Monday 28th October 2009 / Caving

Monday 28th Oct, 2009 / Caving

As the caving season fast approaches we have been busy behind the scenes checking out new locations and routes in the caves. (Canyons caving season this year will be for the month of November only! )

The cave systems we use are still being explored. Every time we head to the caves we find something new; an unexplored passage, other connecting routes or a flock of bats! This feeling of exploration and discovery is one of the big thrills of caving. When you're the first person to squeeze through a hole and find a room the size of a house of the other size its a real sense adventure.

Below: One of our team rappelling down a drop into the Changara Cave.

Exploring underground involves a range of techniques; abseiling, climbing, crawling through tunnels, ascending ropes and a whole host of other skills are used. Even though the temperature remains at 14 deg C year round, a full day in the caves is quite a workout so get ready to sweat!

Below: A long section of passage that leads to a tight squeeze.

Below: The team meet in one of the large chambers for a lunch break.

Below: Climbing down one of the chimneys (A chimney is a caving term used to describe a narrow drop wide enough to climb down using your body to brace between the two walls)

If you are seeking a new adventure caving is something you must try!
Caving tour video here .
Caving page here.

Minakami Adventure Festival Oct 3rd & 4th 2009

MINAKAMI ADVENTURE FESTIVAL OCT 3RD/4TH 2009

The Minakami Adventure Festival is a big two-day adventure celebration where you can try out many outdoor activities such as canyoning and rafting as well as bungee jumping, paragliding, hot air ballooning, canoeing, rappelling, mountainbiking and horseback riding from as little as 3,000yen. Last year attracted around 2000 people to the event to take part in adventure activities, listen to music, taste local food and beer or take part in one of the many games that are played throughout the day at the main stage.
If 30 hours of non-stop adventure is your style then there is also a two-day adventure race aimed at beginners-intermediate racers. Last year’s course required scrambling through mountains, navigation, single-track mountain biking, inflatable canoeing, rafting, cliff jumping and canyoning. The course is set by the head of the Japoanese adventure racing team, Tanaka Masato.
This year on Sunday there is a rafting race open to all, starting at 2pm teams of 4-6 people 　will race for a range of great prizes so why not get a team together? (2,000yen p/p entry fee) The dam has promised to release water for the event, so conditions should be perfect.

Air New Zealand have also come to the party offering a return flight to Queenstoｗn, the adventure capital of New Zealand (the world).　Enrty is open to all people who participate on activities at the adventure festival.

ＣHECK OUT FURTHER DETAILS AT-http://www.adventurefest.com/2009/index.html
(JAPANESE ONLY)
LODGING AVAILABLE AT - http://www.lodge.canyons.jp/

For canyoning and rafting and other tour information please visit - http://canyons.jp/index_E.html

Canyons will also be hosting the night event. A music party with 3 live bands and over 6 DJ's spinning an exotic blend of South American Mestizo Fiesta style music. The perfect end to a day of adventuring!

Hangi!

After a busy August we decided to throw on an "otsukare" (thanks for the hard work) party for all the staff. As we have a lot of Kiwi(New Zealander) staff, (Keeps a high level of professionalism (and sarcasm)) we decided to show the rest of the Canyons crew some of our Kiwi culture by putting down a Hangi.

A Hāngi is a traditional NZ method of cooking food using heated rocks buried in a pit oven.
It involves digging a pit in the ground, heating stones in the pit with a large fire, placing wire baskets of food on top of the stones, and covering everything with earth for several hours before uncovering.(Thanks to Wikipedia for the nice definition)

Above: The Hangi pit

Below: Some of the staff preparing the hot rocks in the fire.

Below: Raana, the Hangi master, keeping a eye on things

Below: Preparing the two very large baskets of meat and vegies (Raana on food prep, Ben on quality control for the beer)

Once its all covered up all that left to do know is wait for 4-6 hours! The recommended way to spend this time is;
drink beer
play touch rugby
drink more beer
swim at the river
drink more beer

A bit of touch rugby for young and old...

After about 6 hours underground the feed was pulled out....cooked to perfection! A feast to feed 60 people!

The later stages of the evening are still a little bit fuzy, but it involved everyone having turns at making shots, djing and then everyone swimming at the river under the light of the full moon.

Another great night in Minakami!

Poison Canyon

Onsen (Hot Spring) Canyoning in Kusatsu

Last week a couple of us new comers (been away from Minakami for 5 years) headed over the Kusatsu on our day off to check out Poison Canyon for the first time. This very unique canyon holds many surprises, even for experienced canyoners.

The course starts of slow and easy with several climb down sections but its not long before you start to see the onsen water seeping out of the walls and bubbling up from the bottom of the river. The temperature of the water varies from cold spots of 10 deg C to hot spots of 30 deg C+. After never having experienced hot water in a canyon before, it was quite a bizarre sensation as we waded through sections of warm water.

Below: One of the first climb down sections

As we continued down the canyon things gradually started to become a little bigger, descended a few 3-8m waterfalls. As the grip was extremely good most of these could be climbed down without the use of a rope. As it wasn't the sunniest day, the mix of warm water and mist in the air made it both warm and mysterious.

Below: Looking back at the first few waterfalls through the mist

When we reached the third waterfall it was our first chance to pull out the rope. The 15m waterfall was a good warm up for the grand finale of the course.... a 50m vertical rappel.

Below: Rappelling down the 3rd waterfall.

After a little work setting up ropes we soon found ourselves rappelling down a 50m onsen waterfall. What a feeling! This very well may be the only onsen canyoning trip in the world!

Above: Looking back up at the last 50m waterfall.

If you are looking for something very different then I highly recommend checking out Poison Canyon.

Check out the Canyons website for more info or to book a trip to this extraordinary canyon.
http://www.canyons.jp/Canyoning_F.html

Note: The course takes its name from the fact that there are no fish or insects that can live in the water because of the high concentration of sulfur.(onsen water)