Paynes Ford
Climbing Sections:
- Carnage Wall (4)
- Creese Wall (9)
- Fish Wall (1)
- Globe Wall (8)
- Little Lost Wall (10)
- North End (1)
- Passion Slab (1)
- Rat Trap Wall (3)
- Red Wall (0)
- Rhinoceros Wall (1)
- Slave Wall (3)
- Stone Symposium Wall (4)
- Tenuite Wall (10)
- The Fortress (2)
- Wall of Thugs (1)
About Paynes Ford:
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This is one of the South Island's most popular climbing destinations... and with good reason. There are around 200 lines on steep, solid limestone surrounded by native bush, great Tasman Bay weather, a couple of swimming holes and the camping ground just 100m away. Most of the routes are between 18 and 25 with a handful at higher or lower grades. There are a few natural lines, but the majority are bolted. Paynes is popular all summer, paticulary over Xmas/New Year. It's one time of the year you might have to queue for a climb. For anyone planning to climb in the South Island, it's a must do. There are a few very nice pix of Paynes Ford at this site On colder days, many climbers retreat to the sun at the seacliffs in Pohara, a 10-minute drive from camp. Both the seacliffs and Paynes Ford have a decent selection of routes overhanging enough to be climbable even in the rain! Paynes is still a decent winter destination, and with Hangdog's bunkhouse providing ample shelter and warmth, don't rule out a winter trip to this area. Please stick to the established tracks in the Reserve. Some of the climbing is on private land, and we don't want to cause any access issues for those who worked so hard to make Paynes what it is today. The track numbers are listed in descriptions for different sections of the crag. |
| Nearest town or city: | Takaka |
| Directions: | Take SH60 over the Takaka Hill from Motueka. If your car is prone to overheating, take water! It's a hell of a hill. Paynes Ford is about one hour past Motueka, before you reach the township of Takaka. (You can't miss Takaka hill, it's the one with 365 corners on it. I'm not kidding.) Before the township of Takaka, and after you drive over the Paynes Ford Bridge, look for the Paynes Ford Recreation Reserve on the right side. Just past that parking lot is the (strange) sign for Hangdog Camp, the climbers campground and a great source of information (as well as gear rentals and guidebooks).
Please don't camp in the parking lot or by the river. Hangdog Camp is a wonderful resource for climbers, and a great place to hang out, and you're only a three minute walk further from the crag. |
| Latitude, Longitude: | |
| Access Issues: | |
| Camping: | Pay |
| When to Climb: | |
| Quantity of Climbs: | Year |
