October 7, 2009

Hollyford River: Marian Creek Run...all balls.

Grade: IV -V (P)
Level: Stompy.
Length: 8km
Gradient: 32 m/km
Fun Fact: Some rate this as the premier trip in NZ and the closest thing to domestic roadside hair boating.

Beauty. Balls. Boofs. This river has it all. Cutting through the outer worldly scenery Darran mountains deep in Fjordland National Park, the Hollyford River represents a true must do and easily one of the top classic rivers in the country. With beauty abundant in all directions, this section hosts steep challenging rapids usually requiring complex moves, lots of consequences, and endurance. 

With recent rains cushioning most of the area rivers, our crew of Chris, Tom, Ty, Tim, and I dropped into the Marian ready for just about anything and expecting a long day out. My river journal's notes in quotations below will suffice for the most adequate description of the run. 

"Five and half hours, lots of scouting, technically hard and physically a long day. Kiwi standard: steep and stout grade V rapids, walked three total rapids including one mandatory portage....." 



Photo: "S-Turn?" Various results.
Taken by AM


Photo: S-Turn: Chris wondering what kind of punishment is coming..
Taken by AM


Photo: S-Turn: Ty later labeled this line: "Pre-Piton and Spit Out."
Taken by AM

"Tons of wood and sieves.....probably much easier with local beta."


Photo: We lost our wood to the Hollyford.
Taken by AM


Photo: Idaho Ty finds his boof trigger. 
Taken by AM

"Tom broached, swam, and I missed him with a last attempt bag. He dropped over the next horizon line.."


Photo: Chris getting antsy with his triggers but eventually finding it.
Taken by AM

"Basically a hard day out, lots of great boofs, wood, sieves, undercuts and scouting. Seemed like one SUPER steep gorge that wouldn't fucking quit." 


Photo: The portages were seemingly hard as the rapids. Chris probably cursing.
Taken by AM


Photo: Chris and Ty taking our mandatory lunch and chill session. 
Taken by AM

"Come to first house sized boulder after some chill grade III, ran it, then the next huge sized boulder in river center is the proper mandatory portage. The portage is heinous as hell, use the road...." 



Photo: I'm deep, like my lines....
Taken by Thomas Strongman


Photo: Ty refusing to believe that we needed to get out again and look. 
Taken by AM



Photo: Chris and Tom, loving the mandatory final portage.
Taken by AM

"Challenging, exciting, and team building..."


Below Photo: Tom and I working through it. 
Taken by Chris Eastabrook




Photo: Done with this shite.
Taken by a group of dirty, tired, and stubborn boaters.

"We all said fuck it, we were at our ends, worn out, tired of scouting, and wondering when the hell the gradient would end. I said was I was going to bomb it and Chris nodded, getting into his boat as well. His faith and commitment were powerful. I was thankful. We agreed to charge in groups. We dropped in and were everywhere, rolling, boofing, blasting by each other, it was chaos, but thankfully, it was the last of the hard rapids. We found each other at the bottom pool, charged up, smacking each other in the back, screaming, reenergized and again ready.

Hollyford River: Falls Creek Section

Class: III - IV
Length: 2.5km
Gradient: 28 m/km
Hot Tip: Superb quality and adequate lubrication for the following section. 


Photo: Hollyford River Valley, Fjordlands National Park
Taken by AM

This section is one of the most aesthetically pleasing and enjoyable runs in the country. Fabulous scenery combined with non-committing and technically straight forward rapids lubricate the would be paddler for the following section. 


Photo: Chris Eastabrook splicing through some fantastic stuff. 
Taken by AM

The Falls Creek section of the Hollyford was mostly read and run class III and IV with great boofs, fun stomps, and as many rail slides as you could create. The whole short run being roadside only adds to the bonus of bombing through the bombay gin colored water and overhanging forest. A crew of Chris, Tom, Idaho Ty, random Limey #1, random Limey #2, and Timmy all dove into a new Fjordland region of New Zealand and a new fantastic  section of Kiwi whitewater. 


