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Kieran roughs it - with Thai Prawns for lunch The Epic – ANUMC Newsletter November 97  Contents  President's Report  More Wadbilliga  Jerrara Creek  The Epic Annual  And much more...        6pm Wednesday 5 November - ANUMC Annual General Meeting Free BBQ and Five Best Slides Night It’s time once again for the Club’s AGM.  A free BBQ at 6pm (all food provided, vegetarians catered for) will start the evening off, followed by the AGM at 7:30pm.  All Committee positions are vacant so we’re looking for lots of new people to have a go - no experience required!  After the AGM there’ll be a “Five Best Slides” show.  The meeting will be held at the Leonard Huxley Theatre (and tea room), Computer Services Building (next to the John Curtin School of Medical Research), Mills Road, ANU. Club Meetings are held on the first Wednesday of each month.  All ANUMC members are welcome! President’s Bit  You could say that it has been a busy year.  This year, the ANUMC had more than 400 members (350 last year).  We had 25 leaders (15 last year) who ran over 180 activities between them (96 last year).  We ran the largest climbing competition held in the ACT in years, hosted a slide show with Lincoln Hall and Tim Macartney-Snape as part of celebrations for our 30th Anniversary, and conducted a raft of other new activities too numerous to mention.  1997 has been the strongest year the Club has ever had.  The last month has seen its share of activity.  At the end of September, Tim and Lincoln came and gave a talk about the many adventures they have had, starting from their days climbing with the ANUMC at Booroomba, through their ascent of Everest and on to adventures in Antarctica and South America.  It was the most inspiring mountaineering talk I have ever been to – the number of near death experiences our speakers described could fill a hundred Epics.  The audience of several hundred included many of those who have been involved with the Club throughout its history and it was a great pleasure to have such a large portion of the ANUMC community together at one time.  Afterwards, Lincoln and Tim cut a celebratory 30th Anniversary cake and everyone left on a sugar high.  THE EPIC Editors:  Kieran O'Leary, 6248 5482(h), o3029636@student.anu.edu.au Karine Tremblay, 6257 8804(h), 62492766(w), Karine.Tremblay@anu.edu.au Jane Pulford, 6248 0189(h) 6246 5427(w) Duncan McIntyre, 6282 1677(h), 62492067(w), Duncan.McIntyre@anu.edu.au Rochelle O'Hagan, 62479877(h), 62167092(w), rohagan@syseng.anu.edu.au World Wide Web page:  William Keogh, 62479877(h), 624949154(w), William.Keogh@anu.edu.au Postal Address:  ANU Mountaineering Club, C/o Sports Union, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 0200  The Epic is the monthly newsletter of the ANU Mountaineering Club. All contributions will be eagerly accepted. Please write for us!! Photos, cartoons and other artwork are also welcome. Put submissions on paper or floppy disk (text, ASCII, Rich Text Format or Word formats only) into the ANUMC pigeonhole at the Sports Union or send your creations to the editors by email at the above addresses.   The DEADLINE for the December  Fridge Door is:  Friday 21 November. The DEADLINE for The Epic Annual 1997 is: Friday 5 December. An email version of The Epic is also available free of charge. Send an email to <Will.Keogh@faceng.anu.edu.au> to receive your copy.   Back issues of The Epic are available on the ANUMC's World Wide Web site at:   http://student.anu.edu.au/Clubs/Mountaineering During the two days of the weekend, Club members went bushwalking, climbing, mountain biking, kayaking and canyoning – a true celebration of the diversity of activities and skills possessed by our members.  On the Saturday night, around 40 of us came together again for a more intimate dinner at Naturally Bernadettes.  A truly memorable weekend.  The last month has also seen the Club tackling a number of issues with the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS).  Earlier in the month, the NPWS planned to close Gibraltar Peak to climbing after a liability scare.  The NPWS may still close the crag to climbing but Mark Jellinek has written to them on the Club’s behalf, explaining why closing the peak is unnecessary.  The Club has also been involved in opposing the proposed downgrading of the Guthega road.  If you would like more information about either of these issues, please contact me.  