Activities - UTS Outdoor Adventure Club

CLIMBING AT ARAPILES - Start Date: 10/4/2008

Fri, 5 Sep 2008 06:59:01 +1000

PLEASE NOTE I AM NOT THE ORGANISER OF THIS ACTIVITY. IF INTERESTED CONTACT SHARON TSETONG: sharontsetong (at) hotmail (dot) com

Anyone interested in a couple of weeks of trad climbing at Araps?
October 4 - 25 (approx)

Must be a confident trad climber and have your own gear. This is a private non-club trip.

Please contact Shazz if you are interested - Do not sign up online or 'reply' to this email.

Thanks
El

ARAPILES/ GRAMPIANS OCT 4TH - 27th - Start Date: 10/4/2008

Fri, 5 Sep 2008 05:46:52 +1000

I am heading to arapiles about weekend of oct 4th for 3 weeks and climbing climbing climbing!

feel free to come on down and join.

this is a premier area to learn trad or get better at trad- im working onboth!

a trip to the grampians may be on the cards as well.

if anyone wants to come down for part or all, get in touch.

im also looking to carpool w as many people as possible to share fuel and save the environment (aka the world)

get in touch only if you are seriously interested (seriously:)

sharontsetong@hotmail.com

Rockclimbing - Advanced Level - This Sunday - Start Date: 9/7/2008

Thu, 4 Sep 2008 09:45:51 +1000

One for the climbers:
Sunday 7th September

My preference will be to go to the Blue Mountains, depending on who is around and available, this will define the trip.
This trip will not be for beginners - you need to be a serious climber with a good knowledge and skills.
Please only join the activity if you have:

your own gear
know your way around cliffs
abseiling
and leadclimbing

Otherwise, more beginner activities will be coming soon.

Indoor Climbing: UTS club night at The Ledge - Start Date: 9/8/2008

Wed, 3 Sep 2008 13:14:29 +1000

Indoor Climbing: UTS Club night @ Sydney Uni (The Ledge)

Every Monday night UTS Outdoor Adventurers converge at the Ledge to catch up, meet learn, teach and climb.

We normally arrive at 6pm and finish up around 9.30pm, followed by a quick dash to the Lansdowne for the $5 meal!

Everyone is welcome from hard core boulderers to curious first timers. If you don't have equipment, a climbing partner or have never climbed before it's not a problem.

Costs are $5 for UTS Outdoor Adventure Club Members (you must present a card, if you dont have one you can pick one up on the night)

UTS harnesses are available behind the counter - so if you need one, show your card and ask for a UTS Club Harness.

If you cant find me when you get there, ask the staff to point out Harry or Marty.

Ride, Drive, walk or otherwise catch any bus down Parramatta Road to Sydney Uni

If you have any questions feel free to email me hhayashi@gmail.com

If Mondays aren't convenient or you just want to meet other climbers join our Google group http://groups.google.com/group/UTSOAClastminuteclimbingpartners

Navigation and Rogaine Skills Workshop - Start Date: 9/20/2008

Mon, 1 Sep 2008 15:34:51 +1000

Navigation and Rogaine Skills Workshop

20-21 September 2008

(This event is run by Rogaining NSW)

Do you compete in rogaines, but would like to do better? Would you like to increase your confidence and contribute more to your team? Are you comfortable navigating in the dark?

How about improving your skills so that you can take your mates rogaining and not get lost too often?

NSW Rogaine Association will be holding a Navigation and Rogaine Skills workshop at Rydal (near Lithgow) on September 20-21. The program includes:

3 practical navigations sessions in small groups with an instructor (including one at night)
targeted sessions on route planning and what to pack and eat when rogaining
lots of fun
a short rogaine to practice all of the new tricks

The instructors are all experienced rogainers who are keen to share their knowledge. As this is an inaugural workshop, the entry numbers will be capped to 50. This is to ensure a low participant to instructor ratio (target is 4:1) and to provide a flexible format.

Entries are now openfor the workshop and will close on Friday 12 September. Entry costs $57 per person ($40 for concession) or $110 for a household.

http://www.nswrogaining.org/AboutEvents/Events/08RW/08RW.htm for more information

Blue Lake Ice Climbing Trip - Start Date: 9/12/2008

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 09:23:41 +1000

This trip is for people with previous experience in ice climbing/mountaineering, or those with solid rock climbing skills who would like to try their hand at ice climbing.

The best location for Ice Climbing in NSW is Blue Lake, in the Kosciusko National Park. Blue Lake can be reaced on skis or snowshoes, and a trip from the overnight carpark at Guthega to the lake takes around 4hrs in good weather.

Weather in the Snowy Mountains can change rapidly. People heading out to Blue Lake should have experience in alpine/back country travel and be sufficiently equiped to handle servere weather conditions including high winds, cold temperatures and poor visibility. Ideally you should have your own technical ice climbing tools (adze and hammer) as well as crampons and snow shoes (or cross country skis). You should also have experience in camping in the backcountry and have all the necessary clothing to keep you warm if the weather closes in.

We will likely be leaving Sydney early on the Friday morning with a view of heading out from Guthega around lunch time. We should be back in Sydney late on Sunday night. This is a serious trip and only suitable for those with previous experience, not beginners. Please only sign up if you are definitely coming. If you're not sure about your experience, please call me on 0414 818182 and I'd be happy to discuss it with you.

Cheers,

Max

Abseil Skills 1 Trainiing - Start Date: 9/7/2008

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 03:42:41 +1000

ABSEIL SKILLS 1 TRAINING DAY

This will be a training day for those wanting to learn the basics of abseiling, which is a pre-requisite for doing many of the canyons in the Blue Mountains. The topics covered include:

- Maintain personal safety near cliffs.

