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a b o v e The author aiding on pegs during the first ascent of the overhang, 6 February 1971. Bill Atkinson

The first ascent of the punakaiki overhang

by Paul Caffyn

A

fter graduating from the University of Queensland in 1969, with majors in botany and geology, and minors in rock climbing, caving and folk music, I was exceedingly fortunate to gain my first job on the West Coast of the South Island.

While based at Barrytown for the following year, my weekends were spent caving at

Bullock Creek and climbing and skiing at Arthur’s Pass.

Rock climbing took a back seat in 1970, with all the superb new cave exploration that was on offer at the Fox River and Bullock Creek, but I would often stop and peer up from the coastal highway at the huge, seven-metre overhang at Punakaiki,

which seemed to almost tower over the road. What intrigued me was an incipient crack that split the overhang. Commencing at knife-blade-size, the crack widens slowly until the lip, where a body-sized flaring crack opens, requiring a four-inch bong or tube chock to allow passage.

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t h i s p a g e : The author on the first ascent of the overhang. Bill Atkinson (left and top right), Paul Caffyn collection (bottom right)

The first ascent Even though I had some aid climbing experience, and had completed plenty of big multipitch ascents in the Glassshouses, Warumbungles and Tasmania, it took three attempts to complete an ascent of the overhang. The first attempt faded out on a narrow ledge at the start of the crack. I placed five bolts from etriers on the upper, blank section of the wall, and another by the ledge where I could abseil off. The prospect of aiding so far out along the crack was too much to contemplate.

A second attempt was more successful. Using knifeblades, leepers and angles, I was able to peg out to where the crack broadened to almost body-width. But hanging off a four-inch bong, and standing in the top rungs of the tape etriers, I couldn’t find any jams or holds to pull up any higher with.

For the third attempt, on 6 February 1971, I made the now familiar aid moves out to the four-inch bong placement, where the crack flares. Sitting in my etriers, I used the star drill (tap, turn, tap, turn) to drill a hole inside the flared bit and hammered in a bolt. Then, moving up and standing in the top rungs, I was able to place an angle-piton from which I was able to squeeze vertically up to daylight. Negotiating a jungle of kiekie and supplejack back to the highway was almost as difficult as the climbing.

During the first ascent, Bill Atkinson took several superb black and white photos, one of which is now on permanent display at the Punakaiki Tavern, over the road from the overhang.

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t o p Robbie McBirney ready to aid out along the crack for the second ascent, 1974. Paul Caffyn b o t t o m Robbie McBirney again, nearing the flaring, end-section of crack. Paul Caffyn

The second ascent On 5 October 1974, Robbie McBirney led a successful ascent of the crack to the lip. But standing in etriers at the bolt at the base of the flared section, he found his shoulders and chest would not fit. Perhaps he’d spent too much time mastering Supergroove at the Mt Eden Quarry. Not one to back off easily, Robbie grabbed hold of some stout kiekie vines dangling over the lip and pulled himself over. It was a most impressive Tarzan-like move when viewed from ground level. Greg Pickford and I followed. Both Greg and I were of slim build, and were able to squeeze through the flared bit without having to resort to kiekie-aiding. t h e v e r t i c a l w o r l D 147