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Waiho / Franz Josef Glacier to SH6, III+

Wed, 2006-05-17 20:59 — jonathan
0
Waiho
Info
Portage?: 
No
Class: 
III+
Level: 
any
Gauge: 
Visual or Westland Regional Council flow phone 083 225 495
Length: 
4.5km
Gradient: 
15m/km
Time: 
1.5-2 hours
Put in: 
Franz Josef Glacier Road end.
Take out: 
SH6 Bridge over Waiho River.
Shuttle: 
4km
Maps: 
H35
Character: 
Freezing cold, even gradient.
Hot tip: 
If the glacier keeps advancing the run will get shorter!

The Waiho is a less intense excursion than the neighboring Fox River just over the hill. This frigid stretch of water is rafted by companies based at Franz Josef and is a good section to try if you have never paddled the other ice-capades on offer.

It certainly makes a good warm-up (??) for the Fox if you are unsure about your ability to handle intense cold and increased difficulty. The rapids are fun in a weird sort of way - rafting companies must have the greatest marketing strategy in the world to entice people to pay to float down this icewater hydroslide. Mostly even gradient wave chains will roll you down from the put in to the bridge. Higher flows will see the same style of rapids, but much bigger and more confused water will ensure your frontal lobes won’t thaw out for a week.

To get to the PUT IN: simply drive to the end of the road providing access to the famous Franz Josef Glacier. Walk out to the river. The take out is at the bridge over the Waiho just out of Franz Josef township.

Fill: 
89%
NZ Whitewater 4th Edition 2006: 
p206
Credits: 
Graham Charles

This section appears in New Zealand Whitewater, 4th edition, 2006 on p206.

New Zealand Whitewater, 4th edition, 2006
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.