Routeburn Canyon
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| | Raps:10?, max ↨105ft
Red Tape:No permit required Shuttle:None Vehicle:Passenger | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Condition Reports: | 6 May 2016?
"extracts from Facebook posts, click link for full details (privacy restrictions may apply). " I found a watch in Routeburn canyon today. If youve |
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| Best season: | jan-mar (avg for this region)
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-44.7087, 168.2578
-44.7193, 168.2782
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Introduction
Bridal Veil Falls / Routeburn canyon is a great day out. It comprises two parts, an upper section and a lower section. The lower section is commercially guided and starts at the bridge crossing the creek.
Please be considerate of commercial trips that may be in the canyon. Consider talking to Canyon Explorers in Queenstown to check if they will have a group running through.
Approach
- Park at the Routeburn Canyon track head (-44.71934, 168.27822)
- Walk along Routeburn Track until you reach the bridge (-44.71934, 168.27822) crossing the creek that is fed by Bridal Veil Falls (which is much further upstream and you do not descend).
Lower Section
Just drop-in at the bridge. You will see bolts near the bridge on both the river right and river left.
Upper Section
- Back-track on the Routeburn trail 5m, a faint track starts (blue arrow marker on tree).
- Follow the faint footpad up on the river left until you eventually reach approx -44.70868, 168.25785 (start-ish of the upper section where you can don wetsuits).
- There should be the occasional bit of tape marking the route up but don't be surprised if you loose the track... particularly as you reach the start point.
Note: there's a section of the Upper approach which has bolts and a fixed line installed. Sometime in previous years a tree got caught in this fixed line, leaving it hanging. There is now an unprotected exposed scramble section - which ideally one person climbs and sets a temporary rope for the rest of the group. This old line should really get cut free, and a new line installed. Future parties please consider bringing 20m of rope to re-rig this permanently!
Descent
Upper section
- ~10m, bolts, river right into pool (wade across)
- ~20m, bolts, river left to ledge
- maybe a shoot slide but can down climb on river right
- ~10m, bolts, river right to pool
- ~32m, bolts on river right at edge of "infinity pool". Overhanging abseil down to low grade shoot/slide... can done with with 60m rope if you are careful about how you come off the rope and hold on to pull side as you transition to slide (pitch can be split, single bolt on intermediate ledge ~half way down)
- ~20m, bolts, river right down sloping slab
- ~3m slide that you can easily accidentally just walk past into shallow pool
Lower section
- Starts with a ~8m drop (bolts, river left)
- Proceed down canyon. Lot's of little drops and interesting things to do.
- There is more metal in this section than a smelter! Bolts everywhere.
- Anything that is remotely spicy can be bypassed. Lots of hand lines for all the guided ducklings.
Exit
- After the last abseil walk down the creek a little bit and find a path in the forest on the left bank of the river.
- Follow it until you hit Sugar Loaf Stream. Then:
- Walk up Sugar Loaf Stream to get back to Routeburn track. Enjoy the manicured track back to car.
- If flow permits, float down the river, and climb out at the overflow parking lot.