UNSW Bushwalking & Mountaineering Club

Newsletter - September 2001

The holidays are coming up, so why not come on one of the club trips? Better yet, run a club trip yourself. If you're not entirely confidant about running a trip, have a chat with someone on the exec. We're always happy to give some pointers and help out.

Rogaining: NSW Champs

No matter what is in your past there should be a rogaine in your future. (Beginners up to guru's all highly welcome.)

Coming up on the 27/28th of October is the NSW rogaining championships. Don't let that scare you, everyone is more than welcome to enter, winning just carries a bigger weight. The event also counts towards the Eastern University Championship. Everyone needs to enter, we have no idea of how good all of the other uni's are, and there are Mens, Mixed and Women's events. The championship event is the 24 hour event so I would encourage everyone to enter that one, however there is also the 12 hour event. I have spoken to some people at the meeting and I'm really pleased to find you are all keen to go rogaining. I have had troubles with some people's emails so I would really like EVERYONE to email me who wants to enter, with the info below (including those who have given me their names already):

• name
• student number
• phone number
• address
• age (for the entries)
• if you have any experience in this sort of thing
• how you would rate your fitness

I'll try getting everyone in a suitable team when it get a little closer to the date. If you already have a team, thats great. Email with any questions you have (no matter how big or small)

Adrian
basement@ozonline.com.au
ph: 93993280

Boree Log 2, Take 2!

Well, due to forecasts of snow, and full pit toilets(!), we decided to postpone Boree Log 2. It was a tough decision, but we want the weekend to be heaps of fun, not cold and miserable. So, as promised, we've set a new date: the weekend at the end of week 11. If the last few days are anything to go by, it should be much warmer than the original weekend. This should mean we'll be able to do a wider range of canyons.

When

Friday 12 October - Sunday 14 September. People will be leaving Friday daytime, Friday evening, and Saturday.

Where

This semester, we'll be going to Deep Pass, a fantastic area in the Wollemi National Park, west of Sydney. There is a large open area for camping, as well as a number of overhangs (perfect for sleeping without a tent!). We'll probably be looking at about a 3 hour drive to get to Deep Pass from Sydney.

Transport

Hopefully, there will be enough car spaces for everyone. If you can drive, it would be great if you could help out, and give others a lift. Can drivers contact Ari ASAP at ilikedaus@yahoo.com.au. If we don't have enough car spaces, then we will have to get some cars to pick people up from Bell train station. You may also want to mountain bike in from Bell, or beyond. We will have to walk the last 800m to the camping spot, so unlike the Bungonia Boree Log, we will not be car camping.

What will we be doing?

• Canyoning/Abseiling: There are two easy canyons near Deep Pass: River Caves canyon and Deep Pass canyon. Each take about half a day. Neither require you to get more than your feet wet, and have no abseils. If you haven't been canyoning before, these are an ideal introduction. If you have, they are still very worthwhile. There is potential to do some more challenging canyons (Tiger Snake?). Also, we may set up some ropes so you can learn or refresh abseiling and prussiking, two very important canyoning skills.
• Walking: There are heaps of good walks in the area, including one that heads down to the fantastic Bungleboori Creek. Also, there are lots of interesting rock features near the camp that are worth exploring.
• Climbing: Rumour has it that there are some 30m cliffs that are worth climbing, so we'll be taking some ropes! We will provide all the gear.
• Caving: There are a few easy caves to check out.
• Mountain Biking: It is possible to ride into Deep Pass. You might like to arrange for a car to carry your gear.
• Campfire/Feasting/Drinking: The Boree Log gains much of its reputation from what happens after the sun goes down!

Great, how do I sign up?

If you can drive, send Ari an email as soon as possible (ilikedaus@yahoo.com.au). We'll be posting a list of drivers on the website soon. To sign up, contact the driver directly. Once all the car spaces fill up, we'll arrange some times to pick people up from Bell train station. If you are catching the train, or need to find out anything else, contact Andrew (acollins@climb.wow.aust.com).

Keep checking our Boree Log page on our website for the latest information.

Canyoning - What is it?

This article may bring deja vu: it is lifted from our newsletter two years ago. But its a great description of what canyoning is all about, so here it is.

Well you've seen the occasional notice in the trips list through out winter, and maybe you've heard a bit about it before, and you're wondering what this canyoning business is all about. In its most basic form, canyoning involves walking along a creek as it winds its way down through a canyon. Some canyons (horizontal canyons) have no significant drops in them, and can be traversed without the need for ropes and abseiling equipment. Other canyons either require largish jumps into rockpools as you make your way down the canyon, or abseiling down even bigger drops.

Canyons are usually quite cold, the floor of the canyon will often only receive light for a few hours each day. Often there are sections where sides of the canyon meet the creek, forcing you to swim along the creek to get to the next section of the canyon. The longer canyons can take more than a day to traverse, although most of the popular canyons can be done in the length of a day.

Why would people want to drag themselves through the cold dark water at the bottom of a canyon? Because the environment in a canyon is unlike anything else in the bush. There are ferns and mosses growing all around. The sides are often beautifully shaped by the action of the creek during their formation. Sometimes the canyon will get so constricted that there no light at the bottom. In these conditions you can often find hundreds of glow worms lighting up the roof of the canyon.

Also, traversing a canyon is great fun. There are all sorts of rock slides, waterfalls, jumps and other challenges to be negotiated as you make your way down the canyon. There is a huge range of difficulty in canyons, ranging from those which just about anyone can do, through to challenging multi-day adventures that require true skill to complete successfully.

