Helicopters, Jetboats and Canyoning. Wilkin Valley

Canyoning Adventure Recipie

Take one undescended canyon in the Wilkin Valley, add a Frenchman, two Kiwi's and a Yank. Stir in a helicopter, a jetboat, wild scrub bashing on rappel and let simmer for about 11hrs. Garnish with clear blue skies and hammer drill dust then serve with a healthy dose of the unknown....

Ira and I found ourselves swept us as willing participants (self loading baggage) on a first descent mission planned by the rather keen local duo of Jethro and Alain.

With a perfect forecast, we flew from Makarora to the head of the canyon in a Hughes 500. Harvey Hutton was going to land us on a prow on the true right just before the canyon descended steeply to the valley floor, but Alain protested and got us dropped off futher up valley towards the rather large top waterfall.

Jethro and Alain powering uphill to the top waterfall

In an instant the helo was gone and we were left with silent, still warm tussock tops and snow patches as company. We climbed for 15 minutes to the top waterfall and began finding the spot to place our first anchor.

Alain inspects the top drop

Seeing most of the upper section clearly, Jethro suggested that we simply walk around most of it and get in lower down where it looked like things began to get properly interesting.

All four wandered down hill searching for a suitable entry point, but Alain was most successful finding a steep entry point which wasn't actually that far beneath the top drop.

Trying to find a way into the canyon lower down

About 40mins of quick scrambling brought us to the section below our inital landing point, 2hrs after nearly being dropped off there.

Scrambling down canyon beneath the top waterfall

It was midday. We were supposed to be here by 8.30am according to the orginal plan. The jetboat pickup was scheduled for 6pm, earlier than the 8pm we'd hoped for..... Things were shaping up well for an epic.

Our first rappel in the canyon

The canyon descended in a series of beautiful waterfalls up to 50m high. We used natural anchors wereever possible, but placed a few bolts where there was no other option.

Chucky enjoying the water

The canyon threatened to slot up a couple of times, but only a few sections were slightly enclosed by rock. Escape was, however, a non possibility for the majority of the descent.

Alain and Ira

The old 'Canyoner dissapearing in waterfall trick'

The Kiwi Contingent; Jethro and Chucky

One bolt drilling session took quite some time as Alain tried to solve the soft rock problem safely.

Alain searches for good rock to drill

At the base of that fall, there was change in Geology; we got to endure some nasty boulderfields and downclimbs.

Time was ticking on and we weren't that hopeful about catching our jetboat if we continued in the canyon, so escaping on the true left, we radioed Wilkin Jets just prior to our 6pm pick up time.

There goes our ride...

On the Radio to the jet boat..

"We'll be down in about 1 hour"

"Well, I guess that means you'll be walking home"
"Perhaps we can do it in 40 minutes"....

So we bushbash-ran our way flat tack down hill, dodging cliffs as best we could. But before long we arrived at a bluff that we could not get around. We knew that we'd probably miss our lift, but got the rope out and began a series of 3 hideous vertical scrub bashing rappels to negotiate our way off the steep terrain.

On the flat again, we wandered out to the main Wilkin River. Jethro had gone on ahead for some reason, but as we saw him again way accross the Wilking Flats he was waving his arms and yelling. I listened... Somethign about 'a goat'? oh.. 'A BOAT!' so we began running as fast as you can run with packs, harnesses and full wetsuits.

Jethro had flagged down another jetboat and we all but dived head first into the back, so very relieved to have been saved a 14km walk in the dark..

What a sweet way to end an incredible adventure.