Looking ahead, Counting down, Tibet xpd

Consequences for being off line, check mate, rock meets shoulder in Fordyce creek.

Working teaching kayaking more so than any other season, the river scene has been active.
Working sitting in a kayak six days out of seven its income that is certainly welcomed as I gear
up for an exploratory whitewater expedition, another adventure and travel to the worlds highest country, the "Roof of the World" Tibet
Sep 22 our team will colectively meet in Beijing, China!










Ben Jackson, poised and ready, South Fork American river.















"Looks dangerous Odette" Keep the nose up shallow landing













Facial expressions, Brad Brewer captured in the moment

Koranga/Waioeka River flood trip

Koranga Stream, Moanui Valley to Wairata

A few years ago, with a couple of mates we had rafted the run at low water, descending the 28km in seven long hours, at one point we had to reverse ferry the raft back off the lip off a drop that piled into wall, we just made it, by latching onto sharp rocks with outstretched arms and backpaddling for ever against current that wanted to take us.
It had been several years since that trip and with three times the flow in the river I was curious as to what would be instore for us.

There’s not many paddlers in the East Cape, some shuttles are long and its remote, gravel roads to put in
spots limit hitching, rainfall is regular but like all rain dependent rivers its all about timing!
As it worked out, 120mm rain, two keen shuttle drivers and a good stash of food, a more than capable younger brother and Wa La it was on!
Elby and I had paddled alot after work the week of this trip, heavy persistent rain from the north had the soil sodden and then the final 120mm whilst we were in the catchment I guess just kind of finished it off!
The first day was good technical class 3, nothing major just, enjoyable continuous whitewater down past the Forks Hut and the Te Kahika stream confluence, we continued on to The Nikau Flat Hut to spend the night.
With only 8km to finish the trip off on day two we agreed on a good sleep in, predicting only two hours on the water and some more class 3, down to the take out.


The rain continued to fall all night by morning the level was huge, big flood level, the kind most people stay at home for!
With a good breakfast down the hatch we pushed off into a brown heaving rollercoaster at 10am.
Making the first eddy downstream on river right we suddenly became aware of the power of the river and what consequences lay instore should one of us blow a line.
Logs floated past at regular intervals as we negiotiated massive recirculating holes, folding waves off the gorge walls.
Sitting on the edge of our pants we constantly moved about the river side to side with flying stroke rates to avoid the next hazard! Just the stuff that’s so much fun when you make it through!

Finding kiwi

Late in the NZ summer I spent a day with a local DOC worker Jo Waikari, we crashed through the bush for most of the day trying to find an adult male north island brown kiwi called “Mack”.
Only 30 minutes drive from home the Whinray reserve is home to a kiwi recovery project whose mission is to save the dwindling numbers of weka and kiwi in the area.
Equipped with aerial in hand we approached the northern boundary first as this was Mack’s last known location a week earlier.
For the first three hours we climbed and surveyed the rim of the reserve but could not pick up a signal.
Changing our tactics in the afternoon we searched along the river and managed to finally receive a faint beep from Mack about 2km away up in the middle of a steep rugged face. (transmitter can receive a birds signal 5km away line of site)


The river was in flood so we had to return to the swingbridge upstream and access the area where Mack was via a well worn bench track.
Jo suddenly veered off track we headed down a sharp ridge, across a creek over a few dead trees and up a steep bank. We paused on a small terrace briefly to check our signal strength before moving on. In and out of two more small gullies and then suddenly earlier than expected we were suddenly “right on top of him”
Once we located the burrow we moved much more cautiously, being careful not to startle Mack from the hole. We spent an hour digging him out, then replaced the transmitter which was about to fall off! Every twelve months the transmitters are replaced on the leg of the kiwi.


It was cool to be up close, holding a bird that not many people ever see in its natural environment. His beak was huge and feathers felt more like hair than the soft textured feathers they appear to be.

Definitely a good day out.

On it, Off it, report from California

The mix has defintely been a mixture during my first three weeks back in California. Weve had the good and the not so good.
A NZ team comprised of Dave Ritchie, Ben Jackson, Graham Charles, Deter King our US companion and myself spent two fantastic days in the Middle fork of the Feather River on the "Devils Canyon" section, a huge thunderstorm pelted down on us as we broke camp on day two and paddled 20 miles of continuos class 4+ in 6 hours.




Lots of snow means high river flows, the days are baking hot, fast food comes fast and if you want it whitewater is everywhere.
Local play wave, "Barking dog" paddler, Ben Jackson




Ben Jackson, gets amongst a high
flow on South Silver








Carrying our kayaks for hours uphill(about seven)in 100F heat out of the
South Merced through poison oak.(simular trip experienced in 2005, slow learner)
Two team members took swims early from nasty recirculations, due to a high river level we collectively descided to walk out rather than try to survive the remaining 16 miles of class 4-5. Dehydrated and exhausted we climbed 2500ft with fully loaded kayaks to the canyon rim and escaped to a road nearby.
















Get me to the river, shuttle american style!


More to come, stay tuned
zak

Heading Stateside, images from California

Bradly Brewer, on line and lovin it, East Fork Kaweah River









Timing is everything, Eden Sinclair eyes the lip for that last crucial stroke




Cory Tucker, give me a loop, "First Threat", South Fork American river

Cool places

Keith Reiley, big beard, tight neck seal!

















