Highest drop 28m
Public access
6-7hrs
Plenty of variety: high jumps, low technical jumps, perfect slides, back to back absiels and beautiful narrows.
This canyon is fully described in the Canyoning in NZ guidebook.
Guidebook updates:
R3 anchors have been completely ripped out by a flood. Alternative descent by climbing to TL rim, and scrambling down to rappel back to the R4 pool.
Slightly higher flow than last time I was in. The access track is poorly marked and we spent as much time bush bashing as we did following the intermittent pink markers.
Replaced the webbing on a number of anchor stations. 1x new bolt on R3 (TR above old bolt holes) it could do with a second bolt but we didn’t put one in as it would be good to have a proper anchor station (chain) so didn’t want to put the second bolt in the wrong place. One of the bolts on R5 is loose and just spins when trying to tighten.
Mather could definitely do with some love from a keen crew to replace some bolts and maybe put proper steel anchor stations in.
Next team who knows how to properly replace the webbing linking the anchors should take 15m of sling to do the job. Quite a few of the bits of webbing are in dire need of replacement (recognized some from 5 years ago….)
R3 anchors are completely ripped by a flood. A new set could go nicely on the huge boulder, right of center. Scramble down on the TR wall to a nice stance. Room for a good DBA on the mossy top surface of the boulder, with good lines of absiel, no rope rub and easy retrieval!
The trees on the TL won’t last forever (small ones near the edge!)
Big tree fell in on R4, but its not too much of a problem if you stay TL of it.
There’s trees down in the line of the R6 pitch. Would be a bit ugly in high water, but easy in normal or less water..
A huge slip came in from the TL near the end of the middle section, pretty impressive to see, but didn’t effect the canyon.
A few anchors looking a big worse for wear, but nothing that stops a descent… If you feel generous and have some 10mm stainless ring hangers, there’s a few rusty maillions which ought to be changed out!
Classic canyon for sure, a bit of TLC will keep it awesome!
A crew replaced the damaged bolt in early january
Update from Boulvert Renaud 14 December 2019.
One of the bolts on R7 has been damaged and was removed. If you have the skills and equipment to replace that bolt to create a suitable 2-bolt anchor, please do so!
Update from Ben Ellis, March 2019.
J 6m btween R6 and R7 (upper section): We believe a small section of the canyon has fallen in. A few large rocks are visible from a small slip out of the photo on TR. Anchors all OK but J 6m was shallow (more of a down climb).
– R14: Top bolt spinning in hole