When we climb in the Castle Hill Basin, we have an ‘ice cream quota’. If someone climbs V7 or harder, we all deserve ice cream. This quickly slid to ‘trying V7 hard’, and expanded to include getting scared, and also not getting scared on scary boulders. In the 2025 season, we spent 45 days in the Basin, and deserved every one of our 45 ice creams.
KIRI
I was determined to have a mega Basin season after spending most of the previous year hangboarding in a moon boot. Green Hornet (V8) was the first of my old nemesis projects to go. Having run to reach it before the sun, I was still slightly out of breath when I pulled on. It went first go, which was slightly annoying – what had I been up to all those other sessions? Similarly, Porky (V8), another previous-season project, went second go this time. Ever Decreasing Circles (V9), a line of pockets near the bottom of Flock with a high and easy top out, also went down in a session.
My proudest project of the 2025 season was Oblique Strategies (V9). The crux is a deep lock-off on a razor crimp, followed by big gastons. Beautiful pockets lead into a committing solo. My first session was great – I was so close to pulling the crux. And so was my second session, and third, and suddenly I had been trying it for months. As frustrating as it was, battling it for so long gave me time to top-rope the solo until it flowed perfectly.
All these hours on limestone built my highballing confidence. Knowing if a foothold was going to stick and trusting my body allowed me to experience some of the Basin’s most beautiful lines. Highlights included Hell’s Half Mile (V5, the very best), Endorphin (V5), The Flutes (V4, the prettiest), and The Gold Coast (V3). I took some big falls off the intimidating but friendly Jaws (V7), and a few weird ones off Slam Funk (V6/7).
The approach to the Teapot (Prebble Hill) is a bit gnarly. There are narrow corridors, plenty of matagouri (a tangle-branched thorny native bush) and, depending on how high the river is, 2-4 river crossings. So it was extra frustrating to spend many weekends walking in just to drop the top of Conan (V9). It’s “the sort of climb one spends years dreaming about finding”: a perfect compression boulder with no single hard move, just a lot of trying hard. In the end, I just didn’t have the power endurance, but it’s high on the list for this year.
TOM
For me, the theme of the 2025 season was returning to old projects – being two years stronger and a much better climber after my Canadian hiatus plugging cracks. My old projects Acapulco (V11), Full Monk (V11/12), Captain Sassy Direct (V11), Seduce and Destroy (V11), and Everything’s Gone Green (V12/13) all went down, each in one or two sessions last year.
I also returned to the ultra classic Fatal Flaw (V13), a route that I have plenty of history with, including many sessions falling off the last move. Last year I put it away in just my second session.
There were lots of new projects in 2025 too, the most memorable and the highlight of the season being Ambient. Established by ‘bazooka’ Joe Dravitski in 2023, this ungraded highball climbs the tallest face on one of the biggest boulders at Flock Hill, and may be the most aesthetic line in the Basin (and therefore the world). After a short session on the rope I had done all of the moves and spent my second day taking many spills off the high crux. I topped out the boulder in my third session, in a magical moment with the setting sun.
I also climbed some first ascents last year. Right next to Ambient is a traversing climb called Bank Machine – I started here and climbed directly upwards over a crux bulge and and a long exposed solo up a pocketed runnel, which I called ‘Overdraft’ (V7). I climbed a new direct finish to Oblique Strategies too (while waiting for Kiri to send) and a tall topout slab to Lost for Words (V9++), a route that had previously been traversed off to finish.
My favourite FA and another highlight of the 2025 season was climbing the project dubbed ‘Uncontrollable Urge’ at the Teapot. A beautiful tall rounded boulder, with a techy kneebar crux and high insecure mantle topout. I called it ‘Tales from Earthsea’ after the beautiful film from Studio Ghibli. I suggested the grade of V11 for this one, but I really have no clue. It felt much easier when I finally climbed it, but the boulders here often do. Someone should repeat it this season and let me know!
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Climbing in Castle Hill Basin?
The Basin’s soft, porous limestone polishes easily. Please protect these precious boulders by washing holds with water and a soft toothbrush* to remove any shoe rubber, dirt, and chalk. Avoid climbing on already-polished rock to give it a chance to recover.
*Cleaning kit included with Uprising Outdoor Pad Rental