Climbing Crew Conquer Castle Hill

By Alastair Campbell | Posted: Tuesday December 2, 2025

The OBHS climbing group finished the year in style, with a group of senior students travelling to the Castle Hill Basin in Canterbury for a bouldering trip.

Castle Hill is considered one of the premier bouldering locations in the world.

Friday was spent travelling, followed by a quick pitching of tents before heading off to climb. For some of the group it was a return visit, while for others it was a new experience. Soon the boys were pulling on to problems with names like Vaseline and Tuppi-Master.

The following day was a big one in the sun and wind. The day began with warm-ups and a tour of classic problems such as Bliss. A highlight was a successful attempt of Unrepeatable—and then a repeat of it again for the camera. By the end of the day the boys were tired and happy, with many having climbed their hardest-ever outdoor problems.

On Sunday, while the forecast looked poor, the weather turned into great climbing conditions. We decided to explore an area none of us had visited before. Soon everyone was on top of boulders with smiles on their faces. As the rain arrived, we finished with a return to Nasal Slip, a classic problem that had defeated everyone a year ago. This year three boys made it to the top, and a couple of others made valiant attempts.

The final day was the drive home, with the compulsory stop for a Sheffield pie.

A big thanks must go to Tim Adler and Alex Poore for their support, to the wider Dunedin climbing community for lending climbing pads, and to the boys for being such a fun group to take away.

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