In the last few weeks, the ACT Granite Guide has finally gone to the printers.  Only a few tiny problems remain before we will see the long awaited completely revised Guide.  John Churchill has done a great job of putting together a guidebook we can be proud of.  I’ve seen the proofs – the photography in the new Guide is awesome.  Expect it in outdoor stores within the month.  This year, the Club plans to produce The Epic Annual, a professionally printed magazine that will provide an overview of the year.  It will contain summaries of the Club’s activities, trip reports, swags of photographs and anything else Club members send to the Editors.  It is sure to be a piece of nostalgia you will pull out fondly every few years for a long time to come.  So send us your articles and fill out the form on page 14 to receive your copy.  Just a few days ago, Will Steffen (ANUMC President in 1986 and long time Club member) contacted me with the prospect of yet another exciting publishing project.  Will has written a history of Australian mountaineering from 1922 to 1990.  He has asked the Club if we would be interested in publishing this history as the Club has played an important role in the development of mountaineering in Australia.  The Club Committee will evaluate this project and keep you informed about its progress.  It has been a busy month at the Sports Union (SU) as well.  Two amendments to the SU constitution will be up for the vote at a General Meeting in the general purpose room in the SU - 7pm Thursday 30th October.  The amendments aim to increase student representation on the Sports Council, the body that controls the SU.  I encourage you to come along and have your say at the meeting.  The ANUMC Constitution is also up for change.  Kieran O’Leary has gone through four drafts and extensive consultation in order to get a new Club Constitution together.  The proposed new Constitution is currently displayed on the ANUMC noticeboard and will be voted on during the Club AGM.  Which brings me to the AGM.  On the 5th  November, the Club will hold its Annual General Meeting as part of our November social meeting.  There will be a free BBQ starting at 6pm with the AGM at 7:30.  Afterwards, we’ll have a “five best slides” show, which was a highlight of last year’s slide show calendar.  At the AGM, all the Club positions will be open and we want the best people possible to lead us next year.  Hopefully some of these people will be new faces with fresh ideas.  Come along – to be one of those people or to help us decide who the best people for the job are.  Personally, 1997 has been a fabulous year for me. I have thoroughly enjoyed being President of a Club to which I have been, and will remain, committed for many years.  The Club is full of fantastic people and it has been a great honour for me to be able to serve you all.  I have made many fabulous new friendships during the year and strengthened many others.  I will always cherish my time as ANUMC President.  I think this year has been the best year the Club has ever had.  But it wouldn’t have happened were it not for the enthusiasm and dedication of so many people – in fact, too many people to name.  I’d like to thank the Club’s hard working executive, trip leaders, editors, activity and gear store officers.  Thanks to those people who have donated their time to organise various events during the year, or who have volunteered their time to help staff doors, counters, belays and a thousand other things.  I’d like to thank those long-time Club members who offered me so much essential advice during the year, and the various special guests who have given talks during the year.  I’d also like to thank all the event participants, who help generate the enthusiasm of which we are all a part.  Finally, a special thankyou to Will Keogh.  As Vice-President he has been the supporting pillar that allowed me to do so much this year.  He was always there to pick up the pieces when I couldn’t hold them and he has been sorely missed during his absence this month!  Have a great summer.  I look forward to seeing you all being a part of the ANUMC again during 1998.  …Duncan McIntyre, President.    Duncan, Lincoln and Tim at the Anniversary talk (PHOTO: MIKA KONTIANEN) Gear Store  The ANUMC has a wide range of outdoor equipment available for hire at scandalously low rates. For a list of equipment and hire charges visit the gear store (upstairs in the gym in the Sports Union).  