- Prepare for an abseil activity.

- Get on and off rope

- Conduct pre-abseil safety checks.

- Communicate between cliff top and bottom.

- Perform a variety of abseils.

- Negotiate common abseil hazards.

- Perform bottom belays.

We'll be meeting at Wahroonga train station at 9am and then heading over to Wahroonga Rocks for the day. You'll need to bring your own food, water, warm clothing, hat, sunscreen, first aid kit, comfortable clothing that you won't mind getting dirty (shorts, track pants or tights - not jeans) and joggers with good grip.

Abseil Skills 2 Training Day-TRIP FULL - Start Date: 9/28/2008

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 11:46:29 +1000

This will be a training day for those aspiring to become a potential seconder or trip leader within the club. Accordingly, preference will be given to local club members or international students staying for more than 12 months. You must have done Abseil Skills 1 or have previous experience abseiling (including having been a participant on a club canyoning trip). Please contact me if you'd like to discuss you're previous experience. The topics covered include:

�� Select rigging equipment for basic abseiling activities

�� Manage rigging equipment

�� Tie knots

�� Rig basic abseils

�� Move up and down a rope with a variety of constraints

�� Abseil without assistance

We'll be meeting at Wahroonga train station at 9am and then head over to Wahroonga Rocks for the day. You'll need to bring your own food, water, warm clothing, hat, sunscreen, first aid kit, comfortable clothing that you won't mind getting dirty (shorts, track pants or tights - not jeans) and joggers with good grip. Please call me on 0414 818182 if you have any questions or are running late on the day. Places are limited, so first in best dressed!

Cheers,

Max Pagnin

Whatever Canyon - Start Date: 9/21/2008

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 10:47:38 +1000

Whatever Canyon

Saturday 21st September

I have two different trips in mind for this day and which one we end up doing will depend on whatever transport we end up with. My preference is to do Coachwood canyon in the Blue Mountains.
If we don�t have a car suitable for taking off-road then we will do a canyon combo of Better Offer and Birrabang canyons.
Either way, both trips are of an intermediate level so you need to be a competent abseiler and to have done a canyon or two before. These are all dry canyons but there are sections that involve knee-deep (or in the case of Better Offer, a waist-deep) wades in freezing cold water.

Barrenjoey climbing - Start Date: 8/30/2008

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 12:35:49 +1000

Rock Climbing @ BarrenJoey Head

Barrenjoey, the headland at the end of Palm Beach, has considerably sounder rock than most of Sydney's sea-cliff horror shows and is an amazing spot to do some weekend climbing. Grades range from 5 to 24. This trip is suited for beginners with experience climbing indoors, with at least 4 sessions under their belt at the ledge or st. peters.

You should be comfortable top roping a grade 16, have experience tying in and familiar belaying using an ATC. Bonus if you have your own shoes and harness! We will be doing climbs from grades 14-18, all sport routes and only people with previous leading experience will be setting up top ropes.

This trip will go ahead if the forecast for Saturday is good, and if we have someone with a car willing to transport all the gear to and from storage. Final email will be sent to everyone on Friday morning once the BOM releases their weekend forecast.

Palm Beach is located nearly 2 hours north of Sydney and their is a bus from Railway square which we will be catching early Sunday morning. More details will be sent out to everyone who registers.

Editorial for Edition 119 - From 8/15/2008 to 9/14/2008

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +1000

And finally, Winter has come to an end � Spring is here � and you know what that means: It�s PUBGAINE TIME!

And if that�s not enough, there are loads of activities coming � as diverse as advanced Ice Climbing to Canyoning in the Blue Mountains!

A lot of new club members will not be familiar with the Activities process � we have already locked in dozens of trips for the year, but they are only advertised for joining a week or two in advance. This is not optimal, we know � please be patient as our website is currently being updated with the dozens of suggestions made already!

Things to look forward to include:

The Sydney University Intervarsity Climbing Competition
Mountainbike Skills 1
More Bushwalks & Camping
Advanced Abseil Training
Kayaking
Navigation Skills 1
The Lake Macquarie Rogaine

But if you are still eager for more � then why not volunteer to be a trip leader? Just contact any of the exectutive and offer your ideas and skills!

In the mean time � I hope to see you at the Pubgaine, or just on a Monday at the Ledge!

Editorial for Edition 116 - From 5/15/2008 to 6/14/2008

Thu, 15 May 2008 00:00:00 +1000

There is something wrong with the email system - we apologise for the lack of email notifications.

Editorial for Edition 115 - From 4/15/2008 to 5/14/2008

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 00:00:00 +1000

Whether or not you've noticed it - the new committee has been hard at work!
There are some great activities coming up, including:
Grant Quick's trip to Ruined Castle in the Blue Mountains
Scott's birthday bash with Paintball Skirmish
Andreas Pederson has put forward a 24 hour challenge in Canberra for the Rogaining Championships 2008
A presentation by the Bushwalkers Rescue Team - great stories and an experience not to be missed.

Things that have unravelled over the last few weeks:
The website has moved to an Australian Website provider, the new Webmaster Cameron Newman has been hard at work updating things, with the aim of making the site run faster, smoother & more efficiently. Continuous improvement is anticipated throughout the year.
The equipment shed has received an overhaul and the gear that sits there is being assessed and replaced where necessary.
The activities & training officer have been hard at it to ensure that the club has a great team of experienced and qualified leaders.
The publicity officer has made a variety of spunky new posters to attract more members
The rest of the team have been slugging away at keeping the club running, attending dull meetings and all the rest of the responsibilities that come with being on an executive committee.

