Best/safest add-on to Gillespie Pass

We did the Gillespie Pass circuit in Nov 2014 and had great weather.Then it rained for an afternoon and overnight,resulting in the Siberia and Wilkin rising dramatically. Theres such a huge watershed there,it doesnt take much rain to raise the rivers/streams levels up. All of us at Siberia Hut then had a mad dash to Kerrin Forks in the morning to catch the last jetboat out,as they obviously dont run if the Wilkin is too high. We also had no problem crossing the Young/Makarora confluence although this was 2 days before the rain. I'd love to do the circuit again,maybe this summer. Lots of keas on the pass too.

@geoffnet Many years ago a good mate of mine was trapped in a hut that used to be on the true right of the Wilkin, about half-way between Kerin Forks and the Makarora. It's likely long gone by now. He was on his own heading down the valley using the usual route on the true left when it started raining, and on a hunch he decided to cross the braids and make for this little used old hut he'd seen in the distance but never bothered visiting before. It looked a better bet than slogging it out in the weather. Within an hour the river had become uncrossable. Next day it was ugly. Next day it was a monster. Next day it was almost covering the entire valley floor from side to side and barely 20m short of where the hut was tucked in at the bush edge. The pressure waves looked higher than the hut roof. When the rain washed the firewood out from under the hut he started to get worried. He got packed but was trapped between side torrents up and downstream. Up the hillside looked steep and desperate. I saw some pics he took. The valley floor must be all of a 1200m wide at that point and all you can see through the grey downpour is this heaving grey mess. In the end he was trapped there five nights and eventually got out by jet boat. But he was adamant, if he hadn't crossed over when he did and got to a safe place it could have been a lot less happy tale.

It was just after New Years 2012. Beautiful camping near Lake Diana, then on New Year's Day came down to Jumboland flats and did a half hearted attempt at the upper Jumboland. Turned back and enjoyed a sunny afternoon by the river and on a whim pushed on to Kerin Forks, was going to carry on up the Siberia on the 2nd. Started raining that evening. Rained all night, by morning the Wilkin was uncrossable. No jet boats all day (or the next couple). Was joined by some others who made it down from Top Forks hut, the little trickles you cross between Jumboland Flat and Kerin Forks were raging torrents. The Wilkin was a heaving mass of Brown water by the 3rd, quite awe inspiring. Luckily when it did stop raining the river dropped quite fast. Been up the Young 3 times, now that I think about it it's always been raining or just after rain. Crossed the Makarora at the Young confluence twice without difficulties but the Young looked deep and fast! The walk down from the Blue is pleasant and the pools are gorgeous, well worth a visit. The crossing at the Young confluence is swift but there was an excellent braid about half a km upstream which was a doddle. Hope it's still there.

That's an amazing story, Philip. I wonder if that was the big flood which made the river all bouldery, as Moirs North talks about?

a young lady drowned there recently, she fell behind her friends who made it out down the wilking but the river rose enough that she got caught in it and drowned

@Yarmoss It would have been late November 1981 if I recall correctly. I saw some of the aftermath a few weeks later; the Haast was closed for over a month, well past New Year .

a lot of people dont realise why flood plains are called that....

Just read a bunch of responses at once and now feel like I'm sitting round a campfire listening to horror stories of the haunted river 😱 But this is all good for planning for the worst-case scenario and I will definitely be on high alert as soon as I feel a drop of rain.

Haha,nice one Sian. Don't worry you'll be fine,most of the posters here are cautious by nature and we'll have stories to tell accordingly!. As I said the young,gillespie,Siberia,wilkin are jewels in the SI crown and you'll love it. Great choice.

Hi Sian, I was in the Wilkin 2 years ago, a great trip and intend going back. I was there in Feb and the weather was good. probably a better time to do it rather than at the end of winter the weather is not always as good until December/jan. Anyway a great trip and well worth doing.