The Youth Are Getting Restless

Lots of talented younger climbers have been making the most of summer holidays to get out on some testing rock climbs, with impressive results.

Jake Townshend (21) has returned from time in Australia to resume hostilities with Colossus (33). He got the tick this time and also climbed The Giving Tree (31), Tantalus (28) and The Whore Of Babylon (29), all at the Babylon crags in Fiordland. In Wānaka, he also climbed Vasoconstrictor (31), at Al Cap.

Becca Hounsell (17) has been unstoppable in competitions lately and this form has translated well onto outdoor rock in Fiordland, with ascents of Fuel (29), No Country For Old Men (29) and Buster Milford (27). 

Sophia Cook (16) also climbed very well on a trip to Fiordland, redpointing No Country For Old Men (29).

The irrepressible Enzo Murray (19) has also been tearing through harder climbs, completing New Testament (34), Xena (33), Requiem (31), Euphrates (29) and Smoke (28). He was joined by the not-quite-so-young Isaac Buckley on Smoke and Requiem. Their ascents of Requiem are likely the first since 2011 and are potentially the second and third ascents of the unfairly-neglected Smoke. Isaac also climbed Euphrates (29).

Henry Booker (19) took a quick break from alpinism to climb Fuel (29) and Tantalus (28), further pushing his case as already one of this country's best allrounders.

The Chinn family of Christchurch were also in Fiordland, with Oliver (16) climbing Prowess (29) and Katie (14) ticking both Moses (27) and Sick Bro (27).

Not quite so far south, Phoebe Kenderdine (20) made short work of the epic Vasoconstrictor (31), at Wānaka's Al Cap. This route also received ascents by Wānaka local heroes Jan Vymetal and Marc Lesaicherre in recent times.

Further north, Kiri Shibahara (19) climbed Bogus Machismo (29) at Christchurch's Cave.

Also at the Cave, Liadan Dickie (20) climbed Dracula (31).