Enjoy the newsletter - and see you outside somewhere soon!

Editorial for Edition 114 - From 3/15/2008 to 4/14/2008

Sat, 15 Mar 2008 00:00:00 +1000

Hello everyone,

February/March has been choca-full of activities including climbing, rogaining, hiking and canyoning. And there's still more on the way including Crikey Canyon, climbing skills and kayaking.

If you've been on a trip recently, why not submit an article about your (mis)adventures and share your experiences with the world. Rejoice about your canyoning abseils, lead belaying and bushbashing. Share your love with the world. Also remember to spread the word so as to convert non-utsoac believers to become members.

Amen.

Your UTSOAC spiritual editor

Editorial for Edition 113 - From 2/15/2008 to 3/14/2008

Fri, 15 Feb 2008 00:00:00 +1000

Welcome to the second edition of the UTSOAC newsletter for 2008!

We're just about to welcome a whole heap of new members at O'Day so why not give us a hand and come on down next week (see trip below).

The start of the year is when we run a lot of introductory trips so if you missed out last year then make sure you join up and get active this year. Who knows, like many previous members you might be a mild mannered boring student now but in no time flat you might be a super-adventurer off adventuring around the world... it sure opens your horizons!

Very soon we'll have our AGM (Annual General Meeting) where we vote in a new committee to take us through till next year. Why not have a chat to our Prez, Sharon to find out what's right for you. The positions up for grabs are:-

President
Vice President & Fundraising Officer
Treasurer
Secretary
Quartermaster
Webmaster
Publicity Officer
Training Officer
Activity Officer

You can find more specifics about the different jobs at http://www.utsoac.org.au/Contacts.asp

See you all soon,

Scott

Editorial for Edition 112 - From 1/15/2008 to 2/14/2008

Tue, 15 Jan 2008 00:00:00 +1000

Hello all,

Welcome to the first edition of UTSOAC newsletter for 2008!

Yes, it's been a bit quiet but activity levels will be rising once trip leaders sober up from Christmas and NY celebrations.

To get the ball rolling for the new year there's canyoning trips, training courses and mtb.

To make it a great year for 2008 for your club talk to a committee member or trip leader on how you can contribute (eg social activities, outdoor activities, IT assistance ... you get the gist).

Editorial for Edition 111 - From 12/15/2007 to 1/14/2008

Sat, 15 Dec 2007 00:00:00 +1000

It's been an exciting start to summer with a heap of climbing, canyoning and even some paddling to wet your appetite. In 7 weeks I've only been at home for one of them so take a leaf out of my book and make the most of this idyllic climate and get out there on one of our adventures!

Hannes climbing pilgrimage sounds like a rock climbers dream and with two canyon trips at the end of the month you can't go wrong! Don't forget for all you MTB fans that there's Iain's Otway Odyssey trip coming up in Feb and I'm guessing entries may close so get in quick!

That's all from me and I hope to see you out on an adventure soon!

Scott "The Toe" McPherson

Editorial for Edition 110 - From 11/15/2007 to 12/14/2007

Thu, 15 Nov 2007 00:00:00 +1000

Hello adventurers, gear freaks, computer nerds and other misfits,

Step aside Justin Timberlake, moove over Delta ... the HOTTEST and most SOUGHT AFTER tickets in town is to this year's FESTIVAL OF THE CANYONS brought to you by your UTSOAC.

The line up to the Festival includes ... liloing, climbing, canyons with jumps and slides, canyons with multiple abseils, and much much more.

People around the world are expected to attend this year's event including members of the ANUMC, Newcastle MC, SUBW and SURMC. This is surely a world class event!

At the moment, we have over 30 members of our club signed up. If you are not one of them you should get in contact with Ellen ASAP to see whether you can reserve a spot in the event anyone else pulls out.

Get involved by offering your vehicle to transport people, lead a trip (could be walking, canyoning or climbing) or asking Ellen about how you can assist the Woodstock of outdoor adventure events.

So be there or be square/trapizoidal/parallelogram

Cheers

Yi "the finger" Chen

Editorial for Edition 109 - From 10/15/2007 to 11/14/2007

Mon, 15 Oct 2007 00:00:00 +1000

Bonjour, Hola and Ciao Fellow Adventurers!

I'm just back from some adventures in Europe and itching for some of the warm weather trips that our club is famous for such as canyons and um... canyons... ok, I'm biased ;-)

It's great to see the climbers of our club getting out there and making the most of the mild weather so don't forget to get back in touch with your "ape inside" on one of the up and coming climbing trips. For first timers just wanting to see what all the climbing fuss is about,why not go along indoor climbing in a safe, friendly atmosphere and meet the great people that make up the OAC.

The inaugural "Festival of the Canyon" which was started by the OAC back in 2004 is just around the corner on the weekend starting 1st of December. Apart from a great weekend of canyoning with the OAC gang, you'll also get to party around a camp fire with 50 to 100 people from the OAC and other adventure clubs on the Saturday night. For those of you who don't already have the addiction to canyoning, make sure you join one of the trips before the festival.

Oh, and don't miss out on the sordid tale of love in the Pyrenees!

See you out there!

Scott "Canyon Fever" McPherson

Editorial for Edition 108 - From 9/15/2007 to 10/14/2007

Sat, 15 Sep 2007 00:00:00 +1000

NEWS FLASH! President Bush was spotted mt biking in NSW on a recent OPEC visit. He said that he regretted not joining the UTSOAC as his body guards were just no fun.

