Castle Hill

First days in New Zealand

Leaving the airport, there was a nice sense of familiarity as we set off on the left side of the road and soon passed through Sheffield. I had met Isaac Buckley at the airport, and despite this being the first time we had met, I already felt like we had hung out loads before, as I had watched his climbing videos on repeat over the years. Isaac is a major player in the Castle Hill climbing scene and has contributed loads of new climbs and helped push the standard for modern bouldering/highballs in the basin. When I mentioned I was visiting CH, Isaac quickly said he would join and booked a flight for the same day!

After a quick espresso and steak & cheese pie at the famous Sheffield pie shop, we hit the road and drove through farmland before Castle Hill Peak came into view. Once in the basin, all the fields become visible. The CH basin is made up of 9 areas, each with its unique feel and character. A thick fog was in, so we spent the day roaming around The Homestead, an area made up of 4 fields (Spittle Hill, Quantum Fields, Dark Castle, and Wuthering Heights) that also form the Kura Tawhiti Nature Reserve.

Kura Tawhiti translates to ‘the treasure from a distant land’, which felt very fitting for me, travelling from the other side of the world. This area has special significance to Ngāi Tahu, the principal Māori tribe of the South Island, with ties that stretch unbroken from distant ancestors to present generations. To a climber, the rock architecture is the most obvious ‘treasure’, but the reserve is also home to some of the rarest and most endangered plants in Canterbury. As we weaved through the maze of pillars, Isaac continually pointed out the local flora, from the shrubby limestone wheatgrass and tussock to the weeping matipo and prickly matagouri that carry fluffy green lichen. It’s clear that the climbers and people here have a much deeper connection to the land beyond the rocks, and being conscious of and preserving the environment is always a priority. Being around this mentality is a useful reminder and wake-up call for how I want to engage with the natural world back home.

The prickly Matagouri bush and branches of the weeping Matipo

So far, I’ve had three climbing days, and it’s been pretty overwhelming! The breadth and depth of each field are out of control, and I’ve not even visited half yet. The climbing here encompasses everything I look for/value in a boulder/bouldering destination, with stunning scenery, beautiful rock architecture, and interesting movement. One of the main things I have noticed here is that the quality of the climbing holds its own across the grades, with ‘easier’ climbs still teaching valuable lessons and having intricate movements on stunning features.

I thought I would start my trip working through the old classics, from films like ‘Big Game’ and ‘Contact’, but each day I’ve found myself climbing whatever looks good, ending up on esoteric gems or newly cleaned lines. In an area so densely populated with megas, you don’t need to stick to the classics, and it seems they only really get the status for historical reasons, or features in the movies. Their neighbours are often just as good, if not better. Because the rock here is so delicate, venturing off the beaten track and climbing the less-climbed lines is a nice way to let the rock heal a bit, but also offers a unique climbing experience with more unknown exploration.

I intend to chat more about the history and people who contribute so much to the area in future blogs, as well as what I get up to, but for now, here are some pictures from the first few days!