Airport Wall: New Zealand's First Big Wall Climb

Top New Zealand climbers and members of the New Zealand Alpine Team, Dan Joll and Karl 'Merry' Schimanski have both been looking at the Airport Wall in Fiordland for over 20 years. As a culmination of their careers as climbers, this is the story of patience, determination and perseverance. "Airport Wall" follows the unfolding of New Zealand’s first big wall climb.
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Official selection at the New Zealand Mountain Film Festival, and winner of the ‘Pushing the Boundaries’ award, Airport Wall shows what it takes to put up a 700m route, from the ground up, then send it. ‘Mile High Club’ is the first route on the wall, and was established in 2020. At 700m, 22 pitches, grade 26/27 (free climbing grade), “it’s a truly Kiwi experience.”
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Find out more about the New Zealand Alpine Team here: / nzalpineteam
Read more about the route here: alpineteam.co.nz/2020/mile-hi...
Cinematography by Gavin Lang
Editing & motion graphics by Break the Resistance
Visit our website:
www.macpac.co.nz/
www.macpac.com.au/
Follow us on our social channels:
Instagram: / macpac
Facebook: / macpac

[@sergiomarfoy]

You guys are amazing! The scenery is incredible. Your passion for climbing and NZ inspires us all.

[@MacpacLtd]

The New Zealand Alpine team are amazing all right! Super inspiring to all of us. Glad we can showcase some of the best of NZ through these films.

[@blessytulagan7382]

​@@MacpacLtdzz. ,

[@ronw7667]

Wonderful film! Just stumbled onto it. Thanks so much for making and posting. A couple of awesome and chill kiwis. Cheers and good climbing from Colorado, US of A, Rocky Mountains.

[@christianmcewen9436]

What a great challenge, nice to see big wall options opening up. Very inspiring film.

[@BradSkiNZ]

What a climb! And such epic mahi to get it done!

[@Naafun]

So epic! Great effort lads!

[@petesmith1]

Amazing work - great video too!

[@day2ra]

awesome, this is now a project!

[@Mdsde]

Milford sound was the greatest place I have ever had the pleasure of being to. I will be back, and I'll keep an eye out for the Airport wall!

[@pedrourcola6288]

You have to love these guys. Awesome job!

[@noodlesforbrekky]

You beauties, this film is so inspiring. We don't know how to climb yet, but one day baby...

[@MacpacLtd]

Come climb with us! Next time you're in CHCH ;)

[@davemacleod9623]

The "first big wall climb" was actually done by Stanely Costa et al on Mt Chaos Beans Burn 18 pitches a while ago, ground up using a mixture of aid and free and remains unrepeated.

[@shoutatthesky]

Doesn't count if it's aid climbing. You may as well just use ladders.

[@david-stephenmyles9539]

@@shoutatthesky what about drills?

[@shoutatthesky]

@@david-stephenmyles9539 Only hand drills count.

[@alanbischoff7977]

great that someone knows! yep, 700 m of free climb exempt for 1 pitch that can be free, probably not much more than 24/5. Bolts only on the rap stations and a comfortable ledge in the middle of the wall. Great rock quality, hope someone will fancy enjoying the tranquility of the Chaos Mt!

[@slartibartfast8k]

Guidebook "Queenstown Rock, Ice & Mountains" (2013?) lists Chaos Theory as Grade 5/19/A2+, 17 pitches, and says "To date, parties have descended from the top of pitch 17, however a continuation to the 1995m summit would be possible". Earlier in the guidebook it says FA in 2011.

[@stefanieparks2907]

Great film and LOVE that New Zealand scenery!

[@breaktheresistance]

Thanks Stef! Surely as epic as your running film will be ;)

[@stefanieparks2907]

@@breaktheresistance 😂👍💪

[@skyepeng6857]

What a great video! Big wall right on our backyard 😍

[@MacpacLtd]

Absolutely. Couldn't be a better spot for it 👌🏽

[@mozdickson]

Great vid. Really informative - a fellow Kiwi

[@RickyHarline]

Hell yeah. This is rad.

[@jacobmchenry3431]

Awesome video!

[@Bloomflyfishing]

Really cool guys. Well done

[@Rosstc88]

Wonderful!

[@jfree1074]

Wow what an amazing place. What type of stone is it, Granite? Absolutely gorgeous. Keep it going guys. Crazy place for a runway 😳 Good access though I guess for anyone traveling in to climb 😂 Great video.

[@Cabentung]

Great job, never thought that you can get a "not super rainy weather window" in Milford

[@tutokopou2817]

Awesome

[@Tubesession27]

brilliant.

[@JoshuaJohnsonOutdoors]

Superb. :)

[@markjagger6777]

🙌🙌

[@captaindoeverything]

that's why they call it adventure!

[@watchjakob7687]

good old ethics and spirit nice to see these days

[@fredm5245]

Do you recover all your hardware or have to leave lots insitu?

[@osullibr]

I wonder what Alex Honnold would make of this wall. This looks amazing.

[@Longtack55]

Waterblast it first.

[@leafdog6926]

He the only climber you know? 😂

[@aussieflintkapping]

​@@leafdog6926 you expect everyone to know a bunch of climbers names?

[@gregorymorss8178]

Any moment can beast as day ❤

[@timoti_makaurau7153]

"Every fine spell for pretty much 3 months we just came to Fiordland" - so all 3 of them?

[@newzealnadine]

Amazing but be better without the music :)

[@erikmardiste]

Nope

[@petenztube8592]

Im surprised that you can just go drilling holes in the rock wherever you like. Wouldn't you need a Resource Consent for making changes to the natural environment?

[@maximilianpierce5115]

name any other type of person that is ever going to be up there except climbers. bolting is a lot of work and expensive, if using removable gear is an option anyone will do that instead so let them bolt and keep their life safe when they have to

[@shoutatthesky]

It no doubt is illegal given DOCs stringent adherence to regulations in other areas. These guys don't really care about nature. They are just there for the thrill and everything else comes second.

[@Sir-Complains-a-Lot]

worst named wall ever

[@user-uy6uc5ey5q]

Not really, its typical New Zealand laconic naming. They look direct down on to the Milford Airport. If you check ou the alpine team site there a shot of one of climbers hanging while you can see the end of the runway.
New Zealands not really into fancy naming. North Island, South Island. Simple but accurate.