Don't have the same regret - be an active member of YOUR UTSOAC and have fun.

The weather is getting warmer and leaders are in the process of planning more trips for the coming months. But we are always welcoming new members who would like to run some trips or assist in running trips. This is a great way to meet more people and learn skills from those who are in the club.

SOOOO, get in contact with one of the executives or trips leaders to discuss how you can get involved.

Meanwhile, here are some of the past and future activities for the club.

Co-editor

Disclaimer: Some of the content in this editorial may not be true - the stuff about getting involved with the club is true.

Mt Jagungal - 6/27/2008

Tue, 1 Jul 2008 00:00:00 +1000

This was a trip full of funny stuff.

after a 500km drive we got to a gate, after a 35km ride we got the base of the mountain, after a 3km walk we reached the summit.

An awesome trip and well worth the effort.

NSW Rogaining Championships: South Coast - 4/19/2008

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 00:00:00 +1000

NSW Rogaining Championships

Strolling across rock peninsulas, walking across a lake, climbing mountains, racing old ladies and camping on the sand - this hardly felt like a 24 hour championship event! We even managed to slip in an afternoons climbing at Thompson Point, Nowra to wrap things up!

Christian, Andreas & I set out at 12pm on Saturday for a 24 hour navigational voyage through the Boodaree National Park. Two other UTS Teams participated in the 6 hour event ... not faring too well the scores do tell... But i'll let them tell that story.

Our event started late, as Fiona & Sven (who had kindly escorted half the Rogainers to the event before heading off to climb in Nowra) called to say they had no money and desperately needed petrol - so around 12.15 we joined the rest of the pack for a stroll along the beaches to an isthmus, getting our feet wet (as well as Andreas pack filling with his drinking water!) and we discovered dried bananas are addictive!
We then waded through a lake to pick up 3 checkpoints, at an incredibly slow pace, and catching a few leeches along the way.
After making our way up a hill, it was getting close to dark - at which point the headlamps came out, and we changed course. Andreas, Chris & I seemed to work extremely well as a team, cooperating and working incredibly diplomatically to bring out the best in our abilities.
However, at midnight when the rain kicked in, there was nothing any of us could do to keep Chris from demanding some shut-eye. We pitched our fly sheet on the beachside; and tried to sleep. Unfortunately, Chris & Andreas are over 6ft - the length of the fly, and subsequently Chris' sleepingbag was soaked!
The next day was far cruisier, though we picked an inappropriate route, leaving us 3km to return to the Hash-House with almost no points!
The news that the winning team had picked up EVERY checkpoint, shocked us, their route can be seen here:
http://nswrogaining.org/AboutEvents/Events/08NC/Maps/WinnerMapS1.jpg
Feeling incredibly exhausted - we had been put in our place... which is fine by me! Those super-athletes can have their boot-shaped trophey, i'm glad I got the 5 hours snooze midway!

ACT Rogaining Championships - 5/17/2008

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 00:00:00 +1000

After the NSW Rogaining Championships left us feeling ... pretty average about our efforts, Andreas & I were determined to perform better at the ACT event.

AND WE DID!
Regardless of the fact we were competing with about half the number of people, we still ranked 15th overall (14th if I had clicked one of the final checkpoints, which I swear I did!).
A very chilly course, we tried sleeping under a flysheet from 11pm-5am; at which point we gave up on that idea and piled into the car to catch another 3 hours sleep before checking the maps out. Alison and Maninder arrived 15 minutes before the buzzer, and participated in the 8 hour event - so we can't comment on how they found the course, but we hope they enjoyed themselves!
After a shakey start, Andreas & I held our own until 9pm when we arrived at the All Night Cafe... where we enjoyed soup, coffee, chocolate cake and sweets.. a little too much. We peeled ourselves away from the fire around 9.45 into the cold, cold night... picking up a mere 50 points before arriving at our car at 1am... 690 points in total.
At 7am, we set out again, collecting every check point we planned for, and knocking over 460 in 5 hours - a rate double the previous day!
With a total of 1150, we were very pleased with our efforts... until it was discovered one of us had not clicked checkpoint 70. We weren't even sure who was to blame, until the results revealed I was the culprit - putting us at 15th. (Results available here:http://act.rogaine.asn.au/EVENTS/08ACT_24hr/)

Overall, we had a great time, and although my knee caved just two weeks before the Overland Trip - I was stoked to have participated!

Sweet Dreams - Sublime Point - 4/6/2008

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 00:00:00 +1000

Waking up at 5.20am after 4.5 hours sleep was a kick start to the morning. After picking up Marty and gear we ended up at Sublime point at 8.30am. Because of the popularity of Sweet dreams I wanted to make sure we were one of the first there. Both very excited to do this classic 6 pitch climb we quickly setup our gear at the car before taking off. After doing a check of our gear I realised I had forgotten my ATC guide� luckily Marty had a spare, what a great start. (Lesson 1 learn: don�t expect Harry to know what he�s doing after waking up so early)

After reading about the tricky approach we spared no time and quickly started the descent. 10 minutes into the approach I came to the realisation that the dense scrub we were in was no longer the track, so we backtracked about 5 - 10 minutes and quickly found our way. As described we soon found the cave we had to squeeze through and the safety cable we clipped onto. In all, the approach probably took about 25 minutes, and we were ready to climb by 9.30am.

