Canyon in Madeira
Ribeira das Mijas Velhas
Intermediate · v3a2 II
Rappels: 11 · Max waterfall: 40 m · Min rope: 40 m
A rarely descended canyon with three very nice waterfalls and some beautiful sections. Many trees have fallen into the canyon, but all can be downclimbed.
Current status
As of January 2023Overgrown, barely visible approach (2 h 30); sparse fixed gear supplemented with new, partly non-standard anchors; many downclimbable fallen trees; exit only from the third dam by the green steel bridge.
Season and flow
Good flow in June, two months after the canyon was opened in April 2017.
Anchors and re-equipment
Some rappels use well-placed trees. The gear left by the first descent in 2017 was still in good condition in June 2017, but by January 2023 only three waterfalls carried equipment: two slings around trees (the first with a maillon) and two bolts on a 20 m drop. In January 2023 several anchors were added, some in exploration style (not conforming to norms). A descent takes about 4 h when 1 h of drilling is included.
Access and exit
Access. The approach is the crux: the path is almost invisible, with only a few traces, and hard work through scratching vegetation. Where the levada is reached after the ridge, another maintenance path probably comes up. Walking along the levada is also difficult in places. The walk up can take 2 h 30 including wrong turns, far more than the nominal 45 min.
Exit. The return starts at the third dam, just before a green steel bridge. Do not try to leave earlier: the levada at the first dam is extremely exposed and very dangerous to follow.
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.