There will be a new arrangement for the gearstore over the Uni Christmas holidays. For the months of DECEMBER, JANUARY and FEBRUARY the gearstore will only open on WEDNESDAY evenings between 5:45 - 6:15pm.  If you wish to borrow or return gear at this time, you MUST CONTACT a gearstore officer (except Derek ‘cause he’s in Tassie) beforehand to make sure the gearstore will be open.  As a last resort contact Duncan (pres) or Will (vice-pres) to open the gearstore.  Note: gearstore officers will not open the gearstore at any time other than Wednesday evenings (i.e like Friday afternoon).  Large bribes are not encouraged but may be accepted...  …Kevin, Matt & Derek, Gearstore Officers.  Kayaking Gear  Drink more wine…and save the wine bladders to put in the Club kayaks for flotation.  Either bring them to the gear store when it’s open, drop them in at my office, Haydon Allen 2179, or put them in my pigeon hole in the corridor of Women’s Studies Centre.  …Kirsten Mackay, Kayaking Officer.  Climbing News  The ANU climbing wall will be closed for exams from Wed 5 November until Thur 20 November.  Climbing route setters!  Interested in setting routes on the new ANU climbing wall?  Please contact Mark Jellinek 62511887h 62490318w <mark.jellinek@anu.edu.au>.  Climbing at Red Rocks Gorge, in the Murrumbidgee River valley, is banned from now until January 1998, due to the Peregrine Falcon nesting season.  Walking Wadbilliga - the continuing story...  You will remember when we left our hero (me) and his party, they were standing in the dark, wet, cold, thick scrub...  Plateaus are bloody hard things to navigate on when you can’t see anything!  Somewhere here we had to do a dogleg or we’d end up in shit creek, but how do you tell where ‘here’ is?  Oh yeah, and the scrub decided to go over head high again, but now we had no warning at all before running into those bloody banksias.  Still, our hero managed some brilliant navigation and we managed to make the right turns without going too far out of our way (okay so I guessed, but hey I got it right!).  Now only 1.5km to go and only one more obstacle, Wadbilliga Mountain!  As we headed up the mountain I was feeling good, the scrub had thinned and I knew we were on the right track.  Also, there was a trig at the top which conjured images of a path, maybe even a fire trail!  Halfway up it was time for a rest; scrub-bashing takes its toll both physically and mentally, and navigation can also be hard work.  As I lay back in a tea-tree hammock and stared at the blackness a few centimetres before my eyes, I listened to the other guys being very, very quiet.  At last I’d found a way to shut Bram up!  Maybe I could use this method again in the future.  Yves hanging around above Bluegum Creek  (PHOTO: MIKA KONTIANEN) Back on our feet again, I was starting to get excited, we had to be almost at the trig.  The ground was leveling off and the scrub was getting nasty again.  It wouldn’t be long now!  Then, suddenly, I popped out of the tea-tree into a clearing... a very level clearing... that was also making my feet very, very cold.  Some fool had gone and done the unthinkable, designed a mountain with a lake on the top of it!  Up to that point I’d been feeling none too bad, but standing mid-calf deep in a lake, on top of a mountain, in the pitch black, with the temperature well into the freezing range it was the final straw.  All I wanted to do now was crawl into my sleeping bag, but of course lakes don’t make great campsites!  Hmm, and where was that trig with that wonderful trail?  We wandered about for a bit, waded a few more lakes (Hell, I’d go back to Scotland if I wanted this sort of experience!) and then took a bold compass bearing back into the scrub.  If there was a trig there, well, we could have just about walked under it without seeing it, and if there was a path I don’t want to know about it!  So, about an hour later, tired and cold we reached a point where I was positive we were within 30 metres of the fire trail.  There was a slight absence of vegetation on some rocky but swampy ground and that looked like a piece of heaven.  Camp was made, dinner was cooked and actually finding the fire trail was postponed till the following day.  I crawled into my sleeping bag, wrapped myself in some groundsheets and tried in vain to get my feet warm before falling asleep.  