. We usually leave from 5pm in Queenstown or Frankton.
The game is simple, 1.Get together - 2.Go Climbing and just enjoy crags in and around Queenstown. (You will need your own gear to play) See you there!
Trapping in Wye Creek
Following DOC's lead we participate in helping to control the population of stoats and rats in our area. Our valiant QCC members have been helping out in regular trap checks each month changing the eggs in each of the 43 traps in Wye Creek. An not in vain, successfully trapping 2 rats and a stoat in September, and adding another rat to the count in this months outing. The next check is not fixed yet but if your keen to help your local birdlife put your names and contact details in an email and we will get in touch. queenstownclimbing@gmail.com
Planting on the "Patio" at Wye Creek!
Thanks to a brilliant team of our club members we managed to plant 50 new native trees and relocate 5 others from the area. The "patio" is now extended upto Proud-Monkey-Roof and is made up by no more than 150 shrubs and Kowhai! It was the 4th planting day over the last 2 years and comes to support the project gold run by DOC, revegetation of the ecosystem to give more food opportunities for the native birds. This latest gardening job wouldn't have been possible without the volunteers and a big thanks goes out to Aaron Ford, Keith Brown, Owen Hale, Arnaud, Sam wright, Guillaume Charton, Niall Macaloon and Estelle Poiron. If your keen to get involved in future activities like this send us a message or jump on the Facebook page and leave us a note!
Special deal from Rock & Rambles - Snowcraft
Snowcraft Adult Instructions - Special deal from Rock & Rambles for QCC members: 12-13 October or/and 19-20 October .
Day 1: Basic skills using ice axe and crampons, self arrest, avalanche safety, anchors on snow/rock
Day 2: Ridge travel + summit. ($100+GST a day/person up to 4 persons - gear not supplied)
Let us know before the 5th October if you are keen! Facebook or email us at queenstownclimbing@gmail.com
#1 Debate - Dry Tooling - Deadline 30th September 2013!
Dry-Tooling Ethical Debate. Dry-tooling (climbing rock with ice axes and crampons) is a growing sport in our region and the Queenstown Climbing Club (QCC) is running a debate about this activity together with the New Zealand Alpine Club (NZAC), the Federated Mountain Clubs (FMC) and the Department of Conservation.
Therefore we would like your opinion about 'Dry-Tooling':
Should there be a local consensus? What recommendations would you like to make in regards to Dry Tooling around the Queenstown region? Would you like to talk at the October's debate session in Queenstown (Date TBC)?
Please email us: queenstownclimbing@gmail.com You have until Monday the 30th of September 2013 to submit your opinion. Following this a debate will run in October with interested parties.
"Queenstown Rock Ice & Mountains" Guide-Book Launch Party!
A very successful launch party. Many thanks to the 100 plus people who turned up at The Find to celebrate the new Queenstown Rock, Ice and Mountains guidebook last Saturday the 21st September. People came from the Wakatipu region and as far as Dunedin, Invercargill, Milton and Wanaka to cheers for this new climbing book. Thank you to Cactus, Macpac, Petzl, R&R Sports, and Small Planet for the great prizes for the Fun Comps. Cheers a gazillion times to all for the positive and supportive vibe that you all brought to this event! The Queenstown Rock, Ice and Mountains book is now out with already boxes of it sold, make the most of it by climbing many of the new routes that are in it! Cheers to Philip Green for his great pictures.
New Guide Book Launch Party! 21st Sept
After two years of in the making, hundreds of hours spent on gathering data, reviewing old and adding new climbs the new Queenstown Rock,Ice and Mountains is out very very soon!
The guidebook is at a special launch price of $40 and this is the only time and location this will be offered at this significant discount from retail price.
This guidbook is a complete rewrite, with over 200 pages in NZ's first full colour guidebook. There are new crags, new mountaineering sections, andour own aerial photographs which are the best in any guidebook for NZ. You have to see this book to believe the changes.
Everyone is welcome to come along to celebrate this ultimate guidebook for the Queenstown region. Launch party is at The Find (53 Shotover Street-Queenstown), Saturday 21st September from 6pm. Bring a group along.
Drinks and nibbles also on special and there will be a Quiz and fun comp with prizes to be won. So come along and bring friend and family.
This will be the biggest event of the year for climbers in Queenstown. Please come along and show your support and thanks to everyone who's been working so hard for the last two years. As always, the funds from this book go straight back into climbing related projects throughout the Wakatipu region.
Help us make the biggest event and party we've ever thrown!
You can help spread the word by downloading the poster and putting up at your place of work, clubs, cafes etc.
