The vibe was dismal as I sat in my office, glancing outside at the pouring rain, contemplating putting my tent up later that evening. Sifting through the forecast charts, I retained just enough hope that the NW rain event would depart the North Island intime for the weekend. All we were waiting for was some classic three-star cragging at the bay. Whanganui Bay was on and excited for some Taranaki visitors! Teaming up with the active Dave and Conrad Bolger, we gapped work (and school) early to begin the journey over to the Bay. With the techno quietly humming and stomachs full of Mokau takeaways, we chased the storm east through the king country, optimistic for clear skies upon our arrival. We oozed down the adventurous bay road and pulled up to the lake edge right on dusk. A starlit night sky welcomed us, and the psych was high. Time to get a good sleep and fuel a weekend of ignimbrite cranking.
A limited sleep gave way to a perfect Saturday morning. The gamble to head over on the Friday had paid off as we were greeted with cool temps, dry conditions and no one else to be seen. The Plateau was on the agenda for the morning where we got to enjoy some onsight/flash burns on some of the easier classics.
The low angle warm up route Bunnies in Disguise (17) followed by the more sustained Something Outrageous (21) was a great way to start the weekend right. The allure of the more moderate Childhoods End (24) attracted us to give it some burns however no sends this time. This route is certainly worthy of some future effort. Whekenui was calling our names for an afternoon / evening session and before too long we were trudging along the beach towards its towering pillars rising straight up from the lake. Having not climbed there before, it was clear to understand why climbers rave about this crag. Dave was licking his lips for some trad and made a retro ascent of Sayonara (17), grunting his way up the splitter thin hands crack in some challenging hot and humid conditions. Through the trees, it was great to see Ivan Bruce and Chris Hayes rock up and jump on Bizarrete (22). With a 7m high first bolt, it was a fantastic opportunity for Ivan to put his YMCA soloing to good use and exercise his chill head game.
By this point we were losing energy after a day in the sun so called it a day after some warm down climbs. By now the rest of the TAC crew had arrived. It was great to share an evening next to the lake and share some stories along with some great kai. A pan-fried trout courtesy of the local iwi was a hit and concluded a great day out on the stone.
The sun rose golden on Sunday, to reveal another bluebird. Half of the TAC group went to the Plateau and half to Whekenui. Some highlights for the crew were Smear Tactics (20), Small Pocks (18), and Lord Kim Come Strike Me Down (22). Many routes were sent, with many more remaining to be ticked another day. With the Whanganui Bay season soon coming to an indefinite close, one can only hope that there will be more future chances to climb at this special location. This was an excellent club trip with a good keen crew, who all relished the opportunity to climb at the Bay.
Words and Photos by Fletcher Miles