And that, folks, ends the exciting part of the walk.  The next day we woke up to find everything covered in ice.  Donned our frozen socks and boots.  Found the fire trail within spitting distance and followed it back to the car at a very leisurely pace.  The Wadbilliga is definitely a place I will be going back to in the future.  A great place to WALK!  ...Derek.    For Sale  ANUMC T-shirts are still available! Visit the Gear Store during opening times and check them out - a bargain at only $12!  The Club wants to sell two of its Wildcountry Quasar snowcamping tents. They're in fair condition, having survived many ANUMC trips, but there’s plenty of life in them yet - these tents are tough! $230 each.  Wanted To Buy  Sailboard, standard beginner/intermediate config w/board and 5-6m sail.  Contact Mike Roberts 2674176h <r3073994@student.anu.edu.au> Jerrara Creek  It was the 30th anniversary of the Mountaineering Club, so the weekend’s trips had to be special. Ours certainly was.  Since I’ve been a member of the Club, there have been more than 200 trips run.  We were the first group in all those trips to be more than 12 hours late getting back; the first group to spend an unplanned night in the bush; the first group to have a Search and Rescue team come looking for us and the first group to get a mention on ABC radio news.  Whoops.  The trip started normally, with me sleeping in and running late.  I had been on a bushwalk the day before, and had a very impressive scratch collection which I was planning to show off at climbing on Monday.  We got to Bungonia and set off down a scenic walking track to the start of the canyon.  We almost didn’t make it, as we met a snake about halfway down the track, but it was nice enough to disappear into the bush instead of coming towards us.  We got to the canyon, put on thermals, harnesses and helmets and discovered that all the rain had made the canyon slightly fuller than usual.  I’ve been down the canyon 5 times before, and there has never been more than a trickle of water running down it.  This time there was a lot of flow.  Excellent!  All the water made the canyon much more interesting.  The best part was halfway down the second (and hardest) abseil, as a short thunderstorm passed overhead.  Hanging on a rope halfway down a 30m cliff, beside a thundering waterfall, rain pouring down and watching lightning flash overhead was an awesome experience.  All the water also meant that the canyon took a bit longer, and we reached the end just on dusk.  The only problem with canyons is that altitude you lose by abseiling and walking down the canyon, you gain again when you walk out.  The walk out of Jerrara Ck is a narrow spur that slopes at an angle of about 45 degrees, has lots of trees, loose rocks, and 2-3 metre vertical climbs over rocky outcrops.  Near the bottom there are 20 and 30 metre cliffs on either side of the spur.  The climb goes on for 300-400 metres.  Having to do it in the dark carrying a pack with 110m of wet rope and other stuff in it just made it worse.  The climb was going fine until about halfway up, when a loose rock disappeared from under my feet and bounced down the hill.  It was closely followed by me bouncing down the hill after it.  Talk about awesome experiences!  Off I went, bouncing over rocks, trees, and 3 metre vertical bits, desperately trying to self arrest.  I was grabbing on to rocks and trees, and finding that they pulled out of the ground and came bouncing with me.  I was also slightly worried about the 20 and 30 metre cliffs on the sides of the spur, which were only about another 50 metres of bouncing away.  After about 40 metres I managed to get hold of a tree which stayed in the ground.  I leant back against a tree, decided nothing was broken, swore very, very loudly, and then shook for 5 minutes.  A quick injury check came up with two very bruised and bleeding knees and shins and an extremely sore foot.  It also came up with the worst problem for the weekend:  one of the magic Tevas (sports sandals) had come off and was somewhere on the hill below me!    The idyllic Tuross River (PHOTO: DUNCAN MCINTYRE) Climbing the rest of the hill was not much fun.  The rock climbing parts were very hard as one of my feet didn’t want to take very much weight on it.  I decided to make it easier by putting my knee on the rock, and discovered that it hurt even more to put weight on.  