Canyon in Madeira
Ribeira das Lajinhas
Intermediate · v3a1 III
Rappels: 31 · Max waterfall: 30 m · Min rope: 30 m
A long, low-water canyon with 31 mostly modest rappels (max 30 m) that takes around 5 h 30. Little is known about its scenic qualities.
Current status
As of July 2023Weak flow; worn equipment: carry cord/rope and maillons for replacements; descendable using natural anchors; the GPS entry point is accurate.
Season and flow
Weak in May and July.
Anchors and re-equipment
In 2015 R15 no longer existed after a rockslide and had to be rappelled from a natural anchor on the right; the R2 anchor was moved to a neighbouring tree because the original was in poor supporting condition; everything else was OK. Equipment was OK in May 2020. By July 2023 some equipment showed wear: bring cord/rope to replace anchors, and maillons will also need replacing; the canyon can be descended on natural anchors, so it remains fine to descend.
Hazards
The rockslide zone that removed R15.
Access and exit
Finding the right line. The key route-finding point is that the stream has three source lines at its head, so care is needed at the entry. The equipped line is the middle one, which is not the main line; the main line of the ribeira is the right-most tributary, which has well-formed waterfalls with some running water from its source in May. The GPS entry point is accurate.
Anchors, flow and access change with every storm and every winter. Treat the current status as a snapshot and check the latest conditions before any descent.
Technical data
Official technical sheet
Detailed data, history and technical notes are maintained by Clube Aventura da Madeira on the Canyons da Madeira website.
Nearby and similar canyons
Other sections of the same stream, canyons in the same area, and canyons of a similar grade.