NZAT 2026 Intake Weekend
- Imogen Potts
- 2 days ago
- 5 min read
This year, the NZAT took a different approach to selecting the new intake of mentees. Plan A was for a weekend of climbing in the Darrans, but with a wet forecast looming, the decision was made to shift to Lake Hope in the Remarkables and focus on route development instead.
By Thursday afternoon, the five prospective mentees- Owyn, Reon, Isaac, Tim and myself (Imogen) - were excited. We were joined by Dan, Llewellyn, Lionel, Mason and Henry. Our bags were packed with drills, batteries, 50 bolts and kit for three days. Starting up Wye Creek, it was hot and I felt harshly reminded of the lack of rest days I had taken. With some of the team stuck in traffic, we headed for South Wye in staggered groups.
Reon, Tim, Dan and I were the first to arrive around 7pm. Thankful for the drop in temperature, we racked up and headed for a route called Space Jam, a four-pitch route with a stellar-looking roof crack at the top. I was buzzing- I had been in a crack deficit here in New Zealand. Reon, Tim and I topped out before dark, and the rest of the group squeezed in a few pitches before descending by headtorch. Dan had already headed off to the bivvy, being the only person who actually knew where it was, leaving the rest of us with the instructions: “It’s up the creek and to the left about 20 minutes.” Forty minutes later, we were feeling somewhat sandbagged and wondering where he was. Eventually, we found the bivvy and tucked in for the night.
Friday morning and conditions were looking good. We packed and kept going up the valley towards Lake Hope, with the quality of the rock improving the higher we went.
By late morning we were scoping lines and split into groups. Mason, Owyn and Isaac headed off trad questing. They started with a 20m creekside boulder, putting up two variations of a hand crack, both at grade 16. Making quick work of it, they eyed off a steep-looking crack on a crag they named the Crack House. Isaac sent, grading it 25. They tried a harder line next to it, thinking it might go at 27.
Reon and Henry headed for a wall with five existing routes bolted by Dan and Merry in 2020 and completed three more lines- two at grade 20 and one at grade 21.
Further up the hill, Tim, Llew and I found ourselves under a clean, vertical black face. I led up the side via an easy access pitch to the top of the cliff, where Llew talked Tim and I through the practicalities of bolt placement and route choice. We drilled an anchor and fixed our ropes. Tim chose a mixed line on the right-hand side of the wall and began placing bolts and gear, resulting in a mixed grade 19 route with two bolts.
Llew and I headed down the main face. This was my first time putting up a new route, so Llew guided me through the process. We took the hammer and crowbar and got to work. The wall was already fairly clean, so it didn’t take long and it was ready. I placed my first bolt under Llew’s watchful eye and nine bolts later, it was done and I was frothing. Coming down for a quick break, I looked down the valley and saw bright jackets scattered across the crags. It all felt a bit surreal. Never had I been on a trip with so many motivated people getting after it, let alone putting up new routes. It was awesome.
I had a burn and found the climbing techy and hard, and learnt that my bolts were, in fact, bomber. Llew had a go on top rope, not wanting to take the FA, and made it look far too easy. I had another shot and fell off again.
As the light faded, we met back at the bivvy for dinner. It was a great spot, tucked under the crags next to a waterfall. The collective psych was high. We had put up nine routes that day and still had another full day ahead.
Saturday morning was cold and windy. Reon and Mason were on a mission to go multi-pitching on a nearby peak above Lake Hope. Making short work of it, they put up two routes: one on the southwest face, grade 16 and six pitches. They then went for another line they had spotted on the northeast face, resulting in a three-pitch route at grade 20.
Henry and Owyn headed back up for another shot at the crack overhang, but struggled in the cold. Llew, Isaac and I decided to attempt a warm-up on one of the existing routes. We succeeeding doing the exact opposite and finished the route with numb hands and feet. We decided that bolting in the morning and waiting for it to warm up to climb later in the day might not be the worst idea. My stomach was giving me grief, so I headed back to the bivvy to make a hot nalgene. Isaac and Llew headed up to the black wall from the day before and picked out an epic, steep line on the left-hand prow.
Tim and Dan eyed off another clean, mostly vertical face with a small roof. Tim picked a line and started bolting.
Feeling slightly warmer, Henry and Owyn headed slightly further up the valley. They climbed a two-pitch route: the first pitch with varied, well-protected climbing and a #2-#3 splitter. After bolting a belay at 30m, they continued up a second pitch through a run-out corner/seam to a steep crux bulge, bolting a belay at the top.
Tim finished his line and Owyn joined him for a go. The result was a 40m grade 23 with 10 bolts and optional cams in the roof.
Emerging from the biv, I headed back for another go at my line. I got through the crux and reached the start of the good holds near the top. My foot slipped and I fell. I tried again and fell at the second-last bolt. I was feeling a bit disappointed, but it was hard to feel negative in an environment like this. I gave it one last burn and was gassed. Llew took the lead and floated up, giving it 25.
Left of the line I bolted, Henry had a go at the prow, now a mixed line with bolts and a single 0.4. He punched through a powerful crux and sent it first go. He called it grade 26. We think he’s a sandbagger.
Further up the hill, Owyn and Isaac scoped a traversing line under a roof. Owyn did a smooth ground-up ascent, placing two bolts on lead and an anchor at 30m.
By the end of the day, another seven routes had been established.
Sunday morning, we packed our bags and started the descent. The energy was high. Over the weekend, we established 16 new routes of varied styles and grades, learnt a lot of new skills, got some great climbing in on quality rock and got to know each other a whole lot better.
A big thank you from the new intake of mentees to Llew, Dan, Lionel, Mason and Henry for their time and patience. We’re stoked to be part of the team.
For PDF of route topos, click below:
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