I swore a couple more times and tried my foot again, and this time I made it up.  Our progress was still extremely slow, and about three quarters of the way up we saw a big searchlight on the ridge opposite us.  A bit of screaming and shouting established that this was Goulburn Police’s S&R group out looking for us.  They discovered that we were still alive and still walking, and then disappeared again, hopefully to come and appear at the top of the spur we were climbing.  We eventually made it to the top, and set off back to the car.  After about 600 metres of the 4km walk, the track disappeared and we decided that since we (me especially) were very sore and getting tired, that it was a good place to stop for the night.  About 10 minutes after we had got out the space blanket and laid down for a very friendly night’s sleep, a car came past 40 metres from us.  It was the S&R people heading off to the top of the spur to see if they could find us.  Unfortunately the trees and the noise of Bungonia Ck meant that they didn’t hear us calling out, so they went home again.  We didn’t get a great deal of sleep, but we did get to watch a magnificent sunrise the next morning.  After that we packed up, found the fire trail that the car came down, and wandered off to the car.  We made it at 7am, 14 hours after we planned to get back.  When we hit Goulburn and stopped for breakfast, I managed to get through 2 pies, 2 sausage rolls, a croissant and a pizza bread.  It’s amazing how hungry you get after nearly 24 hours eating only frogs and chocolate.  My scratch collection had improved enormously, including a toenail pointing straight upwards, and looked very impressive at Monday night climbing.  Thanks to the others on the trip, who gave me lots of moral support and a shoulder to lean on so I could limp easier.  And thanks to the Bungonia S&R people.  It was a huge morale boost to know that someone was out looking for us.  I’ll be going back to Jerrara Ck sometime this month to see if I can find my missing Teva.  It should be a really good trip, although I refuse to perform an action replay for those that want to know what happened.  I’ll only do it if I’m allowed to use a stuntman.  …Matt.    Michaela enjoys the sunshine (PHOTO: MIKA KONTIANEN) The Epic Annual 1997  1997 saw the Club celebrate its 30th Anniversary in style.  To round off the year, The Epic Annual 1997 is being produced.  The Annual will be full of the best trip reports, quotes & photos from this year’s Epics as well as a whole heap of new stuff.  We’re looking for contributions of all sorts, be they artistic, literary, poetic or pictorial.  So dig out your photos and pen down your thoughts about trips or the Club in general.  The deadline for the Annual is Friday 5 December.  The Annual can be ordered by returning the order form at the bottom of this page by the 5th December to the Sports Union for a cost of $4 including postage.  When printed, the Annuals will be posted out and should hit your mailboxes sometime around Xmas.  ...Eds.  The Rave  It’s been a great year this year and we’ve been lucky to be able to make The Epic the wonderful newsletter it has become. Thanks to all the fabulous people who contributed articles, photos, artwork, trips and to all those who came along to help collate the newsletter each month. We couldn’t have done it without you! We are going to be putting out short Epics over summer and The Epic Annual, so read the notices on the next few pages to find out how to get yours. Next year we are going to need more people to help on the editorial staff so contact us to find out how you can become involved. See you next year!  …Eds.      See you next year  (PHOTO: DUNCAN MCINTYRE) December Fridge Door  To keep you up to date with what’s happening over the summer the Club will be putting out a newssheet in December.  This will be just a Fridge Door letting you know what trips are being run when, and any other important news for members.  The deadline for the December newssheet is Friday 21 November so let us know of any trips you want included.  ...Eds.  Quote for the month  I never lived in a house yet without there was something wrong with it.  Gimme a good tent.   - Henry Lawson The Epic Annual 1997 Order Form   Name:  Address:  Postcode:                  Phone (BH):    Phone (AH):  Please send       copies of The Epic Annual 1997 to the above address.  