Rock climbing on the rise in Northland with reopening of indoor wall

Northland Climbing Club President Emma Campbell at the newly reopened climbing wall at Kensington Stadium. Photo / Michael Cunningham

Almost five years of "hounding" has paid off for Whangārei climbing enthusiast Emma Campbell.

She's finally got the indoor rock climbing wall at Kensington Stadium up and running again.

The wall - owned by Sport Northland, but operated and maintained by NorthTec - has been out of action for almost six years.

This has meant the likes of Monique Gray, who won the Year 7 girls' rock climbing
competition at the AIMS Games in 2018 and is a national champion, has had to practice on her own rock wall at home in Ngunguru or go down to Auckland to practice there.

It's a situation that was galling Campbell so, after four or five years of hounding Sport Northland, the charitable club she set up — the Northland Climbing Club - has taken over running the wall. It was finally reopened for the first time last Thursday evening.

Campbell said she knew others shared her frustration at the wall being closed and, after setting up the club, it signed a memorandum of understanding with Sport Northland and the wall is back in action.

She initially set up a Facebook page to gauge support and with almost 500 followers decided to take things a step further about a year ago.

''We held an open day at Sport Northland for anybody who may be interested in the wall reopening and we had over 30 people turn up. It was a good response and showed there was a lot of interest,'' she said.

''So we set up the club with a seven-member board of people, with most of them experienced and qualified climbers. We've got a national champion up here (Monique Gray) who has had to go to Auckland once a week to practice on their wall there, and while Whangārei Boys' High School has a small indoor wall, we really need this bigger one so our climbers have a good wall to climb on.

''And who knows how many more national champions we may have up here who have never had the chance to climb on this wall.''

With sport climbing now an Olympic event, there is major worldwide interest in the sport, but most countries have climbing training.

''I know my kids are so pleased to have it open and I'm so excited to have it open for them and others who want to climb.

"Kids love to climb and this is an ideal place for them to do it safely but with a good challenge to suit all levels of skills.''

Initially, the club will climb at the wall on Thursday evenings, but Campbell said they hope to also be open on Tuesday evenings and, if there's demand, on Sunday afternoons, too.

''We don't mind anybody wanting to come along or have a go, and hopefully, we can find another national or Olympic champion from Northland.''

To have a go at rock climbing email northland.climbing.club@gmail.com