Rabbit Pass in Mount Aspiring National Park Footage of going up the waterfall face / Wilkin Valley side and down the rocky face / Eastern Makarora Valley side
I did that pass with some friends in the mid-1970s. I'm no climber, and I took one look at that waterfall face and voted "Nah!". Got voted down, however, so we did it. Oddly, the descent on the Matukituki side was actually hairier than the climb up the Wilkin side. We had ropes and pitons, but there was nowhere to solid enough lodge the pitons, so we winged it. As it happened I only slipped (a little) once, but I vowed and declared I would never do it again. And I haven't! I had my heart in my mouth watching you do this. A great video, but very unsettling to watch.
Thanks for sharing the two parts of that crossing which are most difficult to describe. I went up over there in 2018, waited for the mist to clear before descending, and so was treated to the horror of the full view to the bottom from the beginning of the climb 😅
Did this in June 1981 from the Matuki side over to the Wilkin. Got stormed off the pass first night, retreated to a tent camp not far from your lunch stop, waited a day, then pushed over in reasonably decent conditions. The rocky chute up onto the pass was full of very loose snow - OK for the first person up, a bit of a grovel for me following. But the drama happened going down the crux on the Waterfall Face. We were losing the light in the short winter days, it was wet and I got below the path. We had roped up, but there was sod all to belay onto, merely an ice axe jammed into a clump of tussock. I lost my footing on the snowgrass looking for the correct route, and slid about 2 -3 m. My companion did incredibly well to keep us both attached, but somewhat shaken up I soon found the correct path as I was now looking up at it. We got down in good order and had a very cold night under the big bivvy rock that is on the flat immediately below. All very memorable. Thanks for capturing this and bringing this place back to life for me!
Thanks for sharing and I'm glad the slide was arrested! That tussock on waterfall face can be lethal. I'm sure my brother and I too will reminisce about this trip and enjoy rewatching it for years to come.
I did that pass with some friends in the mid-1970s. I'm no climber, and I took one look at that waterfall face and voted "Nah!". Got voted down, however, so we did it. Oddly, the descent on the Matukituki side was actually hairier than the climb up the Wilkin side. We had ropes and pitons, but there was nowhere to solid enough lodge the pitons, so we winged it. As it happened I only slipped (a little) once, but I vowed and declared I would never do it again. And I haven't! I had my heart in my mouth watching you do this. A great video, but very unsettling to watch.
Thanks for sharing the two parts of that crossing which are most difficult to describe. I went up over there in 2018, waited for the mist to clear before descending, and so was treated to the horror of the full view to the bottom from the beginning of the climb 😅
Looks pretty steep, mate. I've only ever been as far as the waterfall face. Thanks for sharing the video.
100 percent full focus there mate.
Haha yup felt pretty exposed coming down the loose scree stuff
Did this in June 1981 from the Matuki side over to the Wilkin. Got stormed off the pass first night, retreated to a tent camp not far from your lunch stop, waited a day, then pushed over in reasonably decent conditions. The rocky chute up onto the pass was full of very loose snow - OK for the first person up, a bit of a grovel for me following.
But the drama happened going down the crux on the Waterfall Face. We were losing the light in the short winter days, it was wet and I got below the path. We had roped up, but there was sod all to belay onto, merely an ice axe jammed into a clump of tussock. I lost my footing on the snowgrass looking for the correct route, and slid about 2 -3 m. My companion did incredibly well to keep us both attached, but somewhat shaken up I soon found the correct path as I was now looking up at it.
We got down in good order and had a very cold night under the big bivvy rock that is on the flat immediately below. All very memorable. Thanks for capturing this and bringing this place back to life for me!
Thanks for sharing and I'm glad the slide was arrested! That tussock on waterfall face can be lethal. I'm sure my brother and I too will reminisce about this trip and enjoy rewatching it for years to come.
Wow, that is super sketchy. Would be very easy to make a fatal slip, especially when tired.
No thanks