A New Zealand Classic

New Zealand has amazing climbing and a lot of it can be found in Fiordland where the Darran Mountains and Cleddau Valley, (near the f amous Milford Sound i n southwestern part of the country), contain the best rock around.

The crags in the valleys are made of steep sculpted bowls of solid stone. Many of them are suited to hard sport climbing. The diorite walls above the snowline are often more coarse-grained and slabby with few cracks. The classic Darrans multi-pitch route will include some healthy run-outs on both smears and edges. There are some bolts and you can find some protectable cracks, but often you’re way out there. These alpine rock routes are sought-after New Zealand classics with climbers coming to from all over the world to experience the climbing in Fiordland.

There is something for every level of climbing ability and challenge and they can all be done within a day from Homer Hut. Below are five classic alpine rock routes to put on your list.

The North Buttress of Sabre 5.8 is one of the Southern Alps most classic alpine rock routes and described as the best rock route for its grade in the country. There’s 500 metres of exposed alpine climbing on solid rock.

In his book Hugh Logan opens with, “‘You should have a crack at Sabre if you want something tough. By God, there’s a mountain for you,’ said climber G. Hall-Jones to M. Gill i n 1958.” Sabre is i ndeed tough to get to, up, and down. Proper research, a fast-and-light attitude and a level head (or else, don’t look down) are needed to avoid an epic. It’s a big day and you are climbing (up to) an honest technical 5.9. It’s occasionally run-out, and you are probably climbing with a pack. Axe and crampons are almost always needed at some stage on all descent routes.