Photo: Pure Living. Falls Creek Section style.
Taken by AM


Photo: Boofing one of the few class IV's on the Falls Creek section of the Hollyford. 
Taken by Chris Eastabrook


Photo: Falls Creek has some gradient. 
Taken by Chris Eastabrook 

October 5, 2009

Kawarau River: Waitiri/Citroen Rapids



Class: IV (V)
Level: Class IV >300 cumecs, Class IV+ to V: >300 Cumecs (10,600 cfs)
Length: 3km
Gradient: 10m/km 
Fun Fact: Imagine a Kiwi Itunda.

Citroen defies the New Zealand rating system. A system based on technicality and true to most big water rapids, Citroen is simple, and few moves here, a couple there, and all, as they say down under, "Is a piece of piss."

Looking at the rapid for the first time however at 310 cumecs (roughly 11,000 plus cfs) puts a stout intimidation into a paddlers gut. Hearing rumors of that this thing changes dramatically at various water levels and is run literally ever which way by a variety of boaters from numerous skill levels, our crew of Tom Strongman, Chris Eastabrook, and I stood there, staring at the beast smiling. 


Photo: Hot 'n Heavy in the Middle. 
Taken by Chris Eastabrook

All of us engaged, taking various lines of attack with all favorable results. The most memorable feature of the experience was the giant crashing wave trains at the terminus of the rapid. Tucking and ducking, I was tossed into the natural washing machine thrown every which way, left eventually to roll up screaming and smiling. The goods were superb, proving to me that Kiwi whitewater didn't just include boulderbed creeking.  


Photo: Punching the terminal waves
Taken by Chris Eastabrook


Photo: Going deep. 
Taken by Chris Eastabrook

Kawarau River: Dog Leg Section in flood.

Class: III+ IV-
Level: Class III+ 100-400 cumecs, Class IV: >400 cumeces
Length: 7.5 km
Gradient: 4 km/m
Fun Fact: The local wine may be more exciting than the run. 


The best part of this section of river was the wine tasting before and after the run. Pumping full at 450 cumecs (roughly 16,000 cfs) our crew of Tim Johnson, Tom Strongman, Chris Eastabrook, and myself put on the Kawarau Gorge looking for a chill day. 


Photo: Bobbers in a muddy ditch. 
Taken by Jule Harne.


The only major rapid encountered on the flooded run was the pseudo crux namesake feature, Dog Leg. A mix of huge muddy wave trains and the avoidance of a few holes produced some cheap thrills. Twas an enjoyable introduction to a new region of New Zealand's South Island, the Otago. 


Perth River

Class: V
Level: 40 - 60 cumecs (1410 - 2200 cfs)
Length: 13km
Gradient: 20, 40, 50 m/km for the first 3km , 18m/km average from there after. 
Fun Fact: Classic hard West Coast boating.
Special Side Note: I added a few vulgarities in this posting to directly reflect my emotions and feelings throughout the run, if this offends the reader, too bad. Life sometimes hurts. 

"Boof yourself till you can't shit anymore." 

James Griffen told me the aforementioned after an enjoyable but rather taxing day on the Perth. My ego and lower extremities both felt those words for days after. 

Graham Charles, author of the last hundred or so editions of the New Zealand guidebook describes the first initial kilometers of the Perth as "outrageous", and it is.  Dropping 20 (105 ft), 40 (211 ft), and 5o (263 ft) meters for the first few kilometers, the Perth feels a lot like kayaking down a flight of ultra steep stairs. Atypical of Kiwi whitewater runs, the Perth is ridiculously beautiful: a steep, blue, schist ridden boulderbed run complete with a committing gorge. 

Photo: Top Gun ain't got shit on West Coast pilots.
Taken by AM

Putting in at Scone Hut after an exhilarating Hughes 500 helicopter flight, our team of James Griffen, JJ Shepherd, Steve, Sam Hughes, and myself readied ourselves for the run. Overhearing James and JJ laughing, then talking about "bombing it", began to ignite some already shaky nerves. 

We didn't stop, nor eddy. We boofed, boofed, and boofed more. After the first kilometer and watching rapid after rapid fly by, I knew the two veterans were fucking with the rest of us Perth virgins. 

