Featherston Bouldering Wall

--VENUE NEEDED!--
Kia ora supporters, and happy New Year!

Apologies we have been silent for so long. We’ve been doing a lot of work behind the scenes getting this project to a stage where we can begin fundraising.

We’re now at a stage where can begin raising funds to make this climbing wall a reality… however, we still do not have a confirmed venue!

So we are doing a call out to all our supporters and community members… do you know of a potential venue where the climbing wall could be housed?

Ideally the venue/location would allow for a climbing wall that is 7.2m wide and 3.6m high. Anywhere in the South Wairarapa would work, but ideally close to a town centre.

If you know of any sheds/barns/garages or other structure that could house a climbing wall of that size, please be in touch! We are open to leasing space if need be, and will factor this in to our fundraising and koha model for the wall once its open.

Climbing.. not just good for the body, but great for the mind also!

Grades boosted by school climbing walls Having a climbing wall in a school not only boosts children's climbing grade, there are amazing benefits to health, academic performance, and social skills as well. But not only that, it opens the door to an array of career pathways.

Introducing Team Member #3, Siv Fjaerestad!

Siv self-describes as a 'Bouldering Enthusiast & nerdy pink lichen rock loving type'. She writes:

"Growing up surrounded by mountains on the southwest coast of Norway, good things were generally found uphill and climbing in some shape or form was inevitably part of it. The view was often the ultimate reward.

In my teens began a lifelong love of bouldering – I found my place on the wall and a community. I saw that certain magic that happens when people, from the very wee to the older and wiser, traverse vertical surfaces (splattered in colourful holds). I'd really love to see our community benefit from this magic too.

Having a bouldering wall in the South Wairarapa is a dream worth fighting for and I'm here to lend my skills with funding, CLD, socially engaged practice – and whatever else is needed!"

Meet the team, Part 2:

Introducing the amazing Tiff North!

A community-minded type Tiff loves getting behind initiatives that benefit the people of Featherston.

Having had a taster of 'via ferrata' while travelling through Italy in her youth, Tiff has always enjoyed a climbing challenge although is new to the world of Bouldering. When project team member, Siv mentioned the plan, Tiff was straight on board ready to share her enthusiasm for an activity that is so accessible... not to mention fun.

Tiff is keen to add her event management, community connection and visual design skills to the mix to help make this asset to our recreation scene a reality.

Our first Olympian Climbers from Aotearoa!

Over the next week or two we’ll be introducing our project team, one person at a time.

First up: Will Watterson ( )
Will is a Featherston local who’s been climbing (both on rock and indoors) all over the world for over 15 years. A project manager by trade, Will’s true passion is climbing; rock walls, trees, anything really! (Perhaps he was a monkey in another life?)

He also loves sharing that passion with others and has worked as a routesetter, coach and competed in climbing competitions as well.

Will is supporting the climbing wall project by offering subject matter expertise in wall design and climbing coaching as well as providing a project management lense over the whole endeavour. He can’t wait to get this thing built and introduce South Wairarapa to the sport that captured his heart 15 years ago!

So what will our Bouldering wall actually look like??

Many of us have rock climbed using ropes before... perhaps at a YMCA camp, the Equippers wall in Masterton, or a climbing gym like Hangdog in Lower Hutt.

Whilst the dizzying heights of roped climbing certainly provides an adrenaline release, bouldering more than makes up in the variety and creativity it offers.

Our bouldering wall will use what's called a 'spray wall' layout, where every square inch of the wall is covered in climbing holds of all colours, shapes and sizes (the name is a tongue-in-cheek way of saying you 'sprayed' the entire wall with holds).

This layout allows for hundreds of thousands of potential hold combinations (and therefore unique climbs) on one wall. Combine that with a free app like 'Stokt', and before you know it the community is building its own catalogue of thousands of climbs. We can't wait!

What happens when you take some Featherston locals out of their natural habitat and take them bouldering? We did just that, and the dream of a bouldering wall in Featherston was born!

Help us build a Bouldering wall in Featherston! http://www.tinyurl.com/climbfeatherstonA group of Featherston locals have come together with a vision to construct the Wairarapa’s very first community Bould...

Thanks to everyone who participated in our hanging challenge at Wāhine Unite! on Saturday. We were blown away by the tenacity of all the participants. Special mention to twins Kaia and Zoe who left most of us in the dust… simply world class grip strength and endurance! Definitely future climbing champions in the making.