I enclose $      . ($4 per Annual including postage)  Make cheques payable to ANUMC, or pay cash at the Gear Store. Please return to: The Epic Annual, ANU Mountaineering Club, C/o Sports Union, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200. Return by the 5th December.  Fridge Door November 1997  5:30pm Wednesdays - Social Sessions  Every Wednesday we meet down at the Uni-Bar to drink, chat, compare bruises, show photos and plan upcoming trips. Come on down from 5:30pm till 7pmish on Wednesdays - outside on warm days or inside otherwise. See you there!  Contact Derek Cleland 62425735h <D.Cleland@student.anu.edu.au>.  6:00pm Thursdays - BYO BBQs on Black Mountain Peninsula  With spring here and warmer temperatures, some of us feel like having BBQ nights to enjoy the company of other Club members out of the bush. There will be regular BBQ’s on Thursdays (weekly or fortnightly depending on demand) as long as the weather permits. Venue is Black Mountain Peninsula (near the playground) from 6pm onwards and open to all - come along and join us!  You’ll need to bring all your own food, drink, crockery and cooking utensils. The only thing we can guarantee is fine company! Black Mountain Peninsula offers BBQ facilities, but bring lanterns, torches, frisbees, windproof clothes and insect repellent. There’s a BBQ email list if you’d like to receive reminder-notices and weather forecasts. Just drop me an email if you want to be included. More details, food-sharing and car-lifts can also be arranged on Wednesdays at the drinks. Contact Karine 62578804h 62492766w <karine.tremblay@anu.edu.au>  Monday nights - ANU Climbing Wall  5:30pm-8pm general ANUMC members, 8pm-10pm ANUMC women climbers only. The ANU climbing wall will be closed for exams from Wed 5 November until Thur 20 November.  Every Monday evening the ANU Sports Union climbing wall will be open to all ANUMC members. If you don’t have any gear or have never climbed before - don’t worry. Turn up, we will have the gear (except climbing boots) ready and all you have to do is CLIMB. You will need to show your ANUMC card on arrival. Contact Mark Jellinek 62511887h 62490318w <mark.jellinek@anu.edu.au> or Sam Reinhart 62485551h.  I’m Lost! - Orienteering and Rogaining  The arrival of daylight saving means there’ll soon be Wednesday evening orienteering events, for anyone who wants to have a go. Events will be close-in to Canberra, cost $5 or less and will be suitable for teaching beginner navigators + keeping more experienced orienteers fit over the summer. Check the ANUMC noticeboard for lists of events from mid-Nov.  Here’s when and where things are happening in November - for details or info on later events, contact Jane 62480189h or Anna 62498817h.  Wed 29 Oct - Bruce Ridge, Masterman St. <$5, 11:30-13:00.  Sat 1 Nov - ACT Spring 6 / 12 hr Rogaine.  Sun 2 Nov - Mountainbike Orienteering Championships - Stromlo Forest. Enter on the day.  Also, browse the Web pages:  O-ing: http://www.acslink.aone.net.au/aardvarksystems/  Rogaining: http://www.ma.adfa.oz.au/~gnm/Rog/actra.html    DISCOUNTS!  ANUMC members are reminded that they are entitled to a 10% discount at:    Belconnen Camping World Snowgum (Scout Outdoor Centre) in Braddon Camping & Ski Equipment (CSE) in Phillip Mountain Designs in Braddon Jurkewicz Adventure Sports in Fyshwick Kathmandu Outdoor Equipment in Civic Paddy Pallin in Braddon upon showing their membership card. These establishments are renowned for their high quality gear, competitive prices and great service. Remember them for all your outdoor sporting needs!  Kayak Rolling Sessions  Amaze your friends by falling over in your boat and coming upright again! Once a week this month, on Monday or Tuesday evenings I am organising rolling sessions, probably at Canberra Pool. Instruction is available at all levels from beginners to advanced. Even if you don’t aspire to roll, you can learn lots of useful things in the comfort of a pool. Bring a diving mask or nose-clip for maximum comfort. Cost: depends on number of people, but about $5.00. Contact Kirsten 62476185h 62492734w <Kirsten.Mackay@anu.edu.au>  Canyoning  Canyoning will be happening regularly over the summer. If anyone is interested in going on trips, please contact me. Trips will be run for both beginners and more experienced people. The first trip will be to Jerrara Ck in late November, where I hope to find my missing Teva. Contact