Waipari (formerly Froggatt's Edge) Rock Climbing

Despite New Zealand’s reputation for being outdoor enthusiasts, they seem to have the same masses of lazy climbers as the rest of the world. The half-dozen or so other crags in the area require an easy 10-20 minute stroll to get to the (often superior) rock, yet chances are you won’t see anybody. They’re all at Froggatt’s, where you can park next to the climbs, access the clifftops to set topropes, and have access to over a hundred climbs without being out of ear-range of the stereo in your car blasting music. That said, there are a couple of fantastic sport climbs here.

The rock is a soft, heavily-pocketed ignimbrite, lending to a lot of the grid-bolting that you’ll find here. The guy over at Castle Rock tried to turn this place into a commercial venture as well, but as of March ’09 it’s still public. The signs pointing to the various walls still remain. What also remains though are robust 10x100mm U-bolts – according to the engineering study that was done due to commercial requirements they were the only style of bolts that would meet the 20kN requirement in this soft rock. If memory servers the traditional 3/8” bolt and hanger was still pretty strong; I never hesitated clipping them. Just about every route at Froggatt’s is well bolted with good hardware. Most of the climbs are “sporty” but there is the occasional old school route thrown in that may catch you off guard if you’re expecting a 5.8 sport route.

Keep in mind you are on private farmland, all the same rules apply: leave the gates as you found them, no dogs, no camping, be respectful of the animals.

Topo information from freeclimb.co.nz or Rock Deluxe North.