On Friday the 15th, 70 or so excited climbers stumbled out of lectures and made their way south to Waipari to take part in our famous O-trip weekend! After a bit of a drive and a cheeky stop at the Hamilton night markets, we set up camp and got ready for the big day ahead.
Waking up to a clear sky, we made our way to the crag where we met with the landowners to do a bit of gardening before climbing. As per tradition and as a way to give back for letting us climb, we went on a mission to rid the native plants of invasive species. We got to learn a bit more about the plants, and with enough of us there we blitzed through what needed to be done and got ready for climbing.
Starting at the “Slug-wall” with some belay lessons and top rope supervision, we were able to get a whole new bunch of people confident and ready to climb outdoors. The wall was great for learning and climbing on, with a huge variety of holes and interesting rock formations. While the lessons went on, some of the more experienced climbers enjoyed the bouldering available and even made a few of their own routes!
Starting at the “Slug-wall” with some belay lessons and top rope supervision, we were able to get a whole new bunch of people confident and ready to climb outdoors. The wall was great for learning and climbing on, with a huge variety of holes and interesting rock formations. While the lessons went on, some of the more experienced climbers enjoyed the bouldering available and even made a few of their own routes!
As the day progressed we moved around to another spot in the crag for a bit more bouldering and lead climbing. The weather was beautiful the whole day which led to good vibes and the extra boost needed to send the climbs. After a great day we headed back to camp where we had pizza waiting and the typical entertainment of slack-lining, table traversing and croc fights lined up.
Sunday brought more climbing action around different sections of the crag, namely Animal Biscuit Valley and Main Wall. It was great to see so many climbers become more confident on the wall, and the support from others on the ground made the whole atmosphere that much better.
Thanks to everyone involved in making the event what it was; the organisers, helpers, drivers and of course our awesome club members. Another successful O-Trip!