Matt Mayoh 62425735h <m3027531@student.anu.edu.au>  30 Oct - 2 Nov - Budawangs Exam Blues Buster - M/M  The thought of end-of-year exams getting you down? Feel as if you need some fresh air and exercise after too many weekends of being locked up, finishing off the last of your assignments? Then come on this outstanding pre-exam spring four-day walk in the Budawangs. Highlights will include Hidden Valley & Pagoda Rocks, Mount Houghton & Mount Tarn, Seven Gods Pinnacles & Monolith Valley, The Castle (TBC), Yurnga Lookout & Corang Peak. Call early as spaces are limited. Pretrip 6pm Tue 28 Oct at the gear store. Contact Mika 62505344w 62867111h <mika.kontiainen@ag.gov.au>  Sat 1 Nov - Mt Wee Jasper - M/E  This walk follows a section of the Hume & Hovell Walking Track just south of Lake Burrinjuck. A 720m gain in altitude is necessary before the summit of Mt Wee Jasper (1121m) can be reached. There is a good marked trail all the way though, so the climb shouldn’t be too hard. Attractions include mountain views and a dip in a waterfall (unless the waterfall dries up, of course). Definitely not an endurance event, it should be a nice day out, weather permitting. Pretrip meeting 7pm Wed 29 Oct at the Gear Store. Contact Tom Wilanowski 62810946h 62493951w <tomasz@rsbs.anu.edu.au>.  Sun 2 Nov - Mountainbike Orienteering Championships  Open to everyone with a mountainbike and a little navigational know-how! Enter on the day. Entry fee $10 per person, ride individually or in pairs. Contact Anna 62498817h 62495521w or Jane 62480189h 62465427w .  1-3 Nov - The Pilot - L/R  Attack The Pilot from Barry Way. Includes daunting 900m climb in first 5km, riverside campsites and excellent views from Mt Cobberas No 2 and The Pilot. About 83km and 2000m vertical on bikes, and 10km and 650m vertical on foot. These will be long, hard days so you’ll need to be fit. Contact Christian Martin on 62485482h <C.Martin@student.anu.edu.au>.  7:30pm Wednesday 5 November - AGM and Free BBQ  Contrary to prior advertising, the ANUMC AGM is on the 5th November. A free BBQ at 6pm (all food provided, vegetarians catered for) will start the evening off, followed by the AGM at 7:30pm. All Committee positions are vacant so we’re looking for lots of new people to have a go - no experience required! After the AGM there’ll be a "Five Best Slides" show. Bring along your 5 favourite slides for all to see - preferably of Club events, but any outdoor activity will do. A prize will be awarded for the best set of slides.  The meeting will be held at the Leonard Huxley Theatre (and tea room), Computer Services Building (next to the John Curtin School of Medical Research), Mills Road, ANU. All ANUMC members are welcome!  Sat 8 Nov - Liloing the Murrumbidgee  Finally, it’s warm enough to get back in the rivers for a mixture of relaxing drifting and adrenaline-pounding rapid rushing. You’ll need to bring your own lilo and helmet and you are guaranteed to get wet! Pretrip 6:30pm Wed 5 Nov at the AGM BBQ. Contact Duncan 62492067w 62821677h <Duncan.McIntyre@anu.edu.au>  6:30-8:30am Fri 14 Nov - Breakfast on Mt Ainslie II  Time again for a breakfast on Mt Ainslie. Last month’s participants really enjoyed it and decided it HAD to become a monthly event. It looks early but once you’re there, you just forget it and enjoy the sunrise! So come along for a relaxing breakfast with fine company. Pancakes are provided but bring something extra to eat and some juice or champagne. Let me know if you plan to come along for me to arrange numbers to cater for, or just turn up on the day. Contact Karine 62578804h 62492766w <karine.tremblay@anu.edu.au>  15-16 Nov - Kayaking  A trip custom-made for you. It could be 2 day trips on the Murrumbidgee, or a trip to the surf, or...the possibilities are endless. If you have never been kayaking or haven’t been for a long time, come to one or all of the rolling sessions before going on this trip. Pretrip 6pm Wed 12 Nov at the gear store. Contact Kirsten Mackay 62476185h 62492734w <Kirsten.Mackay@anu.edu.au>  19-23 Nov - Five days in the Budawangs - L/R  A walk you will never forget. This is a walk I have wanted to do for years - the pick of the Budawangs. Starting at Milton on the coast, we will walk all the way around Hollands Gorge (the jewel of the Budawangs) passing through all my favourite places on the way - Mt. Taltarang, Folly point, Sluice-Box falls, Styles Swamp, Mt. Tarn, Monolith