Dwars River
Dwars River · western cape
Grade
V
Length
7 km
Duration
4 hours
Type
pool drop
About
The Dwars is a classic pool-drop creek with walk-arounds available for the hardest features. The top five rapids are not for inexperienced paddlers: technical rapids with must-make moves and several waterfalls culminate in a 9m drop. The first drop is unrunnable — the entire flow disappears through a Swiss-cheese-like rock — and must be portaged. Next is the Gauntlet, a steep rapid where the river funnels into a mini gorge; enter from river left with a strong boof and punch the sticky hole at the bottom. The Staircase is the longest and most technical rapid, often with trees at the top. It begins with a 2m drop on river left, then moves right to avoid a siphon and boof over the 'Fist', then left again boofing a hole into a slide that should carry you right. Third is Thunder Alley, its flow split by a central boulder; go left and enjoy the rollercoaster, with speed and safety set up for the river-wide hole guarding the exit. Next is a 2m waterfall with lines in the centre or right channel. Some boogy water leads to the 9m waterfall horizon line; scout on the right. The lip slopes gently, so it is considered friendly — avoid over-boofing and landing flat. Below the waterfall are two fairly technical rapids hiding rocks; scout if unsure. Most paddlers take out on river right at this point and hike up to the train tracks and back to the carpark. Continuing to the usual Wit Els confluence take-out is not recommended because alien vegetation has largely blocked the channel. Water quality is poor; expect stomach trouble after the run. Locals generally wait until later in the season for the river to flush out summer debris. Thanks to Scott Reinders for his input. Detailed trip reports on Adrian Tregoning's blog: Dwars River — It's days like these and Dwars River — Park, Hike, Descent.
Access
Put-in
Take-out
Permits
None