I pinned horizontally amongst two rocks while making an easy ferry river right. Caught with my cockpit facing the upstream side of the river, it was no surprise the sheer force of the current blew my skirt in a matter of seconds. Trying to rock off the boulder mess amongst the water, I bailed out. 

Stuck on a rock trying to hang onto my boat and gear was seemingly impossible as I was subject to the power of the river. I ultimately lost control of my boat subjecting it to the will of the river. Thankfully, my fellow paddlers, all excellent boatsmen, noticed my plight instantly breaking into teams with one group attending me on my new home on a large boulder and the others chasing the boat. 

Being a relatively "chill" swim and subject to James continuous ridicule, I was surprised to see that the combination of hydraulic pressure and my own force bailing out shattered my back band straps, leaving me to fashion what I could out of some manky zip ties and cord.



Photo: This title should be, "I'm too damn focused on not messing up instead of documenting."
Taken by AM

Continuing downstream, battered but not completely beaten, I fought hard to maintain with the group and stay in control. 

No more than three boofs later I felt the makeshift back band again snap under the pressure of my hips, Control be damned, I was now in a fist fight. 

Nearing the end of a section of rapids, our team bombed through a large pourover requiring a cross current boof into an eddy. Sans technique, I put an upstream boof stroke in on the wrong side of the river, thus propelling myself into the hydraulic sideways. Penance resulted in a hard beating in one of the longest hole rides I've ever had, complete with more technical drops directly downstream. Control vanished.

It was a hard lesson. After a lot of recirculation, side surfing, and attempted loops, I was especially thankful to notice JJ exit his boat ready with a throw bag. Swimming previously once in the run, I was sure as hell not going to fail again, or surely suffer worse trying. 

The river finally released me kicking my boat and body into the moving water where I attained a quick micro eddy and caught my wind. Pissed at myself, apologizing to the team for putting them in such a position, I fought in that small place to regain my shit and find some sort of control. 

"Harden the fuck up Andy! Breathe. Just relax. In control." My mantra ran through my brain. After a few minutes of refocusing, I eddied back into the current, broken backband, refocused and determined to finish the run without incident. 

After a quick lunch, a seal launch portage, and some hard rapids we reached the end of the steep section and thankfully the beginning of the intermediate section. 

The second section of the Perth consists of some relaxed class III then the grande finale, a final steep and smooth walled in schist gorge hosting five grade IV to IV plus rapids, the highlight being a nice almost river wide twenty foot weir (low head dam). 

Making quick work of the gorge, our group enjoyed the rest of the run in various ways with me shaking my head at an off day on a West Coast classic. 




September 8, 2009

Whitcombe

Class: IV+ (V) V

Level: IV+ (V): 20 - 100 cumecs (700-3530 cfs)
    V: 100 cumecs plus

Length: 12.5km

Gradient: 14 m/km (31 m/km through Colliers Gorge)

Fun Fact: Henry Whitcombe, explorer and who the river was named after, drowned in the vicinity in 1865. Also, the Whitcombe was the first river for New Zealand's first "whitewater porn", shot on 35 mm film. 

On January 11th, 2009, Chris Eastabrook, Tom Strongman and myself took advantage of a sunny day and high water, choppering into the confluence of the Cropp River and the Whitcombe. At high water flows we found the river to consist of burly boulder gardens with a big water feel, definitely more stout but equally as enjoyable as we imagined. 


Photo: Chris Eastabrook on the entrance to some beginning class IV+.
Taken by AM



Photo: Tom Strongman cheating on a sneak line. 
Taken by AM

Taking our time to relish in the weather, river, and in gathering footage, we found the river to be of excellent quality. The crux of the run, Colliers Gorge, was quite stout given the level, in which we portaged two different rapids and had "spicey" lines throughout the rest of the major features. 


Photo: Chris entering Colliers Gorge. 
Taken by AM

It was to by my first of many rivers with Chris and Tom and in all the river went through without result, with each of us firmly believing in the guidebook's testament, "Never turn down a trip on the Whitcombe."



