Climbing Queenstown – New Zealand Climbing Experiences Where Your Climbing Adventures Begin….

Ben Lomond Climbing Crags – under development

Check out  the views below from our latest crags.

We’re just about ready to get customers up on the rock here.

Posted in Home, Rock climbing | Posted by admin

The Queens Drive, alpine trekking in the Remarkables

This stunning day walk begins with a drive up the exciting Remarkable ski road taking us to a height of 1600m. Starting off on the easy maintenance road for the ski field it’s not long until you have climbed over the ridge to the western aspect of the Remarks where this trek soon hits some exposed terrain, giving even the most experienced tramper a sense of being out there. Once here we traverse along the narrow ‘highway’ under the ridge with an exciting 1700m drop off to Lake Wakatipu to our right. At this stage the man-made ski lifts seem a very long way away and you realize that we are in some very harsh alpine terrain. Not to worry our experienced guides are in their element here and will guide you safely to the German helmet. This is a good spot for a welcome rest and some lunch with spectacular views of the Wakatipu basin, like something out of a geography text book on glacial formation. If you look directly over the Shotover Bridge, you can see Mount Earnslaw to the North, West you can see the majestic peaks of Fiordland and just over Queenstown you can see the dwarfed peaks of Ben Lomond and Coronet.

Although a rest spot you had better not let your guard down as you could easily lose your lunch to the brazen local residents, the Kea- the only alpine parrot in the world.

Neal on the German helmet

From here we scramble our way up to the Helipad, a flat spot on the Remarkable ridge that is amazingly used as a helicopter landing pad. This tops out at 2200m our highest point of the day where we can see the alpine Lake Alta directly below us. From here we make our way back to the Shadow basin and down the service road to the van feeling tired but exhilarated after a challenging day out one of the best alpine treks in the area.  Neal McAloon, climbing guide.

Posted in Home | Posted by admin

Alpine trek, views and terrain to enjoy

The easy access to the Remarkables Alpine Area means great adventures daily…….

David says check this out, 2km vertical back to the lake and Queenstown

Alpine treks are suited to safe travel and our guests aspirations and fitness on the day, there is a lot to see and do!

David and Andrew check out the east face rock slabs ground smooth by past glaciation

Andrew embracing the stone, bound by ribbons of quartz

Posted in Home, Mountaineering | Posted by chris

Busy time on the Remarkables

Rupert has been busy over the last week with three trips up Remarkables. Firstly he climbed the North ridge of Single with Yann. It was beautiful bluebird day. To finish off the day they both had a swim in Lake Alta, that is frozen for five months a year!

Climbing Double cone

On Sunday he took 65 year old Englishman John over the Grand Traverse which takes in all the highest points on the Remarkables Range. Though the weather was not fantastic, it was windy and little cloudy they still had a awesome day out. John has since been lapping the down hill trails on Skyline!

Finaly Rupert finished off a three day course with Yorkshireman Lee. They got an early start today and climbed the ultra classic 150m Grade 16 on the Alta slabs called ‘ It ain’t over til the fat lady sings’ This rang true for the day as the three abseil descent was done in howling wind and rain. It was a great chance fro Lee to show off his new rope management skills.

Jess was also caught out by the fast moving front up at Waterfall Wall on Gorge Road while doing one of the many half day trips that have been happening.

Hope everyone else has been able to out and about between the fronts!

Climbing Queenstown

Double Cone

Posted in Mountaineering, Rock climbing | Posted by admin

The alpine rock climbing season has started!

Guide Rupert has finished running an alpine rock course high above Queenstown in the Remarkables mountains. He taught Joesee (from Prince George, Canada) natural pro and multi pitch climbing, then helped her put it all into practice by climbing Alpha on the east face of Single Cone and then DBeh on Double Cone. Dbeh was finished off by a Grand Traverse of Double and Single Cone. All up there was much learning, four summits, over twelve pitch’s of rock climbed and much exposed ridge travel!!

Posted in Home, Mountaineering, Rock climbing | Posted by admin