Who we are
We're a small group of local climbers who care about keeping the Golden Bay crags safe. All the work is voluntary.
Most of the routes here went up in the late '80s and early '90s, put up by itinerant dirtbag climbers on tight budgets. Battery drills were poor, mixed-metal corrosion wasn't understood, and a lot of the hardware came from the local hardware store, including hand-placed Terrier bolts.
Climbers trust what they clip, usually without knowing how old it is. Failures here have been rare, but they have happened. Nobody has been killed, but people have hit the ground.
Funding started with the rebolt fund run by Hangdog, then a Givealittle campaign and sponsors including NMIT and the NZAC. The Tūpiki Trust has since matched everything we'd raised before.
- Glued-in stainlessEvery old bolt is replaced with a glued-in stainless ringbolt, and every anchor with glued-in threaded rod and double chain.
- Worst firstThere are about 450 routes here, and around 200 still need doing. The oldest, most dangerous and busiest come first. The goal is every route.
- Crag careWe also clear loose rock, clean and re-align lines, and bring forgotten climbs back to life.
What comes out
Some old bolts look fine from the outside. These didn't.
The Tūpiki Trust has approved $21,000 for hardware.
That's about what we've raised and spent on stainless and glue over the last couple of years, and we're only a fraction of the way through the list. Individual donations still matter: showing we can raise money ourselves helps every future funding application.
Work so far
In under four years we've raised and spent about $27,000 on hardware, starting with a Givealittle fundraiser that raised $9,341 from 116 donors. Since February 2026 alone, the team has put in around 80 anchor sets and 250 bolts.
- Nearly every anchor at Cathedral Wall, all of Shotgun Therapy Buttress and most of Seagrass Wall replaced. Stella Blue and Black Marigolds rebolted, and a 15 kg loose block removed.
- New anchors on Creese Wall. Lower Tenuite, Why Wall and Bo Peep rebolted. New ring bolts on Electricorp, Send a Gorilla and Powerline.
- More bolts and anchors at Cathedral, Palmer Wafer, Cosmic Wonder Crunch and Why Wall, plus practice anchors.
- Rhinoceros Wall finished in May, along with Globe Wall up to Tomorrow Gully and Passion Slab. Over winter, the south end of Paines Ford: Fish Wall, Red Wall, Happy Hour, and lines on Fortress, 1080 Gully and Thugs.
On the wall
Look after the rock
Limestone polishes and wears faster than you'd think. A few habits keep the routes good for everyone.
- Soft brushes onlyClean holds with a nylon or bristle brush. Wire brushes scratch and polish the rock.
- Wash your routeUse the water canisters left at the crag to rinse off dirt and chalk, and refill them if you can.
- Leave it cleanBrush off your chalk and tick marks before you go.
Where the money goes
All the work is done by volunteers. Aspiring Safety supplies much of the hardware at a discount, so your money goes further.
- $25a stainless ringbolt and its glue
- $65an anchor set
- $180a tube of glue
- $250to rebolt an average route
Chip in
Every bolt you pay for is one less rusty one on the crag. Installation is by volunteers, so all of it goes on hardware.
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