Hollyford / Falls Creek to Marian Creek, III-IV

Wed, 2006-05-17 21:58 — jonathan

Average:

Hollyford

Info

Class:

III-IV

Portage?:

Level:

Running clean

Gauge:

Visual

Length:

2.5km

Gradient:

28m/km

Time:

1-2 hours

Put in:

Falls Creek

Take out:

Marion Creek swingbridge

Shuttle:

2.5km

Maps:

NZ Topo D41

Character:

Tight, technical, miniature boulder gardens and steep chutes

Hot tip:

A good warm-up for the next section

Upstream of:

Hollyford / Marian Creek, IV-V (P)

A great intermediate run for those just pushing into class IV paddling and it is the easiest of the ‘harder’ sections of the Hollyford. The overall difficulty depends on the water level. If the water is high after rain or snow melt expect a solid fast class IV trip. If the water is lowish you will bash down some fun class III+ rock gardens with fantastic overhanging forest and crystal waters.

The crux drops are only 30m off the road and can be scouted on the way up. A good introduction to the need to master the ‘boof’, but many miss time it and crash down the middle. Don’t relax too much because the rapid just below it claims as many scalps as the main drop.

To get to the put-in; find the Falls Creek bridge on the Milford road, 1.5km upstream of the Hollyford Valley turnoff.

To get to the take-out; drive down the valley to the Hollyford Valley turnoff. Turn off and drive 1km on the gravel road to the carpark at the Marion Creek swingbridge.

Fill:

89%

NZ Whitewater 4th Edition 2006:

p276

Credits:

Graham Charles

This section appears in New Zealand Whitewater, 4th edition, 2006 on p276.

No incidents reported.

Disclaimer

Canoeing and kayaking are activities with inherent risks. Whitewater NZ takes no responsibility for the accuracy of this guide, nor for any risks or dangers that canoeists or kayakers may encounter. Any users should fully research the current river conditions and ensure they are fully equipped and have the appropriate skills, before embarking on any river trip, per Whitewater NZ Code of Practice. While every effort is made to ensure that details are correct, it is possible that this information is no longer accurate. If you find discrepancies or errors, please let us know at guide@rivers.org.nz.