Crag day, baby.

Singlets, sunshine, and rock climbing in the middle of winter? No way, right?

Wrong.

Nat (my partner) and I had the pleasure of experiencing rural North Island New Zealand at its best, as we spent some time on the sun baked crags at Wharepapa South.

Nat enjoys the sunshine on a moderate grade arête

Merely a 2.5hr drive south of Auckland, Wharepapa South offers some of the best and most accessible climbing in the North Island. As a first-timer to Castle Rock crag, I was blown away.

Regardless of whether you're an seasoned rock-jock or a first-time crag dawg, Castle Rock has something for everyone. A huge range of routes ranging from easy grades around 12, up to the brutally difficult mid-high 20s.

Wharepapa South is only a short 20min drive from Cambridge