As the prominent front-facing field of the iconic Kura Tāwhiti Reserve [1], Spittle Hill serves as the historical heartland of New Zealand bouldering. Sculpted from 30-million-year-old marine limestone, its towering tors feature thousands of classic problems.
This previously private field was purchased in 2009 by the Nature Heritage Fund and added to Kura Tawhiti Reserve.[2]
Long before its establishment as a premier bouldering venue, this landscape held deep cultural significance. Positioned along traditional alpine trade routes, Kura Tāwhiti was an important mahinga kai (food gathering area) for early Māori and harbours 500-year-old charcoal rock art attributed to the Waitaha people. To safeguard these spiritual ties and ancestral values, the area was designated with Tōpuni status in 1998 under the Ngāi Tahu Claims Settlement Act. [3]
Local climbers try there best to minimise their impact while respecting the tapu nature of these sacred rock formations.
[3] https://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1998/97/en/latest/#DLM429090
4 recorded climbs.
| Year | Climb | Grade | Climber | Style | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | The Joker | 7C | Kazimierz Pucia | Boulder | worked | 1998 | |
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| 2000 | House of Pain | 7C+ | Boone Speed | Boulder | worked | 2000 | |
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| 2022 | Psilocybin | 8B | Alec McCallum | Boulder | worked | 15th Sep 2022 | |
| First ascent. | ||||||
| Climb | Grade | # Recorded Ascents | Ascents Recorded Between |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psilocybin | 8B | 1 | 15th September 2022 |
| House of Pain | 7C+ | 2 | 1st January 2000 – 1st January 2001 |
| Morse Code | 7C | 4 | 7th June 2006 – 7th December 2024 |
| The Joker | 7C | 1 | 1st January 1998 – 1st January 1999 |