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.
1 comments:
That would be the rapid that scared the shit out of me, when I missed that eddy the words "stick left, whatever you do dont go right" were firmly stuck in my mind!
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