Canyoning in Woolshed Creek

Woolshed Creek, at Mt Somers, has a deep narrow canyon that can be traversed through. However it has waterfalls and deep pools in it. There are a couple of bits that usually need abseiling and, even on a hot day, you'll only be really comfortable if you're wearing a wetsuit.

The combination of skills and gear needed for this trip make it not really standard fare for any of the regular outdoor clubs, be they climbing, tramping, caving or whatever. Consequently the trip is rarely seen on the programme of any type of club.

However there are some individuals that have sufficiently eclectic outdoor interests to to give them just the right mix of expertise needed for this route. A small number of them have been organising their own 'shoulder-tap' trips through the Woolshed Creek canyon.

Jonathan Carr is one of these. Jonathan's connections with watersporters, cavers, university and social trampers and climbers are the perfect mix for a trip like this.

Jonathan got a group together in January, but I was helping on a leadership workshop for the Christchurch Tramping club that weekend so I missed out. But there were others too who were still keen to go so Jonathan scheduled another mission.

This time it was the Main/Shanks and three youngsters family, UK couple Andy & Kirsty, Aroha, Tim, Brent, Kerrie, Ian and me on Jonathan's list. I can't imagine any other trip that could pull together a group of such disparate interests.

It was a hot walk over the hill, past the old coal mining relics, to the Mt Somers hut. It took us nearly twice as long as the hour it usually takes Honora and me. But of course some were carrying full wet-suits, ropes and harnesses, etc.

I was glad to see the old hut one more time. I probably won't get there again before DoC replaces it with the new 'Super Sized' tourist quality model.

After lunch we headed down into the creek at the top of the gorge and prepared for getting wet.

There was quite a range of gear being pulled on. Most had either full wet suits, or springers with half length arms and legs. The UK cavers had matching caving overalls. The two trampers had polypro tops and bare legs. I feel the cold, and I didn't want to be typecast as a tramper out to prove how tough I was, so I pulled on long-johns and overtrous, two thermal layers and parka, with a beanie under my helmet. Then I got very hot waiting for the off. But maybe those in full wetsuits did too.

Of course we all had harnesses, and there was every possible type of mechanical descending device.

Then commenced the long wait. It took about an hour for everyone to abseil down into the gorge.

That was fun. The abseil took us down into Morgan Stream and over a small waterfall into a large deep pool. Most finished their abseil in the pool.

I stayed on the rope, climbed out and dropped over a second waterfall into the main Woolshed Creek canyon. Most downclimbed this shortish steep piece past the second waterfall. However Kerrie slipped and fell, hurting her tailbone.

Next was another long wait, especially for those first down. Those who weren't heavily insulated found it quite a cold wait too.

The first section of the canyon was only a metre or so wide. But after 20 metres it widened out to 3-4 metres. From there it became mostly just a walk. In some sections pools required a swim or pack-float.

After a couple of hundred metres there's another short waterfall. This is only about two metres high and most just jumped into the pool below it. However there's a rock a metre below the surface of the pool so care was needed. If people didn't want to jump here there's an anchor to abseil from.

Beyond this it just becomes an easier and easier walk down a bouldery stream bed. There are a few pools to jump into. That became the goal of the more fun-oriented, seeking out everything that could be leapt into, swum, splashed or floated in. Others just walked on.

Quite a long way down we arrived at a large pool deep-set below a broad rock shelf. This was a perfect place to stop for food in the sun. Almost everyone joined in there, leaping into the pool and then shooting down the hydro-slide below it.

After this it was just a long tramp down a stream bed. With all the heavy wet gear and wet suits, I think most were glad to get out onto the track and back to the car park.

The day was a lot of fun and a good chance to mix with a bunch of outdoors people who don't see themselves first as trampers. Also I think it was good for the pure trampers to see how much fun can be had on a water trip.