Sunday road trip

Even before I got into climbing, March has always been one of my favourite months, more so because it’s the start of autumn. Autumn, especially in the Bay of Plenty where it feels like a lingering summer. The bush and vast coastline is a playground you can’t help but be drawn to.

Whanau. Māori. noun. An extended family or community of related families who live together in the same area.

This was my second time at the Mangorewa Gorge and we somehow picked a day that wasn’t only dry and sunny, but a fairly quiet one in terms of other climbers. Last time it was only Jim and I, but this time we had Alec join us too. Jim and I drove to Alec’s house in Papamoa, then the three of us drove to the gorge together. We decided to call ourselves the Whakatāne Climbing whanau. Our small crew was growing!

If you’re wondering why there weren’t any photos of me, well there were two reasons. One, I only attempted to climb one route that day, and two, I’m usually the photographer. Why did I only climb one route? You can say that I’ve lost a bit of confidence in my climbing lately, so when this lock down is eventually lifted, I’m going to start again. Maybe in a few months I’ll find my flow again.

I knew the way to Bush Wall through the bush track, so I let the guys go ahead. They were always within earshot and stopped a few times to make sure I hadn’t got lost. For those who know me well, a good sense of direction isn’t my strongest point, but I always make it home. The track is well used and marked, so as long as you follow the river, you’ll eventually make your way to Bush Wall and River Wall anyway.

Climbing at bush wall

Most of the routes on Bush Wall range from 17 - 21. I attempted The Chickenator (grade 17/5b) again, and I have yet to finish it after two separate attempts. Like I said, I haven’t felt myself in my climbing lately. After what seemed like an eternity, I asked Alec (who was belaying me) to let me down. “Are you sure?” He called out. This was the third time he’d asked me as I hung there, feeling defeated, trying to shake off the lactic acid soaring through my arms. I let out a loud sigh. “I’m sure.” In climbing, if your arms are more pumped than your legs, you know you’ve been using bad technique.

By late morning we were joined by a crew of four from Auckland. It was their first time at the gorge, though watching them climb, they looked like experienced climbers. A couple stayed up at Bush Wall with us, while the other headed down to explore River Wall. Later as we chatted with them by the river, they had actually spent most of the morning napping. I don’t blame them, most of the river is in shadow until mid-afternoon so if you can find a comfortable spot to lay down, the serene bush will do the rest.

Jim sent Speedcross (grade 19/6a) last time we were at the gorge, though he took a couple of whippers at the crux. He wanted to stick-clip the first bolt, and wouldn’t you know it we even found the same branch from last time! As Alec was climbing the route to the left of Speedcross, Jim watched the beta of one of the Auckland climbers - he saw that he went further left at the crux. The guy pretty much flew up the crux, so this was the beta the guys used to send the route.

Climbing at river wall

Maybe I’m biased, however I can say with absolute certainty that I’ve never been to an ugly crag. Mangorewa Gorge is a pretty special place, and climber or not, you too will be in awe of nature simply by being there. Then you look up. Camera in hand, you better believe it that I was living my best Jimmy Chin moment in my head.

One of the Auckland couples was climbing the grade 18 route that Jim and Alec planned to climb next. They watched her beta as this was the first time they attempted this one. Jim flashed it but technically didn’t onsight it I guess (as he had seen someone climb it first), and Alec sent it after a few whippers at the crux. Having seen someone else climb before the guys also meant I had time to plan some shots. I was pretty chuffed how well some of them turned out.

Alec and I actually know each other from work. I guess I became known as the ‘climber’ because in his first week at work, at least three people kept telling me that the ‘new guy’ was also into climbing and looking for people to climb with. We did a few indoor climbs together, and got talking about how he wanted to get more confident leading and cleaning routes. So, here we are.

The guys decided to climb Popping Tags on Bush Wall before we walked back to the car. They were waiting for me across the stream, and suddenly memories of my gumby-like effort trying to cross river rocks with algae. Jim threw me a walking stick which definitely helped me to keep dry...at least until I slipped on a different part of the river bank. Wet socks are better than a wet bum in my books.

Photographs by Ronna Grace Funtelar | Camera: SonyA6000

fivefootronna is Ronna Grace Funtelar - a thirtyish adventurer, graphic designer and spoken word artist.
A woman with a curious mind who lives for hiking mountains, outdoor adventures and eating pizza. She has a unique brand of optimism that is a combination of her great enthusiasm for life and cups of coffee during the day.