Author(s): Kiwi Track and Guides Limited Staff (Contribution by)

NZ - Guidebooks | Fitness/Sport

Mount Owen limestone varies considerably across the areas described in this guide.

The faces are generally featured with sloping blocks and edges and the odd tufa or flowstone. Rock can be prickly sharp like the cauliflower rock on some climbs in Fyfe River Gorge, pure blank friction like the slabs of Sanctuary Dome or razor sharp like some pitches on the marble-like walls of Staircase Crag.

More than half the climbs in this guide are in Fyfe River Gorge. Climbers have been active here for over 15 years and the Intergalactic Wall now offers some of the toughest steep limestone test pieces in New Zealand.