Once there and all setup I suddenly realised another vital piece of equipment was missing� my climbing shoes!!! Considering the difficulty of the climb I decided to climb anyway, and share Marty�s shoes. (Lesson 2 learn: Make a list of gear to bring and pack the night before)

We took turns leading and combined pitch 1, 2, and 4, 5. I would recommend taking cams for the 2^nd pitch� having one of those forgetful days I didn�t take cams up and only realised 6 meters up that there were no bolts on the second pitch. I felt a shiver down my spine as I reached about 8 meters and couldn�t see either Marty or any bolts� realising I needed cams but having no way to get them I strived on. Finally reaching the first bolt 10 meters up� a scary distance, it was another 10 until the final anchor point. (Lesson 3 learn: Read the guide properly before you climb and if you brought trad gear make sure the leader takes it)

The climb itself was a slight disappointment but had a great view, even with the 17 variant, there was a lot of expose, but bolts were difficult to find at times, and being so popular, meant a lot of the rock was smashed away, it was much like being on a highway where there was a huge amount of wear and tear. Perhaps we had our hopes up and were expecting something harder.

Somewhat disappointed with the classic we decided to hit another crag.

We headed for Blackheath (Celebrity & Heathcliff), and headed straight for a climb called the Rift� our 15 min approach as described in the book became more a 45min bush bash navigational workout (Lesson 4 learnt: Don�t trust the guides description of an approach). The Rift is a completely ring bolted, 3 pitch 19. The 1^st pitch had quite a crux, and both Marty and I had a challenging time mastering a method to get past it. I combined pitch 1 and 2 making a fantastic 40m 19. After reaching the 3^rd belay station I decided to put my sneakers on because it was such an uncomfortable place to belay� with a quick unlock of the beiner I saw one of my shoes slip through and head downwards� This was no rock or heavy item� and all I screamed was shiiiittt shoe!!! Since it was moving so slowly by the time Marty looked up, he was able to watch my shoe spinning down slowly about a meter past his head (If only it hit him, it would have been a funny 15meter extended kick!) (Lesson 5 learnt: Don�t unclip anything unless you are sure its not going to fall). Our plan was to top out on this one so at the time I was happy to sacrifice my shoe and limp the 45minute journey back, especially since by this time the sun had started to set and the spectacular views were turning dark. We ended up abseiling back and retrieving my shoe.

At the end of the day we hit our favourite pub in Blackheath. With a gut full of food and a beer down our throats we headed back to Sydney. Feeling quite tired 15 minutes into journey I accidentally fell asleep, only to be rudely woken up by Marty �Oi! im heaps sleeeeepy, do you want to drive?� �eeer? Hurrr? No!?� I was still trying to comprehend what was going on. We decided to have a quick stop at Shell�It was about 9pm, the petrol station was open� Moments later I woke up only to see the Shell sign was off� I had a quick look around, it was closed�. hmmm we�ve only been for a little� Harry looks at time�. Ohh shit. We�ve just slept for 2.5 hours! �Marty get the fuck up lets go!!! We�ve just fallen asleep for 2.5 hours!� and seconds later, we were moving. (Lesson -1 already learnt: Stop, Revive, Survive)

All in all, it was a fantastic day climbing, I would recommend Sweet Dreams as an intermediate multi-pitch climb and the Rift as a must do for advance sport climbers. Hope this convinces more people to get into climbing and stay at it. Unfortunately with the change in season and the lack of climbers, trips such as these are becoming a thing of the past.

Next stop Bunny Bucket Buttress, 9 pitch, 275m, Sport, 18.

Session 4 of 4: Putting theory to practice! - 3/30/2008

Tue, 1 Apr 2008 00:00:00 +1000

This was my first outdoor climbing trip and it was brilliant! It is nice to see how all the climbs at the ledge transfer to the real world. Great day out, good variety of climbs for beginners and a lot of hints and tips from the experienced climbers. All in all 9/10, one mark lost because I dont want to study anymore...looking forward to the next trip already.

Thanks to Harry and everyone else.

Wednesday Social Soccer Game: Wentworth Park - 3/12/2008

Thu, 13 Mar 2008 00:00:00 +1000

On Wednesday, I arrived at the oval to find my mates Scott & Lam sitting on the oval waiting patiently. No one had brought a ball, so I rushed up to Kmart to buy one. I chose a slightly more expensive ball as it was the only one that didn't need pumping up!

Mikhael, Andreas & Christian arrived - and we had enough for 3 on 3, but were with out goals. We chose to use a park bench as one, and my BMX bike as the other (if you knocked the bike over, it was 2 points, if you just hit it - 1 point)

As the scores racked up, we were joined by Senena & Rainer and increased the field, as the sunlight dwindled. Sveta then emerged - she had coincidentally come across another group of UTS people and started playing with them!
Now we had 5 on 5 - and expanded the field, moving under a street light - suddenly scoring became much harder!

Everyone agreed that Wednesday was the most convenient day, so very sorry to those who can't make it - but there will always be days that some can't come, and we now have a core group - so maybe you should quit your class and join us every Wednesday at 6pm for a soccer skirmish!

