NZAC Wellington: Beyond the mountains – The growth of rock climbing in Aotearoa from the late 1960's

Join us for our next section night!

Natalie Looyer recently completed a PhD thesis at Victoria University of Wellington on the history of rock climbing in Aotearoa New Zealand.

This project traversed 60 years of modern rock climbing activities, from the first graded routes at Long Beach, Castle Rock, and Tītahi Bay in the 1960s, through the 'anarchic' era of Whanganui Bay in the early 1980s and the heyday of Women Climbing, to the boom of indoor climbing, competitions, sport climbing, and bouldering from the 1990s and into the 21st century. From its early beginnings to the Olympic stage, the story of rock climbing in Aotearoa is rich with colourful characters, special places, and contests for belonging.

Natalie will speak about the early years of rock climbing in Aotearoa, and why a new generation of New Zealand mountaineers in the 1960s turned to rock climbing on crags as a 'safer', yet equally exciting, form of climbing.

As always, there will be pizza and chats! Everyone is welcome at our section nights – see you there!

Photo credit: New Zealand Alpine Journal 31 (1978), photo by Pete Giles

You may also like the following events from NZAC - Wellington Section:

• This Tuesday, 29th July, 08:30 am, Welly Clubs Winter Quiz in Wellington

Also check out other Trips & Adventurous Activities in Wellington, Contests in Wellington, Sports events in Wellington.