Glenbrook Creek - Afternoon Run.

Glenbrook Creek – The Afternoon run.

Date: Thursday 30th 2009
Team: Tim, Declan, Chris, Dave.
River Glenbrook Creek (Causeway to the Nepean)
Level: 0.8 on causeway gauge.
Grade: IV-

After our last midweek bludge trip down the Grose, it took a bit of convincing to get me to drive out to the Blue Mountains, but Dave used all his considerable charm (and promised a post paddle bbq) and the trip was on. Chris dragged Declan (screaming and kicking) straight out of school for an unexpected paddle.

The level was 0.8, it had dropped from 1.0 m level at mid day when Dave had gone out for the Recce. So there was no danger of paddling a river on the rise. The action starts almost immediately after putting in at the causeway, with a drop through some bushes, around a tree, then under some more bushes. You get the picture – there are a lot of bushes and trees on the river which only flows for about two days a year.

I gave Dave the opportunity to blow his whistle (FOX 40!) for only the 3rd time in his paddling career, when I went upside-down in a very small pool between two larger drops. After the 2nd roll attempt only succeeded in pushing me further up the rock that I was being pushed against I thought “Well this is serious – I might have to go for a left side roll”. But things didn’t get that desperate; I twisted the boat around away from the rock and was up just in time to see a worried shake of Dave’s head.

Features of the river are tight lines, small eddies, and holding onto trees midstream.. Some great rapids, including the 2m drop called the waterfall, named after the spectacular 100m waterfall off the cliffs on river right. The sphincter rapid is another favorite - with three options. Worst line is through the sphincter seive, we reckoned Declan’s little boat might fit, but strangely he didn’t want to try. Best line is the left line, but with 90% of the water going down the sphincter at this level the odds aren’t stacked in your favour. Third option is the rock-slide seal launch, just perfect for giving an even smooth to the bottom of your boat.

Last rapid reminds me of the wingee rockslide, it looks pretty daunting but has a clear line through the middle with a great rooster tail to end on. Dave reckoned with the river a meter lower than when he last did it last, he was nowhere near as grey (his face, not his hair) afterwards.


All done in an 1:23 to the Nepean flat water section, with half an hour of daylight to spare.