Beginners overnight bushwalk - Mystery location... - 3/8/2008

Mon, 10 Mar 2008 00:00:00 +1000

My first time overnight trip with the club. carry my tent, sleeping mat, sleeping bag, and food, 2 liters water, cloth, etc. quite a big bag, never try, but finally, I made it~ finger cross ^^
thanks Ellen for arrange this awesome trip ^^ Learn sth along the way: bush bashing, rock climbing, trust your foot and boot, look after yourself first before help others, we are a team-help each other, believe you can, you can. how to tight your boot..."bottom climbing"... etc
Although it was a little bit hard for me, but the fantastic view, the beautiful mountain, all the natural rewards and the nice people in the trip, deserve my hard walking~~
enjoy sleeping with the songs of bird and the falls near by, had dinner and chat with others near the fire, enjoy the numerous stars in the sky, walked in the off-the-track bush - find our own way out, like Ellen and Iain said, it was a adventure trip haha :)
good people & good trip ~

Climbing at the Ledge: UTS vs Black - 3/3/2008

Mon, 3 Mar 2008 00:00:00 +1000

Every week, dozens of climbers converge on Sydney University's Arena Sports Centre, bypass the rest of the gym straight up the stairts and into the climbing area.
Phil and Pete, the main instructors are friendly, passionate (try and shut them up!) and most importantly: they know about climbing! Phil, the route-setter, knows how to push people to their limits by setting each climb with a complicated crux or tricky move that throws you until you finally figure out the sequence.

And everyone has their project, the climb they are trying to finish and just keep falling off. For Hannes Lau, Marty Middlebrook & Harry Hayashi, this was the grade 23, inclined black crimpy nightmare that Phil put up about 6 months ago. Hannes was first to finally ascend with out weighting the rope, promptly flying back to Germany the week after he ticked it.
Harry climbed it a few weeks later. Marty vowed not to talk to Hannes until he could finish the route clean (without falling off the wall); as Marty was the first one to try the climb, and has now hit it at least 200 times, if not 300 times.

Harry completes the final dyno on the black route

So Phil patiently put off resetting the route, as Marty (as well as many other climbers from other clubs) begged him to wait just another few days, as they climbed it over and over again.
A double crux climb, with 7 crimpy holds (small lips that only the front part of your finger fits over) a hold the size of two marbles to stand your feet on, 3 semi decent pockets to rest on, 2 nasty crimps you can't even hold and a slopey brick that you can only weight from above - the black route wears down your fingers, cardio and nerves as the climber sways and swishes through from hold to hold.
Marty finally climbed it clean on Friday, 29th Feb (there's something cosmic in that date) with only 2 witnesses to confirm!

Everyone has their project. Johanna Hood, who's arms aren't as long as the lads, tries the black route a different way:

Each to their own. So now it's over to the overhanging wall, with a very scary horizontal dyno that no one has yet completed (from the UTS club that is).

Whether your problem is with a large reachy move, or a nasty crimp which you can't balance on - every Monday night, you will get 4-5 different opinions on how to do it - but one things for sure, you will enjoy the process!

Session 1 of 4: Starting Indoor Climbing - 3/3/2008

Mon, 3 Mar 2008 00:00:00 +1000

Hey,

Thanks for the warm welcome in the rockclimbing club ! The first session was really nice and Harry and Martin were really good teacher and were also very fun !

I can't wait until the next session to do better ...

Even if my arms hurt today, I just love it ! Climbing is awesome and the atmosphere of the club really friendly !

Thanks Harry and see you next week for more climbing and techniques !

I can't wait until the next session to (try) to do better !

Vic

$5 weekly climbing @ The Ledge (USYD) - 2/25/2008

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 00:00:00 +1000

I have to say i was thoroughly impressed with Harry`s organising of the activity, 'the Ledge' was quite easy to find . I was encouraged to climb and wasn`t ever left with no`one to belay or belay for me.

The Ledge is great as it has a vast array of climbing levels, and with a bit of tecnique you will find you can do alot more adventurous climbs then expected, i was given lots of great climbing tips from Marty, Christian and Harry which made the climbs alot more enjoyable also.

I will be attending this activity more often and thanks again to all

2007 Outdoor Adventure Survey Results - 4/3/2008

Thu, 3 Apr 2008 00:00:00 +1000

Below is a comparrision of the 2006 and 2007 club survey results.

The responses came from a variety of people, a reasonably even gender ratio both years, with a large proportion of respondents from Australia - the club actually has around 50% of it's members as internationals. Most were in their 20s, and more than half had been in the club for longer than 1 year. This means that a large number of survey respondents were from the core base of the club, as opposed to the "single semseter" participants - who, while still important members of the club, are not around long enough to appreciate changes this kind of survey would bring about!

Activities:

Rockclimbing, Canyoning & Bushwalking ranked highest as reasons to join the club, and this translated to activities people most participated in.
There was a large call for more training and introductory trips
Kayaking, snorkelling and snow activities were proposed as activities people would like to see included. More rock climbing and mountainbiking was also begged for.
More than 50% were happy with Day Trips both years, though there were still a lot happy to do overnight camping trips.

Leaders & Organisation:

The results showed that the 2006 respondents were slightly more satisfied with leaders and activities than in 2007 (in 2006 the graph indicated all respondents were satisfied/highly satisfied)
Some people still found the difficulty ratings too high
Overall though, most found the club to meet their expectations
in 2007, 42% of respondents said they came across the club at the website (compared with 28% in 2006); Friends still ranked as second highest way to find out about the club, with the sports Union taking over O-Day in 2007 as 3rd highest source of members.

Save your toes! - 11/13/2007

Tue, 13 Nov 2007 00:00:00 +1000

How to care for Rockshoes:

I�ve been caught abusing my shoes. I took them for repair after a sliver of material poked through, and sure enough, the note from the Shoe Doctor said �condition: BAD need to repair earlier�.

But how did that happen? My climbing was improving, my climbing partner was forcing me to try more static moves requiring more stable footing, so how was I to know I�d worn almost 1 centimeter of rubber off my toe caps?

LOOK, SILLY!

