Wave Wall Rock Climbing

A great setting and the blowhole on the hike in makes for an added bonus.

The Wave Wall is another 10 minutes of scrambling past the Seahorse (30 minutes total from the car) and offers a variety of long, high quality routes.  It goes into the shade about 2pm in March. Unfortunately, it is only approachable during calm to moderate seas. Boots and gloves recommended for this approach.   Since carrying a clip-stick on this approach is difficult, the first bolt will be reachable from a good stance.

Park as for Orange Cave and hike across to the Seahorse, far east tip of the island. Here is the test: if you can’t pass below the Seahorse (i.e oceanside of the pinnacle), even by timing your crossing between waves, it’s pretty certain you won’t be able to safely cross the sloping rock shingle beyond either, so do not continue with the planned climb at Wave Wall.

Once past the Seahorse pinnacle scramble through a boulder field at mid-height (cairns) and come to a section of sloping rock with the overhanging wall on the left and the water on the right (photo). Even moderate waves can make this section dangerous!  When the sea is calm, walk low to the last large shelf (~100m) and it’s 2nd class.  Moderate seas, stay halfway up the slope on dark rock: 3rd class.  Big seas, stay on the white rock: 5th class!

IMPORTANT: If you get trapped by big waves climb Jumbo Shrimp (10c extension to Reef on This (10d) and Parrot Preserves (10d)) to the top of the bluff. Then walk away from the edge, on a 20 degree angle to the right, about 200m to a road. Turn left on the road, and walk about 1.5 miles to the Lighthouse Rd, passing a goat farm and a gate along the way. At the road, go left again to a round house for help, or follow Peter’s Road down to Spot Bay.