Rock Climbing: Baring Head

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Rock Climbing BARING HEAD - Photo W. Attewell Climbing is becoming increasingly us. We arrived at the coast and left our popular within the club. This has been civilian belongings in the cars. A short stimulated well instructed A.I.C.s at walk brought us around to the scene of Ruapehu and Egmont. Rock climbing the day's action. plays a major part in modern moun- The main climbing area is a peculiar taineering so this is practised whenever set of rock ribs protruding out of the possible. sand at right angles to the shore. We Titahi Bay is the main centre for rock dumped the gear that was not for immeclimbing around Wellington. On good diate use in a convenient place for a days it becomes crowded, especially in lunch stop and proceeded around a bit winter. Some time several of the further. We then started to match our earlier climbers in ac club began to skills against the rock. An hour or two make regular trips out to Baring Head. was spent in warming up, then several of They brought back reports of reasonably us gathered a bit of gear together and good rock and interesting climbs. More tried a few of the longer climbs. recently Neville Taylor made several "The Chimney" was climbed several Saturday trips there to explore this series times and then a couple of quite hard of rock outcrops again. He found a climbs were executed on the smooth potentially good area for experienced slabs on either side of it. We then moved and beginners alike. It was decided to north around the corner to a cliff on the schedule a club trip to the area for the mainland. The cliff is split down the 16th of December, to be led by Bill centre by a large 60-ft chimney. There Lockey and Nev. are several good steep slabs on either A contingent of budding young side of it giving a number of different climbers arrived at the station carly on climbs. Ken Stokes led the chimney with Saturday morning. We trundled out to several other people going up after him. Wainuiomata in private transport with Much time was spent here with several a fine summer's day opening out before climbs done on the fairly smooth slabs to the right of the chimney. I was not first piton runner in, I came down. Dave game enough to lead up one of the slabs Forbes then went up. After putting a so I was belayed with a top rope. Dave sling runner in, an awkward move was Forbes tried next but wiped out at about made under an overhang and on to a 30ft up and found himself at the bottom ledge from which he went straight on rather more quickly than he expected, up looser ground to the top. I then went even though the top rope held him. up, feeling refreshed, and taking the Determined to succeed, he had another runners with me. It was a really good crack at it and reached the top in fine climb. style. Warrick Attwell attempted it next Itwas well past lunch time by then, so but a fall at 10ft up was enough to put we had a brew and fed our faces. None him off. of us felt like doing any hard climbs For some time we had had our eyes then, so we went around and did a few on a large rock outcrop further along the short scrambles on one of the outcrops. beach, so we went and investigated it. It At about four o'clock it was time to was about 150ft high. The north side leave, so we wandered back to the cars was loose and generally easy going. But and arrived back in town in time for a on the south face the rock was smooth "stir" at Titahi Bay. and overhanging. There was very little The climbing at Baring Head was there that was worth trying on the good, with soft landings on many of the whole, so we wandered back to where we shorter climbs. There were several longer had previously been climbing, just a little ones too stretching people to their limit. late to see Ken Stokes peel off while This area will continue to be climbed for leading the left slab. the good rock and the absence of crowds. I had an abortive attempt at it also (I was pretty tired by then), but after mucking about for a while getting the BARRY BIGGS