It doesn�t say it on the label, nor is it pasted all over the climbing gyms, but by adhering to the advice I received, your shoes could be repaired for much less than I paid.

Watch the toe cap � this area receives the most abuse.

Play with the shoe, the rubber should be strong enough to push through sandstone, so if it can�t handle your grubby fingers, something�s wrong!

Check the line of rubber. There�s a line across the bottom of the shoe, where an extra layer of rubber is stuck to the shoe. When it gets really thin, take it for repair!

Ask people who know about climbing.

Get them repaired! Don�t worry about the price! A new pair of shoes will cost you more. If you love your shoes, it�s worth the money.

Visit the following sites for more information:

The Rubber Room: Climbing Shoe Anatomy

http://rubberroomresoles.com/anatomy.htm

FAQs:

http://rubberroomresoles.com/faqs.htm

Big John�s Retreads:

http://bigjohn.com.au/files/rockshoe%20care.htm

John is directly on Parramatta Road at Birkenstock, and is the closest repair store in Sydney. I got mine returned in a week, and this isn�t sponsored � they feel great!

Care for your shoes:

Of course, a cheaper option still, is to avoid wearing your shoes out!

Precision moves, carefully place your shoe on a nice, healthy slab.

Don�t drag your toes up and down the rock face!

My Pyrenees Love Affair - 10/13/2007

Sat, 13 Oct 2007 00:00:00 +1000

Although my trip two weeks ago in the Spanish Pyrenees wasn't actually a club trip per se, I still need to share it with you because the experience still haunts me... in a good way.

Let's start this story with some facts:-

I'd already spent 4 weeks gallivanting around Europe having a ball while seeing some spectacular scenery along the way. So when I was about to see my old friend Matthias (a very un-German German working in Moscow) and his girlfriend Mieke who I met during 2000 / 2001 in Sydney I was just looking forward to catching up after 6 years... the location was just an added extra... in fact I didn't think the Pyrenees could come close to the French or Italian Alps, Scottish highlands and even Sardinia... was I ever wrong.

Matthias and Mieke can best be described as caf� latte walkers i.e. Matthias brought about 2 kg of toiletries and cosmetics but no torch! They�re lucky I�m so anal as I brought 3 in total :-)

On the first day we started by walking around a glacial lake with Mountains around us that Matthias wanted to eat since they reminded him of Toblerone (pronounced Toobleruun in German). I was thinking �but you should see Chamonix, so much prettier� now that�s Swiss Chocolate :-)�

We made our way out of the valley into a higher valley with a number of small hanging lakes� that�s when the tingle started. These valleys are all predominantly formed from glaciers so each one is so unique with its own special blue lakes, alpine flora and fauna all surrounded by incredible rocky formations carved by millions of years of glaciers. We had only been on the trail for a few hours and I was already thinking "Wow!"

Making our way up to the high saddle to cross into the next major valley and we realised we weren�t going to make it to the refuge before dark� looking down into the valley I was a bit concerned. We�d been on established tracks to this point and had to go off track (following small and often well hidden piles of rock) and only had 2 hours of light left� so we pushed on hard through this new and even more amazing alpine valley.

It got dark and we were still about 500meters from the refuge but that�s a long way in this country. Then we heard a dog barking like crazy at us and I knew we weren�t far. The dog even came to meet us, a beautiful big white Pyrenean Mountain Dog which is a bit like a St Bernard. As it approached it barked loudly then came close to smell us. After the dogs friendly intentions were made Matthias then admitted he could put down the small boulder in his hand that he intended to heroically defend us from the rabid beast� Matthias soon after developed a close bond with the beast ;-)

This was also when we met the keeper of the refuge, a young guy called Julian. Julian is a mad keen Mountaineer / rock climber and he works about 9 months a year in the refuge so that he can spend time doing what he loves while getting paid to be there. His refuge is quite small taking a maximum of about 12 people but that suits Julian since he�s so friendly. Even though we had no common language there was a lot of communication happening. Julian cooked us a 3 course meal that was verging on spectacular considering the food all had to be heli-lifted in. He then proceeded to tell, or really mime to us about all the amazing routes in the area punctuated by his acrobatics as he bouldered around the refuge, and occasionally broke out into song. I think the clubs high level climbers should definitely go pay Julian a visit for a couple of weeks next year� he�s so passionate about his climbing, and the most famous climb in the Pyrenees is just a stones throw away.

Now, apart from the indigenous species of the Pyrenees there are also the mountain cattle which are never far from your mind. The reason is that these rather ordinary looking cattle often have a big bell around there neck and there tinkling is everywhere� and I mean everywhere. You might climb this high mountain with huge car size boulders and still find cow poo on top of a boulder that you almost needed a rope to get to� I�m as yet to see these bovines climbing like acrobats but I�m sure their docile appearance is just a front� the poo doesn�t lie!

We slept soundly to wake up late the following morning. After breakfast we then sadly said goodbye to our host and then watched him go for a run with his dog� an amazing athlete covering rocky ground at full pace and was halfway up a mountain in a matter of minutes. So we turned and made our way to a pass that was far harder than anything we�d attempted the first day.

I was dubious but we had a fallback plan so we just went for it straight bloody up� and up� and up� and finally we went up some more! I�m not the kinda guy who likes climbing big mountains but this was spectacular at every point. Walking along knife edge spurs with huge glacial valleys on either side littered with picturesque hanging lakes. I even saw a Marmot scurrying into its underground network of tunnels� much cuter than squirrels!

