Epic Travel → Asia & the South Pacific → New Zealand → Otago → ⊗ Cross Creek Canyon

⊗ Technical Route ⊗Warning: Do Not Attempt Without Proper Training – click here for details

Location: Haast Pass area, Otago, New Zealand

Time Required: 3 – 4 hours

Rappels: up to 10, lengths up to 22 m/72 ft

Jumps: Mandatory to 5m, optional to 10m

Red Tape/Notes: If you’re doing canyons in New Zealand, get a copy of Dan Clearwater’s guidebook Canyoning in New Zealand (available here and here). Not recommended for canyoneers without swift water experience (this canyon is rated 3C1 /v3a2 II), but is a good option for beginners to run with experienced whitewater leaders. If you don’t know anyone, you can always book a trip with one of the local canyoning guide companies, like Deep Canyon. You will need a thick wetsuit (7mm) because the water is very cold. This canyon is infected with didymo! Please do not spread it – run this canyon last or make it your only run and the check, clean, and dry your gear thoroughly before doing another canyon.

What’s Nearby?: Lake Alta and the Remarkables, Rob Roy Glacier Valley Track, Mt. Aspiring Packrafting, Robinson Creek Canyon, Wilson Creek Canyon, Bendigo Ghost Town

Cross Creek is an area classic, and one of the most frequently run canyons in Haast Pass, partly because it has so many fun jumps and also because it provides an easy option for a shorter route, cutting off the top section of the canyon. Although given that the whole canyon only takes a half day (or less), I don’t know why you wouldn’t do the whole thing. The approach is a footpath through the mossy green forest, and while slightly longer than the approach to nearby Robinson Creek, it’s still very quick by comparison with some of our approaches in the US southwest (it takes about 30 minutes). This canyon is bolted throughout to allow a leader to rappel down and check water conditions before anyone jumps, and sometimes a specific trajectory is required to jump safely; I think we only did five rappels the length of the canyon and jumped everything else. There are some incredibly fun sections, including one “jump to a slide” move and also a sort of luge slide where the water pushes you through a narrow channel before dumping you off a short drop into the water. This is a great day when run in combination with Robinson Creek – we were able to complete both of them in under 5 hours, but we were with someone extremely knowledgeable, so add time if you’re unfamiliar with the canyon(s), and make sure you do Cross Creek last to avoid spreading didymo.

Epic Travel → Asia & the South Pacific → New Zealand → Otago → ⊗ Cross Creek Canyon