There will be a few canyoning trips happening in the next month or two, so why not try this fantastic sport. At the Boree Log 2, we will be checking out some perfect beginners canyons.

Trip Reports

We're always on the lookout for more trips reports to line these pages. Length is not an issue. Reports could be for anything - walking, XC skiing, climbing, canyoning, and from participants of all levels. We're especially keen to get reports from beginners, to inspire less active club members.

Trip Report - Otford to Bundeena Coastal Walk

By Bob Barsotti
Royal National Park, August 5 and 6.
Trip Leader: Tom Sobey
Participants: Tom Sobey, Sally Chapmen, Karmen Wang, Lauren, Charlie, Melanie, Adam, Angus Wong, Bob Barsotti

We conquered the entire length (26 km) of the infamous Royal National Park Coastal Walk in what was an action packed adventure for all, complete with stunning scenery, exciting hiking, tramping and bushwalking, and some interesting encounters with wildlife. The group itself was one of true international character, as the participants were originally from 4 of the 6 inhabited continents on the earth.

After an early rise to catch the train to Otford, the crew, led by fearless leader Tom Sobey, headed off for the first leg of the trail. Hiking through the thick Palm Jungle, we all received botany lessons form the world renown botanist Tom, who pointed out the exquisite E flower(Gymea Lilly), an unusual specimen. The thick vegetation was rather impressive, and it felt a few degrees cooler under the palm forest. Reaching the Burning Palms Beach, we took a quick break to climb on the rocks and just lounge around soaking up some sun, which turned out to be a fabulous idea. We all took turns throughout the weekend of mastering the black focus dot on Sally's technologically advanced camera.

Walking up into the hills, we passed the cabins of some local residents, one of whom was kind enough to point out the 6 ft diamond python snake which lived in the attic of his home! Quite impressive views could be seen from the top of the hills looking back on Burning Palms Beach. We pulled up for lunch along some rock ledges along Garie Beach, and the group sampled Adam's infamous Granola Bars which of course Kellogg's had slyly used the recipe from the legendary Nut n' Honey Crunch cereal. A pretty lunchtime view could be seen as the waves crashed against the rocks. Now the group headed back into the highlands, as the sun began to disappear behind a seemingly upcoming frontal system. The fearless leader urged the group to move onwards in an attempt to reach the campsite before the rains cam tumbling down. Time was taken to stop and admire beautiful deer that were only meters away. After conquering a huge incline, the group lost sight of the trail for a brief time but was able to follow the Pacific Ocean coastline northward in a remarkable feat of navigational brilliance. The white sandstone cliffs looked amazing as they jutted 100 meters down into the Pacific Ocean.

The rains came pouring down but the group sported their rain gear and carried on over the often slick terrain to reach the campsite at Curracurrang (not to be confused with the neighboring Curracurrong) by around 3:30 pm. Relief was found under a perfectly placed rock overhang, where the trangia was used to make some hot tea. At around 4:30 pm, when the rain stopped, the group set up their tents, squeezing 9 people into 3 small tents, no easy feat in itself. Our neighbouring campers were an unusual group of smokers, jokers and mid-night tokers, as they played their music (gangster rap all night long) in the rain. They didn't seme to grasp the whole solitude of nature concept.

Pasta was the dinner of choice for many as we cooked our dinners on the trangia's back under the overhang, which served as a base camp of sorts. Dinner was followed by a hilarious game of riddles, where bizarre clues led to seemingly weird answers (with people jumping off of hot-air balloons). Freaky ghost stories were told throughout the night (including cars which rolled uphill in the blue mountains). The skies parted in time for a short astronomy lesson for the Northern Hemispherians (Americans and Scottish) who were on a hopeless search for the North Star. An early bedtime greeted the tired hikers in the nice warm dry tents.

Waking up around 6:30 am to the sounds of the whip bird, the group found a nice waterfall, where Tom took a quick frigid early morning swim. Angus was greeted by the sad news that his food had suffered an attack by a vicious reindeer (Rudolph was the prime suspect) the night before. Luckily Adam's peanut butter and jelly survived the attack, but the same reindeer may have been responsible for the pugilism of Tom's sleeping bag cover. Breakfast at the beach was accompanied by a beautiful rainbow and a few crabs that were found on the rocks.

The group started back on the track by 9am as the sun was coming out of the clouds for what would be a gorgeous day. Hiking along the white, red and orange sandstone cliffs, we almost felt like we were walking on a foreign planet. Beautiful wildflowers accompanied our path through the highlands, as we trekked through the merciless sand, our legs and shoulders aching more with each step. We stopped for lunch at Marley Beach, where the cultural diversity of the group showed its true colours. A heated debate raged over the merits of vegemite versus peanut butter and jelly. Also on Marley Beach we learned about the Cuttle fish form soon to be G. P., Angus.

Walking back into the highlands, we marvelled at beautiful wildflowers and the yellow wings of the New Holland Honey Eater. More beautiful cliffs and crashing waves could be seen and rolls of film were taken. Every corner proved to be another "Kodak moment." The tired and somewhat thirsty group carried on, as Sally led a sing-along to carry us through the rest of the hike. 26 km from where we started, the group reached Jibbon beach and Bundeena. After soaking our feet in the cool waters, we ate at a local fish and chips joint and enjoyed a Frisbee toss on the green before catching the 4PM ferry back to Cronulla and then the train to Sydney. All in all an amazing weekend adventure, which will not be soon forgotten......

Trips List