Big pitches, some of the highest water levels in the region, big jumps, full-day out… This is one of the region’s best canyons.
5hrs
45m max pitch (3x50m )
Public access (courtesy call to CANYONZ requested before your trip 0800 422 696 )
SG has been an established canyoning route for a long time. Its quality, proximity to Auckland, ease of access and bolted anchors means that it is getting a large amount of attention from people who may not have the right skills. There have been many rescues for parties stranded or overdue, and one fatality during a high water descent.
Sleeping God is a moderate to hard canyoning adventure, that requires canyoning skills, experience and the correct equipment.
At the minimum, there must be two people with sufficient canyoning experience in each group.
Sleeping God is NOT a canyon to ‘try’ as your first canyoning trip. True, many people who perhaps shouldn’t be there manage to get through, but doing so without the right gear and skill is certainly asking for trouble. There are other trips in the region (such as Wentworth Falls) that are much more suited to first time canyoners.
Commercial trips are run by CANYONZ almost daily. If you’re unsure about your skills, there’s no better way to learn, than to go with a guide!
Flow & gauge
Kauaeranga River – Smiths Cableway gauge
This gauge provides a good feel for the general levels in the area.
Please include the gauge reading for any trip reports you do, to helpe develop a bit of a correlation between flow in the river, and flow in the nearby canyons.
WHAT A CANYON. Incredible canyon to get the opportunity to play in and lucky to have the legends at Canyonz to maintain anchors for all to use.
Heres a couple hot tips for anyone heading down for the first time:
1. You must bring a minimum of 100m of rope of which more than 50m must be one single static line. For example I take 1x 70m and 1x 45m with me. I dont ever abseil on the 45m as its retired canyon rope but is only used to pull down the 70m.
2. If you have more than 6 people, you must bring a 45m (or longer) static rope ON TOP OF the setup listed above under “1.” This is as the rebelay ledge between R2 & R3 isn’t big enough for more than 5 or 6 people to sit on. Instead do R2 & R3 by using the 3rd rope on R3 so party members can come down R2 and swap straight onto the R3 rope to continue to the bottom of the waterfall without stopping on the ledge to re-rig.
3. Minimum gear for group members is:
– 2x safety lanyards + 2x biners
– figure 8 or similar, atc’s are marginal, munters are out of the question.
– a biner or two spair
**Team leader/s must carry more gear than this and if you don’t know what that would be, then you probably should find an easier canyon or go with Canyonz**
4. Skills required:
– you must know how to rig a retrievable handline between 2 bolts.
– you must know how to rig a releasable line especially for R1, R2, R6, R7, & R9 as you can’t easily see the bottom of these pitches.
– you must be competent with biner blocks or similar techniques to retrieve your rope after each pitch. No twin roping.
– Understand depth checking
– Whistles are a must as is a plan for when to use them
– Good rope management, minimal tail in pools, proper stacking/flaking, etc.
My go to rigging for each pitch is:
R1: 10m HL (handline) + MMO (munter mule overhand) @30m + BB (biner block)
R2: BB @35m
R3: MMO @45m + BB
R4: BB @ 10m or jump
R5: BB @ 17m
R6: (MMO @ 34m for TR) (8m HL + MMO @ 32 for TL) + BB
R7: MMO @ 45m + temporary deviation (often a quickdraw) if using permanant zipline + BB
R8: BB @ 14m or jump
R9: MMO @ 15m + BB
5. Full wetsuits required. Bring a drybag of warm clothes, headtorch, first aid kit, etc as it doesn’t need to be an emergency to need extra clothing…
6. Appropriate footwear is required, rock is extremely slippery in places, as is the log at the bottom of R6… maybe I’m writing from experience 🙂
Check flows are right. If you cant keep your feet dry under the tree when crossing the Kauaeranga at the start of the billygoat track, then I suggest its too high for a first time down. Below 6.2m on Smiths Cableway gauge is good for a first lap in my opinion.
Hope this info is helpful.
Happy canyoning, hope to see you out there!
Olly
No idea how we even managed to make it to the start of the canyon. Probably took the wrong trail that we assumed was the billy goat track. 1:30hrs in we reviewed gps and decided to follow a stream that eventually lead to the scramble down to the first rap. No complaints with anchors and fixed traverse lines make it easy to stay safe. Exit was smooth sailing all the way downstream to the bridge. Completed with 80m and 60m ropes. Attempted a courtesy call with Canyonz but didn’t answer our phone.
Thanks for the info en support from Canyonnz, great crew!
Big fun canyon, a lot of variation in the abseils, awesome trip.
Always a great day out in Sleeping God. Cheers Canyonz for the timely correspondence regarding tour group times so we can stay out of the way. Took longer than on the topo, enjoying the jumps and slides.
After getting our rope stuck on the TR anchors on R6 last time we managed much better using the anchor on true left of the waterfall – handline necessary from the true right anchor.