Paines Ford

Over 220 bolted routes spread over 20 individual walls, ranging from cruisy slab runs to gnarly roof grunts, from the cool bush-covered short and sweets to wickedly exposed sustained epics.

Whatever you like, you will find it. The rock is a hard limestone which will likely introduce a new climbing style to many experienced climbers and give anyone a healthy appreciation of the sloper.

The grades range from the sweet beginner’s grade 12’s to a bunch of acclaimed 28’s and 29’s for the superhero’s out there. Paines’ grade forte is the early and mid 20’s with a star-studded line up of 22’s-26’s. Up until the mid ’90’s it was a bit limited in terms of lower grade climbs, but in the last 20 years it has had a bunch of superb beginner’s routes uncovered, making it a popular spot for many outdoor rec and school groups.

All of the walls are mere minutes from the river for those summer days when the gravity metre is up and you need a refresher. There’s also nothing like an early morning dip to get you amped for that breakfast ascent.