Atlas › South Island - Queenstown
Routeburn Canyon
verified
Ungraded
High flood risk
Glenorchy
A long alpine descent in Mount Aspiring National Park: ten pitches to 32 m through schist slot terrain off the world-famous Routeburn Track.
Inside a UNESCO World Heritage area (Te Wahipounamu). Cold meltwater all year, full wetsuit non-negotiable. Sandflies present at the road end and exit. Didymo not currently confirmed in the immediate Routeburn catchment but Check Clean Dry between catchments anyway. If you only have one canyon day from Queenstown and you want the alpine experience, this is it.
Logistics
| Manager | DOC Mount Aspiring National Park |
|---|---|
| Permit | No permit required for private parties. Commercial guiding by Canyon Explorers (Queenstown) operates under DOC concession. The Routeburn Track is a Great Walk and hut bookings are required if overnighting, but day-canyon descents do not need a hut booking. |
| Elevation | ~213 ft elevation gain on the approach |
| Time | 3.5 hr to most of a day (1.5 to 2 hr approach, 1 to 3 hr descent, 1 to 2 hr exit) |
| Technical | Roughly ten pitches, longest 32 m. Native grade 3C V per kiwicanyons (the V is for commitment, this is a long alpine day), ACA v3a3 II per ropewiki. Two distinct sections: an upper canyon and a lower commercially-guided section reached via the Routeburn Track bridge. The upper approach has bolts and a fixed line on an exposed scramble section. |
| Season | Jan to Mar (peak summer). Outside this window snowmelt and weather make the upper section dangerous. |
| Flood risk | High. Glacially-influenced alpine catchment in a region with rapidly-changing weather. The upper section is committing and the exposed scramble approach is unsafe in wet conditions. |
| Vehicle access | 2WD car to the Routeburn Shelter / road end past Glenorchy. The last section of road is sealed. |
| Crowd | Daily commercial trips with Canyon Explorers in season. Private descents less common. |
| Coordinates | -44.7193, 168.2782 |