Highest drop 100m (2x70m ropes)
8h15m
Public access
Some pleasant waterfalls interspersed with boulder hopping. The drawcard is two 100m+ waterfall sequences in a row.
| Start of the canyon (topomap link): | http://www.topomap.co.nz/NZTopoMap?v=2&ll=-42.833153,171.640005&z=15&pin=1 |
| Carpark (google maps link): | https://goo.gl/maps/M9vzysNgiDRMGhHq6 |
| Rock: | Greywacke |
| Anchors: | Single 10mm stainless tru-bolts with ring hanger and natural |
| Approach time: | 3hrs30mins |
| Descent time: | 3hrs30mins |
| Back to your car time: | 1hr15mins |
| Approach by car: | Drive up SH73 and park at the Deception footbridge. |
| Access: | Public access |
| Approach on foot: | Race the runners training for the Coast to Coast up the Deception until you hit Spray Creek, approx. 6km up the valley. Head up the spur on the southern side of Spray Creek. At the bottom this is very steep and there are some bluffs to avoid, but it does flatten off. At the scrub line, veer slightly left to pick up the edge of the canyon, and follow this until a gully is reached at about 1000m. Descend this into Spray Creek. It would be possible to enter Spray Creek earlier, but this may require rapping from trees. |
| Canyon descent description: | Between the waterfall sections, there is quite a bit of boulder hopping to be done. R1 10m TR single bolt R2 15m TR bollard R3 15m TR single bolt R4 20m TL tree leads to hanging anchor for R5 20m TL single bolt leads to hanging anchor for R6 60m TL single bolt R7 25m TR single bolt leads to hanging anchor for R8 65m TR tree (this pitch really needs a bolt anchor in between the two falls beneath the roof to make a free hanging 65m rap. 1st descent team were not sure their rope would reach so took the safe option to the side). |
| Committment/Escapes: | Potentially escapable at a number of spots on the true left. |
| First descent: | John Harris, Tom Johns, Andy Hall. 22 November 2020 |
Images courtesy of John Harris.