One move at a time, the scenery in the Upper Perth like the whitewater is amazing











Mt Owen, home to NZ's deepest cave, the Bulmer



Hot pools and a good hut, Upper Toaroha, West Coast



On route for an adventure, flying in with Bruce dando

PADDLINGTHESUMMEROF06

The Arahura is run that just feels good, Jason Arbetter knows that all to well.

Dave Richie, even when padlling sux, he's lovin it! Hit to the Ear, Styx river

The NZ summer was a good one, I work stint for the New Zealand Kayak School followed by some kayak instruction for Taipotini Polytechnic filled the summer months. It was great to be based on the coast for awhile, such a dramatic place.




Dave Ritchie eyes his landing



I little late, Im headed out to califonia this week! The work visa two months delayed(just want to thank the people responsible for that)
The snowpack is huge out there right now so the season should still go off.


Arb, about to set off up the Crooked


In California I'll be teaching my second season for a company called Current Adventures. Four months of sun, amazing whitewater, its pretty tough!



September 27th will see six expedition paddlers meeting in Lhasa, Tibet for a six week expedition. Keep checking in for updates here, as we all prepare ourselves for massive volume rivers, high altitudes and Tibetean culture.
"Focus our efforts on exploring the side valleys of the Salween, Mekong and Yangtze, in the South-East of the country, where no group of kayakers have been in the past"

stay tuned

Upper Perth River, "Stunning scenery, cold alpine water, totally absorbing" Guidebook - NZ Whitewater

JJ Shepherd, Barney, Two scotsman, John? and myself managed to swing two clear blue bird days in the mighty Perth earlier this summer.
With a medium level we flew with James Scott upriver, dropped our overnight gear at Scone Hut including a good stash of food and an even better stash of wine!




We then lifted upwards again breifly to fly roughly 3km further up the Perth valley.
As with most West Coast heli landings we touched down on a small gravel bar, unloaded and then waited for the rest of the crew to return with our slingload of boats.







The chopper returned and we quickly unwrapped the boats, before sending our pilot on his way.
Its such a great feeling, sitting on a remote riverbank, your surrounded by huge eroding peaks and glaciers lying in the Garden of Eden. The air temp is fresh, you have just waved goodbye to the thing that put you there without breaking a sweat. You think about the distance between you and the car, the whitewater ahead, the cold alpine water.
Big days on the coast are fantastic!



We did have one minor setback, 6 paddlers and 7 paddles at put in!
Somehow we had loaded an extra bent shaft. The remedy, paddle 200m of class 4-5 then eddy out, walk up the river bank and take your turn at getting the paddle down river left to Scone Hut!

There was no hurry to get down to the hut, (not that the Upper Perth is going to let you do that anyway!)Lots of scouting was required, and the photo ops were plentiful, we arrived at Scone Hut unscathed in 3.5-4hrs


Day two - the regular Perth run took 5 hours. The hard stuff immediately below Scone Hut is some of the best boat scoutable class 4-5 in the country. Its classic, continous, steep technical moves one after the other.


Photos in order are
James Scott West Coast Taxi service
Pinballs, JJ drops in.
JJ at Scone Hut
Scotsman #1 sticks his boof in the Upper 3km

Source to sea completed on the Buller River, 177km in 10 1/2 hrs!

Rain finally arrived in its true fashion for the West Coast this last week.
Ben a.k.a "action jackson" and myself took the oportuntity to make the most of a big flow, completing a full source to sea of the Buller river 177km, in ten and a half hours.
We pushed off from Lake Rotoiti near the settlement of St Arnaud, high in the Nelson Lakes National Park at 7.20 am. With heavy fog restricting our vision downstream this made the inital 10km of class three whitewater more challenging.
We had waited patiently for the river to swell to its highest level of the summer before attepting to break the fastest source to sea time. The trip was originally set by two reputable folk of the whitewater community in 15hrs, whilst our descent was equally about the scenery and quality of huge volume whitewater we also had our minds set on smashing the previous time and setting a new standard!
Ariki Falls proved to the crux of the journey, the 500m length of class four turbulent water demanded focused eyes, our intended lines were made (just). Any "out of boat" experience would have had serious consequences.



We pushed throught the final 80km riding the backside of the flooded bubble. Whilst this last leg was mostly class one we still managed to travel at a rate of 15 km per hour and arrived on the coast 20 minutes before dark to huge surf and one last challenge to finish the trip.
Ben boldly dropped in on a huge set and took a beating but managed to gain control and land ashore, I attempted to time my line in a make it clean, it was not to be.
The nose of my kayak plunged into the bottom of a huge wave and soon I felt myself flying over the falls headed for punishment! I rolled somehow still in my kayak and dragged my tired body ashore.


Total time - 10. 24 min
Length - (we think 177km)
Flow 2143 cumecs peak flow at sea gauge
The time to beat has been set!

Upper Hokitika

One of the best days this season...
Jason Arbetter and myself flew in on a spectacular day in March.




With just two of us in there we certainly felt a little exposed,
but with good judgement
and clean lines we came away unscathed.
It took five hours to descend through the commiting gorges.

Images
This one is brand new
Last big one
Into the 2nd gorge
The Gates of Argonath
Entrance move




Photos, by Jason Arbetter

The Arahura, perfect flow

Where? Arahura River, New Zealand.

Put in - Styx Saddle

Crew - Those who were there.









After a period of super low flows on the West Coast of the South Island we finally got some rain and the Arahura flowed at optimum level.
The sun beamed all day, the moves were as good as they get
and we were ready to partake!

Rapids in order

Dent Falls
Cesspit
First Boof

Images by Jason Arbetter.

South Georgia, The best of