Highest drop 95m (60+35 pitches)
Public access
5-14hrs (Depending if you start at the middle or the top)
Big, exposed waterfalls in the upper section, with a relentless narrow slot canyon below. Lots of delicate logjams!
Download the topo for Major Mayhem v5a3IV
Top to bottom descent of Major Mayhem, some changes in the lower section since last season. Next team should bring a drill and at least 4 bolts and 5 quick links to sort out some of the badly damaged anchors (a couple of drops missing anchors). Very good trip, if the canyon sections were continuous and less down climbing it would be equal to the general. The route we used to approach was different to the original, stayed much closer to the edge of the canyon and encountered very little thick bush and lots of small tracks to follow along, Happy to share this as a GPX file if you want it.
Also for anyone using a GPS, the best entry for the canyon is around 1370m, this cuts out a steep climb up to just down climb back down.
A short relaxed trip, getting in at the happy place. Canyon is in good condition, lots of false floors and log jams at the anchors (as already stated), all pools are shallow, all anchors including the dyneema cord are still in place and in good condition, a few of the mallions could do with replacing soon. Water level indicator now looks different as the logs have shifted
From KiwiCanyons Facebook;
“We did Mayor Mayhem yesterday all the way from the top. It took us 10hrs car to car. The anchorpoints on the upper part are in quite good condition – we had to replace one since there was rockfall and they were damaged. In the lower part there was huge landslide recently and most of the anchorpoints are damaged / gone. We reboilt three of them, and used coupe of logs to rapel down. The water in the lower part is quite muddy, it needs some proper rain so the dirt is flashed away. It is doable for now, but I recomend you take the power drill and couple of anchorpoints.”