Thursday, February 10, 2011

Upper Whitcombe - Another Kiwi Classic

Well what can I say really, two days of pristine white-water situated in the Southern Alps. This run is a little less 'committing' than the Mungo but its rapids a just as hard and more numerous. White-water in the range of 60-100m per km and no drops over 20 foot... the definition of steep. Logistics for this one is easy, don't do it with to much water, take heaps of food and a goon, fly early and your golden. On day one it was Barny, Daan and Myself. Moving quickly with some brave eddy hoping and some knowledge from Barny and my trip down last year, we knocked out the first day pretty quickly. Sadly the big rapid we all ran last year has changed for the worst, what was a beautiful 5-tier 'you better make the moves' drop has become ... well ... shit really. At the end of the day we meet Soph, Jess and Krissy at the Prices Hut for the night, lots of food, goon and good conversion until the fire burnt out.

Early on day one (p. Barny)

Barny in hydro-paradise (p. Daan)

How perfect? (p. Barny)

On day two Soph and Jess joined us on the river, also with Ari and Matt Coles who flew up in the morning. The section down from Prices is awesome, with clean drops, only a couple (or less?) portages and then the Colliers Gorge section at the end to test your energy levels.

Daan-gerous (p. Barny)

The Preachers Son (p. Daan)

Me running the second from in the Inner Lower Gorge (p. Barny)


Daan about to take flight on the third drop (p. Barny)


Stomping out the third drop (p. Daan)

The trip was good, soph did her two booties and we finished with some fish 'n' chips at the beach in the afternoon... pretty much a perfect day really. Now we're just waiting for that Perth to come in... Watch this space