LORD OF THE RUNGS
WILDWIRE WANAKA, NEW ZEALAND
VIA FERRATA (AD-D / K3-4 est)
PLEASE NOTE THAT THE DIFFICULTY LEVEL IS ESTIMATED AS IT HAS NOT BEEN OFFICIALLY MEASURED IN LINE WITH OTHER COURSES
(sections 1 and 2)
PHYSICAL RATING: 2-3
VERTIGO RATING: 3
TECHNICAL RATING: 2-3
SUMMIT RATING: 3
SATISFACTION: 3
COURSE TYPE: CLIMB
STATISTICS
Departure Altitude: 290m
Arrival Altitude: up to 740m
Climb (or descent): 150m (section 1), 320m (section 1,2), 450m (section 1,2,3)
Length: Up to 500m
Time: 3-6 hours
SPECIAL FEATURES
Footbridge: 6
Monkey Bridge: 1
Ladder: 0
Zip Line: (1 optional)
Net: 0
ACCESSIBILITY
Open: August - May
Parking: At the base of the Via Ferrata, at the site on Mt Aspiring Road approximately 22km drive from Wanaka, South Island.
WHAT TO KNOW!
Welcome to the Lord of the Rungs course at Wild Wire Wanaka, the only Via Ferrata in New Zealand. We were privileged to try out this course in February 2024. This VF is a little different to the other courses on this website as it is guided only. This means you need to pay an entrance fee and then be accompanied by one of the guides to take you up the course. This means that it is a slightly different experience, but really interactive, fun and enjoyable. Our guides were really cool and great company along the whole route.
The course claims to be the tallest waterfall Via Ferrata in the world and from the bottom it is an impressive sight, with a number of waterfalls going up the side of the mountain. The course is divided into 3 sections and you can choose to do section 1, section 1-2 or section 1-3. Section 3 is much more expensive than the others, primarily because you will need a helicopter to bring you down, and as such it wasn't available on the day we went, so we did section 1-2 which is the most popular option.
The course is really good fun, and has been very well designed by Mark Morrison, about 10 years ago. It is fairly worked out with a good mixture of handholds and a few sections of rock contact. The airy feeling going across 6 different bridges along the route in front of the waterfall is really well laid out and the last section across the 2 longest bridges is really great. A properly good section of Via Ferrata.
Section 1 is without doubt the easiest part of the course, and there is the option to finish after this section. Section 2 is a little tougher with a lot more vertigo and exposure. But still, it is not overly difficult and because you are guided it is easily possible for people in good fitness who have never done a climb before. Section 3 (not done) has a section of overhang in it and also a traverse behind a waterfall.
Obviously it is not free to enter, the costs (as of Spring 24 are... level 1, $199 NZD, level 2 $329 NZD and level 3 $649 NZD. Price includes lunch and all the equipment hire (as you are unlikely to want to take all your ferrata kit to the other side of the world!).
Overall, I really enjoyed the experience and would recommend to anyone travelling over to New Zealand as a must-do in Wanaka.
More details at www.wildwire.co.nz