Photo: Chris probably yelling, "For the QUEEN!" in the first hole of Colliers Gorge.
Taken by AM


Photo: Chris ending the first long rapid of Colliers Gorge. 
Taken by AM


Photo: Chris Eastabrook, amongst it, Colliers Gorge.
Taken by AM


Photo: Chris and some Colliers Gorge flats.
Taken by AM



Photo: We called this as a tribute to the Kokatahi, "Boof and Fly."
Taken by Chris Eastabrook


Photo: Chris avoiding some sieves, undercuts, and bad stuff, final exiting moves of Colliers Gorge.
Taken by AM

I also ran the Whitcombe again as my final river while in New Zealand in late February. The second time was a much lower flow with paddling partners Patty McGregor, Brendon, Kiao, and a few other Canterbury Canoe Club members. 

September 4, 2009

Kokatahi River: Test Piece

Class: V (VI - P) 
Level: 6-12 cumecs at put-in. Additional tributary streams enhance flow.
Length: 13km
Gradient: 2 m/km  (40m/km through 3km middle section.)
Fun Fact: In the words of James Griffen, "It's all on like Donkey Kong!"


The Kokatahi is to date the hardest and most committing river I've paddled. Steep as hell, high in consequence, massive portages, technical, and full of sheer walled committing gorges with must run rapids, this watershed requires anyone to be completely focused and committed when in it's drainage. 

On January 7th, 2009, I was invited to join a crew of James Griffen, Gareth Fryer, Damian McAulay, Eden Sinclair, and JJ Sheppard for a high water run on the Kokatahi. Our team was ridiculously solid, all gentlemen being local paddlers sans JJ, whose now spent a decade plus annually down on the West Coast boating. That day, the crew informed me that this was the highest they've ever both seen the run flowing let along paddled it. 

As we choppered up the valley, I was amazed how the river just suddenly disappeared into the bush and darkness presenting the numerous gorges dotted throughout the run. In addition, I started to tell myself that it really doesn't look that steep only to glance over at the altimeter in the aircraft to witness the arrowed wheel spinning like a top. 

"Well, let's get amongst it mate." James whooped to me as we put-on. Making quick work of the read and run grade IV+, we found ourselves at "Cover Shot" a fantastic technical boof that required a tricky ferry and a lead-in/landing zone combo in between a few sieves. Myself, Eden and James were the only members of our crew to fire off the drop. 


Photo: "Cover Shot." With Eden running a bag.
Taken by AM

From "Cover Shot" the sketch factors sky rocketed as we bombed through numerous ranges of slots, sieves, and mank fields. The river began to steepen as we ran what we could, puked at some stuff, and portaged the rest taking our time to ensure excellent safety and decision making. Never had I been more impressed with a group's confidence, decision making, and safety focused paddling. 


Photo: Eden Sinclair firing true through some Kokatahi boogey water.
Taken by AM

Our first walled in gorge, aptly named "Carnage Gorge," after near death experiences by the guidebook writer Graham Charles and Bruce Barnes, required JJ as lead boat to run into the gorge as far as he could see to ensure it provided escape. A noteworthy piece of information that I'd learned ever so well whilst in New Zealand is the science of high rain areas and walled in gorges. The general rule in this part of the world is, unless you were there the day before, every trip is a first descent. 

With frequent heavy flash flooding and drowning as historically New Zealand's number one inflictor of death, it's no surprise to see the power of water versus geology on these rivers. Gorges silt out, boulders move, rapids change and while most of the stuff one is able to portage, a sheer walled gorge is a completely different story. On par with the West Coast, once one enters, you are fully committed to run all rapids. Climbing out or portaging most often due to the sheer granite walls of the cataracts is simply out of the question. 

Our team of local paddlers and Kokatahi veterans, I felt both extremely fortunate to be with a solid team that knew the river but also very surprised when I would hear, "Holy shit mate! That's changed." On a river of this nature, one NEED's local beta. We bombed into Carnage Gorge hot and heavy, making quick work of a few class V boofs. 



Photo: Eded pondering the possibility. 
Taken by AM

The river again steepened as the gorges began to reveal themselves seemingly at every turn. At this point, it took all of my energy to maintain my focus and attempt to hit every line. In the second gorge we came to a rapid called "Skateboard Ramp". 