Valley, The Castle, Byangee Walls and Pigeon House. We will cover a lot of ground so you must be fit and experienced. The date and route are still negotiable so give me a call. Ring me as soon as possible to reserve a place - strict limit of six. Pretrip 6:30pm Wed 17 Nov at the Gear Store. Contact Duncan 62492067w 62821677h <Duncan.McIntyre@anu.edu.au>  Wed 3 Dec - Social Meeting: Outback Australia and the Kimberley  Neil Burton will talk about his recent six week driving trip to the Kimberley in Western Australia. Highlights include Mitchell Falls, El Questro Station, Purnullu (the Bungles) and the night sky. The trip covered every state and territory in Australia except Tasmania!  The meeting will be held at the Leonard Huxley Theatre (and tea room), Computer Services Building (next to the John Curtin School of Medical Research), Mills Road, ANU. All ANUMC members are welcome!  6-7 Dec - Bushwalk Beach-party - M/E  The temperature is getting warmer and once again the beach beckons. Can’t choose between it and bushwalking??? Then come along for this overnight trip down to the south coast where we’ll combine bushwalking, swimming and a beach party on the sand on Saturday night. Imagine...camping on the beach...listening to the surf...star-gazing...or perhaps a moonlight swim. Location will probably be either Mystery Bay or Ben Boyd NP. Pretrip TBA. Contact Karine 62578804h 62492766w <karine.tremblay@anu.edu.au>.  Caving in Western Australia  The Australian National University Caving Club is organising a two week caving expedition to the Nullarbor Plain leaving after exams (end Nov- Dec). As this is an easy and relaxing trip through a unique environment we are inviting interested members of the ANUMC to join us. Or, if you are looking for a lift to W.A. there will be plenty of car space. Contact Miriam Fokker 62363170h <M.Fokker@student.anu.edu.au>  Tas 97-98  I’ll be making yet another attempt to get down to Tas this year. I’ll be heading down early December to attempt the walk that was called off last year. A 26 day trek taking in Federation Peak, the SW Cape and the South Coast Track. Not for the faint hearted, you will need to be FIT and EXPERIENCED! Planning needs to get underway very soon, especially booking of airline tickets, so contact me really soon if you’re interested. Contact Derek Cleland 62425735h <D.Cleland@student.anu.edu.au>, or drop by the Gear Store on Thursday evenings.  Tassie Trip Too - January 98 - M/M  I’m planning to go to Tassie in January and am looking for fellows to come along... The trip would be 2 to 3 weeks away from Canberra, alternating touring and bushwalking, ie designed for those who’ve never been to Tasmania before and want to have an look besides nice walks. Bushwalks won’t exceed 5-6 days at a time to allow for rest, and should be reasonably relaxed. Potential highlights would probably be Hobart, Launceston and Port-Arthur for the historical part and Freycinet, Walls of Jerusalem, Cradle Mountain, St-Clair, the central lakes and the South-West Coast for nature. However the precise itinerary isn’t fixed yet, to allow potential participants to contribute. If this sounds tempting, get in touch with Karine 62578804h 62492766w <karine.tremblay@anu.edu.au>  April, 1998 - Mera Peak Expedition, Nepal, Himalaya  Join experienced mountaineers Armando Corvini and Mike Law-Smith and their select staff of sherpas to Mera Peak in the Solu Khumbu Nepal Himalaya early April 1998.  This is a trekking and climbing expedition into a remote and spectacular region of Nepal. Mera Peak lies at the head of the Hinky Valley and to the east of Mt Everest and Khumbu. The vantage points offered from the summit and its upper ridges could be considered some of the best available on a "trekking peak expedition". The remote trekking through forest and Sherpa villages as we approach provide a refreshing combination of environments and experiences.  Although not technically difficult, Mera is the highest of the trekking peaks, standing at 6476m and presents quite a task to reach any of its three summits so we would expect participants to be of excellent fitness and have basic experience in rock and snow techniques in order to have the optimum chance of gaining the summit.  Please apply in writing stating age, sex and experience to: Mera Peak Expedition 98, C/o Armando Corvini, 54 Macgregor St, Deakin ACT 2600

 

Club Contacts November 97