Urban basalt quarry climbing beside a small lake in the Maungarei Springs Wetland reserve.
Mix of sport and trad routes. Many original climbs were dry-tooling routes, though all have been freed at this point.
Please be sensible, respectable and safe, wear a helmet whether you're climbing, belaying or just watching (falling rocks, hardware etc. aren't picky who they hit). Be considerate to other park users and residents of the area. Dogs are not allowed in the wetlands as per council rules.
Please park considerately to maximise cars parked in the marked carparks on Barbarich Dr or Tephra Blvd, do not park in the turn around area or up on the grass. It’s a short walking distance to the climbs and there is an access road round the right side of the lake. There is a toilet and drinking fountain in the reserve by Tephra Blvd.
All climbs are on reserve land, Maungarei Springs Wetland is classified as Open Space – Informal Recreation Zone in the Auckland Unitary Plan. The original route developers have been joined by NZAC & ACAT for managing the crag for recreational climbing in the reserve.
Routes are a mix of sport, mixed and trad, was originally developed for dry tooling but all routes have been free climbed. No retro bolting of trad climbs without first ascent confirmation. Since it was a working quarry there are still loose rocks from blasting, but a solid wall is slowly emerging.
A few routes were developed in 2009, then the area mostly languished until early 2016, when a lot of cleaning and bolting was done. Then AGS closed and development really took off.
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Chris Hailey on ★★ I Like Arêtes and I Cannot Lie 24 - climbing at sunset... aretes
John Pitcairn on ★★ Peanut Butter Jam 19 - image.jpeg
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