Skip to main content

Become a Lord of the Rungs with New Zealand’s 450-meter Wildwire Wanaka Waterfall Climb

From the land of bungee jumping comes another spectacular thrill. Only this adventure features nature, a waterfall, a 450-meter climb, and a fantastically punny name.

Opened on September 18, the Wildwire Wanaka’s Lord of the Rungs experience is the world’s highest via ferrata waterfall climb, located just outside of Wanaka, New Zealand. The 450 -meter ascent is both harrowing and physical, involving rungs and cables that rise high above the valley. Taking an average six to seven hours to reach the top, once there, adventure-seekers descend not by climbing down, but via a helicopter ride with astounding aerial views of Twin Falls and the surrounding natural beauty.

Wildwire Wanaka NZ 2 mins

Created by mountaineer-turned-tourism-guide and operator Mark Morrison, the Wildwire Wanaka waterfall climb experience is the most difficult of the three climbs offered by Wildwire Wanaka. In order to complete this feat, you can’t be scared of heights (since you’re clinging to metal rungs embedded in the sides of cliffs hanging hundreds of feet above the ground), you have to be physically fit (again, you’ve have to climb these rungs), and you’ve got to be adventurous enough to want to scramble over hills, up ladders, and via cables for half a day. However, Wildwire Wanaka takes pains to make clear that no climbing experience is required. So, if you can climb a ladder and walk for two-hours, you’re good to go.

But, if hauling yourself vertically for many hours isn’t your particular pint of beer, you can always opt for Wildwire’s two other climbing options: the easy Go Wild climb and the moderate Wild Things climb, which are both shorter and less intense all-around.

If you’re planning a trip to New Zealand anytime in the future and you’re looking for a truly unique and wild experience, plan on visiting Wanaka and spending a day cliffside overlooking some of the most stunning scenery in the Southern Hemisphere. We know you won’t regret it.

The Wildwire Wanaka Waterfall climb starts at $595 per person with a two-person minimum reservation. For more information, check out their official website

Chase McPeak
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Chase McPeak is the former Lifestyle Editor. Chase regularly appeared on Beards, Booze, and Bacon: The Manual Podcast where…
This Cabo San Lucas hotel is perfect for anyone looking for jam-packed adventure
Corazón Cabo Resort & Spa shows you a whole ‘nother wild side to this scenic corner of Baja
A spectacular sunrise at Corazón Cabo Resort & Spa in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, Mexico.

When I say Cabo, what comes to mind? Let me guess: You’re thinking of spring break revelers, rowdy bar crawls, late-night club dates, and day-long booze cruises, right? Well, what if I told you that Cabo San Lucas offers much more beyond the bars? And what if I told you that there’s a chic boutique hotel right by Cabo’s most swimmable beach that helps you dive right into everything that Cabo has to offer inside and out?

Yes, such a place exists in Los Cabos. It’s called Corazón Cabo Resort & Spa, and we’re about to explore why it offers a different kind of base camp for a different kind of Cabo trip.
The lay of the land (and sea!)

Read more
The pros and cons of TSA PreCheck and other programs that let you skip the line at the airport
There are ways to get through security and to your gate faster, but they will cost you
Airport security barriers with long line in background

Raise your hand if you like waiting in security lines at the airport. What, no one? Well, that’s probably not surprising considering a poll of 2,000 travelers by travel comparison site Cheapflights found waiting in line was Americans’ least favorite part of airport security. That came in ahead of other unpleasantries such as taking off your shoes and coat and being patted down by TSA personnel.

Even though 31% of those surveyed said long lines were at the top of the list of most dreaded airport security experiences, 54% of those who had flown in the last 90 days reported having been caught in a long security line recently, and 7% had even missed a flight because of it.

Read more
One-bag travel: 7 must-know tips to pack everything you need in a carry on
Travel tips for packing light so you can avoid airport stress
About to board a flight.

These days, searching for travel tips to help mitigate travel chaos is the norm (even more so than usual) thanks to a combination of factors that arose largely as a result of COVID. I experienced it firsthand in August when I arrived at the notoriously overwhelmed Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam, where I found thousands of lost bags stacked all over the place. Then, while flying from there to Istanbul, my own backpack joined the league of lost luggage, though I was able to track it down.

I had a premonition (from the stacks of lost bags, perhaps?) that I should have trimmed my backpack down a bit better, thereby allowing myself to travel carry-on only, but I decided that I couldn’t live without a bunch of stuff that I definitely didn’t need. I’ve traveled for a decade solid, so I definitely should have known better. With that in mind, here are a few travel tips that will help with packing light and packing right so that you can achieve one-bag travel and limit the odds of your stuff going missing on your flight.

Read more