PASSION4ADVENTURE: The Price is right! First Descent of the New Zealand's Prices River

Friday, October 23, 2009

The Price is right! First Descent of the New Zealand's Prices River

The Prices River descent is linked to "Lifeblood of a Nation"

What is Lifeblood? – Wild rivers are New Zealand’s Lifeblood. The Lifeblood of the Nation expedition is aimed at raising public consciousness about New Zealand’s rivers and the threats many of them currently face. Lifeblood is aimed at highlighting what we have and what we stand to lose.

Paddler - Justin Venable probes a fast paced left line on the trips most prominent drop.
Image - Zak Shaw

Paddler - Zak Shaw
Image - Graham Charles - www.imagematters.co.nz

Our day started at 6.30am. Rain overnight lingered over the foothills and as a result Bruce Dando delayed our flight into Prices. Shannon was busy shoveling food into himself when the call was made and welcomed the extra half hour of feeding time!

Keith Reiley cant believe his eyes on route to Prices River.
Image - Zak Shaw

Heading into the unknown. Last summer Keith and I flew into the Prices drainage to check it out. Equipped with all our gear Bruce Dando refrained from landing not prepared to touch down on a landslide high above the river. Through the winter months Bruce went on recconaissance to discover a safe helipad. On the first flight of the morning Bruce dropped me at the Prices flats opting to have less weight on-board for touchdown.
Image - Zak Shaw

One by one we found ourselves hovering over the Toitoi whilst Bruce executed the landing.
Getting to the river required a short bush bash off the end of the slip then it was all go!
Image -Zak Shaw