See you on Sat 21st September, proudly supported by out our great friends at The Find.
Queenstown Youth Climbing Comp - Sunday 9th June
Please see details of the upcoming Queenstown Climbing Club Youth Competition coming up next weekend, on Sunday 9th June. Apologies this wasn't on the website earlier, but it's a good reminder to join up, and get onto the club's Facebook group which is open for members as this was posted there a while back.
All the information is on the poster below. It would be great if you could email the club on queenstownclimbing ~at~ gmail.com to register your interest, to get an idea of numbers.
Please come along if you are interested in this type of event as it will encourage more to happen as youth climbing is an area the club is very keen to promote more, and have more events happening.
Trapline Project in Wye Creek needs you! A QCC / DoC initiative
On the 18th of May 2013 43 traps were laid and baited in Wye Creek thanks to the help of 16 volunteers including DoC staff and Queenstown Climbing Club members This day was a huge success, with the project being aiming to protect the biodiversity around local climbing areas from threatening pests such as stoats and rats.
Once a month, the traps need to be checked and rebaited, consisting mainly in placing fresh eggs and resetting the traps even if the traps are empty.
This is a half a day job for a team of two (or more) volunteers.
There is gear in situ (gloves, screwdriver, report sheets, fresh eggs, map of the traps location...) in a grey storage box located near the toilets with all the necessary instructions, but these should not be operated unless you know what you are doing, and have ideally been up with a member or DOC staff that can give some guidance and training - the traps can be dangerous in the wrong hands, and can be quite lethal on your hands if you do things in the wrong combination.
We are looking for willing and enthusiastic volunteers for this eco-friendly project.
If you are keen to participate to one of the monthly monitoring days, please let us know by emailing us your contact details (name, phone number) and the month you are willing to attend. We will get back to you promptly.
Please let us know if you have any questions regarding this project.
Thank you for your support.
Estelle Poiron
Philip Green
Twizel Climbing Comp - 18th May 2013
Twizel Climbing Wall are having a competition over the weekend of 18-19th May. The club will be using some of the generous donations from the X-Wye event to fund some youths to go up and compete from the Youth Climbing Fund. Please register your interests with the club.
Climbing Disciplines : Top rope Climbing - Saturday, Lead Climbing - Sunday
Entry Fee : $10.00* (cash) each day. Pay at registration desk.
Late entries $15.00
Register now at… www.facebook.com/
If you can't make this event, please come along and help out with some Pest Control at Wye Creek on Saturday 18th May. See Pest Control post for more information.
Wye Creek Pest Control - Saturday 18th May - 10am Wye Creek bottom carpark
The Climbing Club in collaboration with DOC is organising a day in Wye Creek where stoats traps will be set up. 35 trap boxes (weighing 8-10kg each) will be deployed up the valley to locations that have already been marked out by DOC staff. Ray Molloyand few others from DOC will be present.
It would be awesome to get some volunteers to help carry trap boxes to the designated spots. Specific pack frames can be provided by DOC but if you have your own overnight packs (that you're happy to use), it would be good to bring them along as one or two boxes can usually be secured under the straps of most larger packs.
This day is part of the Pest Control project that DOC has been implementing in few areas to decrease the ecological damage to native fauna and flora. The Climbing Club is happy to participate in that environmental framework.
Please let me know if you have any questions and if you would like to volunteer for this day (a confirmation would be good as soon as possible as we can inform DOC about the group size).
It would be great to see some new faces helping out at this event. This is planned to be a recurring event to maintain and service the traps, so please indicate when you contact us if you'd be prepared to help at future events as well as we really want to show commitment to DOC who have been a great help to the club over the years, and to your climbing.
Contact us at queenstownclimbing@gmail.com with Wye Creek Pest Control at the subject.
Jardines Closed April 10th and 11th 2013
One of our favourite club spots Jardines will be closed on Wednesday 10th April & Thursday 11th April 2013.
X-Wye Climbing Marathon Success
Fantastic weather, brilliant climbs and an enthusiasm shared by all made the X-Wye marathon a great success, and only in its second year running. Thirteen teams, consisting of 36 climbers set off to climb as many routes as possible in 6 hours. They had to choose carefully as the climbing scores were not all about difficulty, but also location and height.
The winners with an impressive score of 2670 were Thomas Vandenberg and Josh Greer, followed by Michael and Michal with a close 2569. Niall and Shane reached a total of 2010, for third spot. Well done to all the climbers for a fantastic effort. The day was about fun and participation (great costumes too!) and it sounds as though this is what everybody had, including Moo!!!!!! Climbers from as far as Slovenia and Wanaka came out to enjoy the event, stellar effort. To cap off the day, the Frankton Ale house proved to be a great social highlight, with stories shared and beers drunk.
