Froggatt Edge

Froggatt Edge, in Wharepapa, is the first major outdoor climbing venue I have had the opportunity to visit. On Friday, I took off with the Auckland University Rock and Alpine Club (AURAC) and we camped at a lake that was about halfway to Froggatt. We got up before dawn and the club started setting up topropes right as we arrived at the crag.

I was not disappointed. Froggatt is a collection of ignimbrite outcroppings that are left over from the great Taupo eruption that is situated in the middle of a cow pasture. Trees and grass and moss and lichens and all matter of green life grow all around the cliffs and (while detracting a little from the quality of the climbs in some places) create a stunning scenery that quickly ate through my camera battery, so I mostly have pictures of just the first day of climbing.

I got to know a lot of really cool people within the climbing club and I am looking forward to climbing with them as often as I can throughout the semester I am in New Zealand. Here are some photos:

Toby loves to watch people 

Leaders setting up the topropes

Me on belay with a buddy climbing

Neck and neck

Photo of the Day

Cows

Me starting a climb called "Bring your Daughter to the Slaughter," a Froggatt classic

Making progress

Getting close to the top

A unique boulder climb

Trees and stuff

Time to pack up and go

After Class

I did a little study session in a student commons area because the internet in my apartment complex was horrible for the day. Afterward, I walked down to cowntdown to get some sweet groceries.

below are photos of what I've just described




enjoy

the ghost pigeon that haunts these halls

-or not to fire pimps?

translation: "yield"

majestic countdown discount grocery store

the eggs look different here

but they work the same. dinner.

Average Day

UFO in front of one of the University buildings where I have an Anthropology lecture

Cool Auditorium

'Mocha Tart' at student cafe on campus

After a day of lectures (Geology, Philosophy, and Anthropology) and a stop at the cafe, I caught up with the rock climbing club for my first outing with them as a new member. We went to Mt. Eden Quarry, which the kiwis have taken the flat space and used to make a sports park. We were on the smallest wall of the quarry, as most of the new club members are new to belaying (the process with the ropes that keeps the climber from hitting the ground). Fortunately, there were plenty of free ropes set up (the club has heaps of equipment) so me and some of the other more experienced climbers had the chance to try all the walls independently. In my excitement to climb NZ rock for the first time, I neglected to have someone take a photo of me climbing or do any self photos at all, so I only have a few pretty boring pictures to show of my day out.

Cool cemetery we passed over on a bridge on the way to Mt Eden

Small, but still pretty fun

Wrapping up after a good few hours climbing