17/04/2026
wild_elly, dw3lla, freedom_runs, mshbee, estonian_pirate and meeeeeeeeeeee
Most people visit Thunder Canyon from the bottom, wandering up from the junction after absieling in from Claustral or Ranon.
After all you get to visit the best bit while also doing another of the Classic 3. The tops not worth it. Said they.
By they are all worth doing once say I.
We’d actually planned this several times. Once we canned it because Gadget and H couldn’t make it.
Then they canned it because I couldn’t make it.
Then we canned it because Jason couldn’t make it.
And we all but canned it this time because Kris and Muz were going to a running race.
But the race fell through so at the last minute Thunder was back in business. Baby!
We head out along the ridge with a couple of options of where we might drop in.
Stupidly I ignored my own advice about wearing long pants in favour of lighter weight and more room in the keg. This meant by the end of the walk in I’d have a bit less skin to carry out too…
About mid ridge we gain a rocky outcrop. The views were stunning and the walking a lot less cutty.
We have more scrub to push through but it’s not as bad from here out.
Finally we get to a spot we think we should drop in so as not to miss a short uppersection of canyon. We follow a minor tributary down hoping it offers an easy break but it cliffs out much too high for our ropes.
We push back out and gain a small nose that leads down, down, down, cliff out.
At least there are ledges below us that have decent trees to reanchor from. Still we seem to be a long way up.
We set a rope and I absiel down and spend a stupidily long time looking for options to get us into the creek. Problem is I can see another ledge below but still can’t tell how far down the creek is. It sounds like a fair cascade or water all below. I have the irrational thought that we are directly above Westaway Falls. Map shows them a fair bit down stream but I’m second guessing.
I call Jason down for back up. He shares concern about the water echoing belong and whether we are missing a good bit of canyon. I show him a couple of options including one a little up stream.
I can see the creek bed there. Says he. He has better eye sight than me but I make out the rocky creek bed amid the dark shadows.
Come on down we call.
We get everyone down to the ledge and Kristo leads the abseil to the Canyon.
Oh Wow this looks like the start of Empress. he calls.
We make our way down, some tricky ledge walking and spidermaning keeps us dry for the time being.
The canyon opens a bit and we make our way down a pretty gorge. There’s some scrambling, wading and downclimbs. Basic good fun.
I have the anchor, calls Kris from down canyon right.
But there is an awesome looking slot up here. Calls Jason from back abit canyon right. We check out the slot. It looks great and jason is super keen to drop in but Kris has already set rope. Wait til you see this abseil thou, He calls.
We head down. He is right this abseil looks amazeballs.
Of course this means we’ll need to do a second trip to do the slot option.
once down…
While I have visited this sedction many times from below it always blows me away and coming in fromt he top was just a bit exraspecial.
And beofre long we come to the Claustral Junction. From here down the canyon is well know to all of us.
Remember just like it takes 7 wipes to know for sure you only needed 6, you need to do the canyon yourself to know whether it’s worth it. They are all worth doing once and I’d definately repeat this one.
