The Tombstone

The hospital flat and diamond lake area in Wanaka is a climbing mecca of NZ. As you drive into the area you are met with a wide open plane with endless possibilities for rock climbing. One particular feature here is the Tombstone, it immediately captures the eye and governs all attention. Well that's at least what Jake thought and other climbers alike. The Tombstone was the first climb in the Hospital Flat area climbed in the 1970's by Owen Cambridge & Grant Gillespie. Since the start of the 80's the area has been developed by many different people to bring well over a 1000 different routes of varying technical skill and and hardness.
The crags here are all made up of schist, a rock created from metamorphosed sediments, characteristically black or green it has seams of quartz and beautiful cracks making for some absolutely amazing climbing.Read more