“The cuts from the bracken were starting to sting, and I was beginning to lose my grip on the sheer bank. As Mark held my feet in place with his hands, I took a last leap of faith and launched myself upwards towards the sole cabbage tree that had managed to take hold on a tiny ledge beside the waterfall. With my arms wrapped around the tree, I heard my husband's enthusiastic voice. “So, what do you think? Should we do it?”
Laurel told us the story of how their dream of developing NZ first waterfall via Ferrata became a reality, as we made our way to the practice area of Wild Wire.
The story goes something like this. Laurel, a glaciologist from Canada, met her adventuring Kiwi husband, Mark on a trip to Antarctica. She was doing her masters in glaciology and Mark was working for Antarctica New Zealand as a safety guide and got to travel with Sir Edmund Hillary’s entourage when he came to the ice to commemorate his South Pole expedition. Their mutual love and appreciation of the outdoors, in particular, rock climbing, led them to the idea of developing a via Ferrata in their new hometown of Wanaka and Mark had found the perfect place, Twin Falls.
Twin Falls are two side by side waterfalls that cascade 450m vertically down through canyons and crevasses on the outskirts of Mt Aspiring National Park, 20 minutes from Wanaka. Although visible from the road, it was while Mark was abseiling the multi-pitched falls that he realized it would be perfect for a via Ferrata. So, he took Lauren “bush crashing” to show her the spot and their dream became a reality.
This story is from the August 2020 edition of Adventure Magazine.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the August 2020 edition of Adventure Magazine.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Papua New Guinea
Four reasons to add Papua New Guinea to your bucket list
The benefits of being a Multi-Trick Pony
"A broad skill base and how you can draw from one platform to the next – women often pigeon hole themselves"
The RELUCTANT adventurer
An eighteen-year-old princess, who paints his (yes, his) nails and dyes his hair bleach blonde, embarking on an adventure trip with his family, sounds like a plot for a bad 80s movie.
The Meaning of Tramping
What does tramping mean to you?
Keala Kennelly owns Red Bull Magnitude
The North Shore season of 1957 is recognized in the surfing world as the start of an era. When Greg Noll, a young Mickey Munoz and company went out and rode Waimea for the first time, it was a glimpse of what could be in the world of big-wave surfing.
North West Circuit Stewart Island
I found myself in limbo during the winter of 2020, in between jobs in a strained covid economy. And so, I did what any outdoors person would do with a large amount of free time on their hands. It was time to pack up my belongings and hit the road. It was time to leave behind home comforts and go adventure-seeking.
Emilie's adventure to Angelus Hut
“I want to be the leader!” Miss Six announced, pushing past me in her determination to be in front. Momentarily off-balance with my heavy pack, I narrowly avoided twisting an ankle on the sharp rocks and silently swore while cracking a bright smile.
Nancy Jiang Breaking stereotypes
I recently watched a youtube movie entitled, “Her Way” (check it out on the Adventure Website) which introduced a woman who had an overwhelming passion for running. The preface at the bottom of the clip, read as follows:
Adversity at Altitude
The wind and snow is whipping at my face. I’ve readjusted the stiff frozen fleece buff around my neck and mouth, desperately trying to protect myself from the -20 degree bitter wind. Adrenaline is still pumping through my body but I know I’ll start to get cold soon.
Last Great Mountaineering Challenge
Ground-breaking mountaineer Nirmal ‘Nims’ Purja MBE has attained an incredible new world record by submitting K2 as part of a collaborative team in the depths of winter. Until now, it was a record that was believed to be impossible to accomplish and was famously known as the ‘last great mountaineering challenge’.