We would like to thank the sponsors, Small Planet for the boulder mat and five pairs of climbing pants, Lakes Leisure for the 3 Month Indoor Climbing pass, R&R Sports for $150 worth of vouchers, Back Country Cuisine for numerous meals and pouches and the Queenstown Climbing Club for chalk, a T-shirt and organizing the event. A big thanks to Doc for allowing the event to take place.
And finally, to all who donated to the QCC, thank-you.
Hope to see you all next year.
Estelle and Sam
X-Wye Climbing Marathon - Sunday 7th April 2013
Hi folks, sorry for the short notice of the poster coming online, and huge apologies for the website being down after a technical change at the host. The good news, there's a climbing marathon at Wye Creek this Sunday (7th April 2013).
Join the event as an individual or team of 2 or 3, bring your own gear (harness, ropes, draws, climbing shoes) and you must be competent belaying, and top roping or leading.
Meet at 10am at the bottom car park at Wye Creek!
Mystery Climbing Evening - Wed 6th March
Sorry it's been a while since the website's been updated - we've been too busy with the balmy summer weather and all the frantic Facebook posting that's been going on (remember to sign up with Facebook but you have to be a club member!)....and many of the club and very valued helpers, contributors and proof readers have been uber busy on the upcoming guidebook (more in a later post!).
So next week's first Wednesday of the month will be a surprise mystery outing!
Where : 5pm at Video Ezy Car Park, Frankton
When : Wednesday 6th March
Gear can be supplied as long as you email us what you need the week before (that's by Friday 1st March)
As you can tell there aren't many crags outside Video Ezy so take a car, or crash a ride.....or be a very fast long distance runner!
Email queenstownclimbing at gmail.com if you need gear.
See you there.
X-Wye Climbing Festival 2014 - 3 Day Special Event!
X-Wye, Queenstown's Best Rock Climbing Festival - 24/25/26th January 2014 @ The Find,QT & Wye Creek
This year we are kicking the festival off with a "Short Film" festival sponsored by SteepEdge, followed by Climbing clinics with the best local guides, Climbing contests in the Creek, Food & Prizes at "The Find" and of course our signature event, the awesome, "X-Wye Climbing Marathon"!
The marathon is a fun team event (teams of 2 to 3 climbers) where people try to climb as many routes as possible. Routes are worth so many points depending on location, height, difficulty. You can score more points if you wear fancy dress and there will be some other more fun ways to score more points on the day. Anyways really good fun! Then we will celebrate at The Find, have a feed and present winners (...and non winners) with some great awards & prizes!
Sign up here by downloading the registration forms and emailing your completed forms back to us at queenstownclimbing@gmail.com
Program: Download Registration Form: Download
Gorge Road November Outing Report
Cheers to all of those who braved the beautiful weather to come to the first Wednesday of the month club outing.Most people climbed up high on the top tier and enjoyed the last sun rays. Some others climbed at the very bottom on Magnum Wall.
In total there were about 20 climbers who turned up for the occasion!
So thanks again to all and enjoy the few pictures taken on that afternoon!
See the album of images below - I think Guillaume's camera's broken.... (or he's got some new filter to play with ;-> )
Guillaume
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Wye Creek Planting Day Success
Our second planting day has been successful. Around 40 native trees included kowhai were planted in addition to those planted last year under The Main Wall. Owen Dale (who's also a club member) represented DOC, who provided plants, bamboos and tools to dig the steep slopes of the South side.
Seven keen "gardeners" enjoyed the awesome weather and the company of the worms! Wye Creek looks slightly different and will have a new face within the years to come. Two water cans are available to hikers and climbers when the trees get thirsty! This environmental action undertaken by the Club is in conjunction with DOC Project Gold.
Thank you to the volunteers and made this possible!!!
- Every Kowhai needs that extra bit of love from a can
Wye Creek Planting Day moved to Sunday 7th October (was Sat 6th)
Due to the weather forecast this weekend's Wye Creek planting day has been moved to Sunday 7th (instead of the planned Saturday). It would be great to have a few people there to help out as I think the numbers are looking low going by the Facebook responses....it's great to show some love back to the area with all the fantastic climbing around it.
If you're a club member and not in the Facebook group, please head over there following the link on the right to become part of it as its often the most timely way to find out whats happening at short notice or find some partners.