As I was sitting in an micro eddy above the natural looking weir, JJ explained the line to me, "Okay, basically you go off the lip here sideways sliding into the small hole. It'll surf you towards that wall and under the "cave" thingy, just stay upright and don't get slammed against the wall. You'll be on a tongue at this point, just follow it out then crank a boof at the end to avoid a hole. At this flow, it'll probably be a big hole so hit that boof." 

Confused and now scared as all hell, I simply just took a deep breath and dipped over the lip, sideways, sure that I was to get my ass handed to me. Alas, all went well and while excited I wasn't yet in trouble, I remember launching down the tongue seeing a huge hole at the end and thinking, shit! I boofed, landed on the pile, and was completely back looped taking a small beating for my penance. Rolling up next to James and Gareth, we were all laughing like school boys as the rest came down the skateboard only to suffer the same consequences as I had. 



Photo: The "BIG" one. 
Taken by AM

Alas, came one of the many portages while on the Kokatahi. The "Big" one, is a pretty complicated rapid and much larger than it looks in the above photo. The drop consists of a lead in with some pretty unforgiving ledges complete with nasty hydraulics, then as one enters the meat, a hard rock slide required boof totaling around ten meters (thirty feet) to avoid a nasty hit at the bottom. It's one of those major, "Bring your genitals," drops. We all made a seemingly just as sketchy portage on river left on some nasty rock sliding cliff. My river journal regarding this drop sums it up well: "Pretty much manky as hell, would probably portage at any flow. Mishap would be terminal." 



Photo: Not today. 
Taken by AM


Photo: James loving the portage after the third of forth time he fell. 
Taken by AM

It was my ninth straight day of hard creeking and by the fourth gorge I knew my reserves were exhausted and I was fading fast. Rolling through some intermittent class IV,  James came up to me asking if I was "OK", knowing fully that I was tired and struggling with both the mental nature of the river and the exhaustive portages, rapids, and technical moves.  Alas, we both paddled together as he taunted my pain telling me to stay on his tail. 

The second to last gorge will forever be etched in my memory. As we entered and all waited in a small micro-eddy above, Gareth got of his boat to scout from a small rock. Looking at the drop, shaking his head, then looking back at our group, he smiled and gave the following hand signals:

1) Super Boof. (Hand meeting other hand and then maneuvering up towards the sky in accented motion) 

2) Fly. (Arms flapping side to side in huge gaping arcs) 

3) Huge Hole. (Fingers twirling together complete with Gareths face of total chaos then a death look, eyes bulging, head cocked towards one side.)

James looked back at all of us and said, "Did he just motion.... Boof and Fly?" We all nooded, ferrying out back into the walled in current, hearts pumping, and meeting a gigantic hydraulic at the end of sizable pour-over. We all took beatings but emerged just fine thankfully rolling up in a relatively calm pool amongst the sheer granite walls. 

The portages continued as we romped down the stomping Kokatahi. It was only then I realized how beautiful this river was. Numerous times while in the gorges I simply just looked up and refused to take out my camera. It was almost an insult to nature in capturing it forever. 

The final gorge and last obstacle was completely chocked full of boulders amongst other debris resulting in our team making a heinous jungle bushwalk around the canyon walls and back into the water. It was hard, my energy was snapped, but thankfully the Kiwi verses American onslaught of "piss taking" continued at the slightest notice of my weakness, thus requiring me to finish the mud and bush trek swearing under my breath. 

After some welcoming class III and a release on our nerves, a twelve pack of Monteith's waited at the take-out, bringing about in me a buzz that can never be replicated. I had just successfully run the most committing and hardest river of my life. However it wasn't the technicalities nor commitment of the river that I took from, it was lessons learned from the team that have stuck with me. 

A river, while extremely powerful in it's own regard, will forever be only a river. A team however, and what specifically each other contribute and take from the group, is the most powerful source I've experienced. On hard rivers such as the Kokatahi, one is only just as strong as the others. Relying on your mates to get you through safely, efficiently, and successfully as possible, has been the most important lesson learned in my past three years of whitewater kayaking. 

On the Kokatahi, I paddled hard, but that can be learnt anywhere. What I took from each of our group in terms of safety, passion, aggressiveness, decision making, fun, and ultimately modesty is what made the river so special. These lessons can't be learnt, only experienced.