As we came close to the high point I started getting a little dizzy� I thought this is bizarre as up till then I was going great, then the penny dropped that I had a touch of altitude sickness! Kewl! No worries coz we couldn�t get much higher. I remembered cases of people going nuts and falling off mountains so I quickly did my 12 times tables to prove that my high level brain functions were shot and I was categorically nuts and liable to jump of the next cliff ;-)

From the top we could see three major valleys including the very deep and rocky path onwards down to a number of those ho-hum boring hanging lakes. For the next section we only had 1.5kms to cover a boulder field but it took us 3 hours to get through it� Both Matthias and myself kinda liked it though Mieke had a love hate relationship with those big boulders.

Eventually we�d lost most of the altitude we gained in the morning and we were at our fallback point where we worked out that we may not make it to the next hostel (apparently run by ex-Gestapo guys) in time for the 7:00pm dinner deadline. Matthias was keen to push on though I was thinking to miss our meal would be very sad indeed and the fallback was my preferred option. After negotiating a foot massage for me and a back massage for Mieke from Matthias we decided to go for it.

Another valley, very different again, led us up a gentler climb to the high saddle with golden pastures lit up by the setting sun. At this point I thought if I went hard I could make the meal� so I left the others behind powering on and then went and strained my ankle (as you do)� I then passed the baton onto Matthias and he left me and Meike to limp along behind him in his dust� soon afterwards Matthias knees started playing up :-(

I couldn�t stomach the thought of eating the 3 day old baguette so I gritted my teeth and hobbled at great speed to make it to the refuge with seconds to spare before the soup nazi would have said �no for you!�. After my heroic efforts on my almost completely severed leg I was looking forward to my foot massage though Matthias claimed unsanitary work conditions when I took my shoes off later that night :-(

This was a much bigger refuge and consequentially a bit less friendly but we did our best to break down the soup nazi�s (3 of them) cool demeanours. Not much would work though one seemed to brighten up when informing Mieke when asking how to use the hot shower that you used a token that you could only have one 6 minute session at a time, at which point if Meike still had soap in her hair she would have to walk out half naked to get another token� such a caring man :-)

To recover from our aching, strained muscles we decided to hang around the valley for two nights and have a sort of rest day. This turned out to be a good move as it rained all the next day except for a few hours where I went out and explored. We all got some good reading done that day.

The plan for the last day was very ambitious considering the lingering injuries. Matthias had the hard core plan with multiple traverses into steep rocky valleys. Considering how unprepared we were for any problems that could �be night� us I negotiated a medium core route that gave us plenty of the pretty stuff without over committing.

So we started our last day up a gorgeous little valley past ancient conifers of which some would have been over 1000 years old. This led us to our first hanging lake and as we were approaching I smelt the strong odour of an animal� Matthias was talking at the time so I motioned to be quiet� well, actually Matthias talked about 75% off the time so it wasn�t unusual ;-). As we crested this long paddock we were metres away from a young reindeer, and to see it in its natural habitat as it sprinted away from us was magnificent.

We then skirted around the base of a high range making our way towards the next valley which gave us the opportunity to have a look up the valley that Matthias�s hard core route would have gone to. The others were straggling and decided to continue on while I made my way up for a look. This valley was simply humbling. The start was a large cliff falling into a lake of the most serene deep blue depths. The next part of the valley was even more awe inspiring with massive steep sided mountains pointing up to the sky. I didn�t take many photos on my trip but this was certainly more than worth it. Starting my camera, it gave me an error message. After 10 attempts to get it to start I realised my camera had finally bitten the dust� crestfallen, I suddenly realised my phone had a camera on it, a shitty picture but I desperately wanted to capture this scene so others could see it. Mysteriously, my fully charged phone had run out of batteries� all very strange, and the very small part of me that actually believes in mystical bullshit said that this was the Pyrenees way of making sure I come back to take that picture� but I then I told the Pyrenees that there was no need to piss me off just to make me come back!� I�d already made that decision!

Scott

Last Minute Rock Climbing - 8/12/2007

Sun, 12 Aug 2007 00:00:00 +1000

Have you ever found yourself with an evening, Saturday or whole weekend free, and a burning urge to climb? Have you ever had the issue of not having anyone to climb with?

YOU ARE NOT ALONE!

Every night of the week, a group of UTSOAC members and their friends email, sms and call everyone they know to find a belay partner / climbing buddy. Does this sound like you?

Be it �

� A few hours at one of the climbing gyms�

� Trip into the Blueys or another nearby crag

� Even advanced trips at the drop of a hat

� then you need to join UTSOAClastminuteclimbingpartner@googlegroups.com

This is a group email list that allows you to make contact with the dozens of skilled climbers keen to join you!

There�s a variety of skill levels, tastes and gear. So what are you waiting for?

Scott's Navigation Tips - Part 1 - 6/14/2007

Thu, 14 Jun 2007 00:00:00 +1000

Be proud and get lost or BE SURE

Don�t you hate it when you get to the end of a road and everything is wrong? Hang on, someone�s come in and moved everything! It�s funny how long it takes you before you realise the obvious. You�re lost and you haven�t even left the car yet! So what is it that stopped you from looking at the map at the third turn on the right? It�s probably pride and whether it�s on the track or on the way in the car it�s one of the biggest causes of getting lost.

Remember to always be sure of your location even if you get a jeer from your friend for not knowing. Your self esteem takes a far greater plunge when you get lost so ignore the taunt and eat the far smaller piece of humble pie.

Scott's Navigation Tips - Part 2 - 6/14/2007

Thu, 14 Jun 2007 00:00:00 +1000

All Hail the GPS!

GPS certainly are amazing gadgets that can tell you where you are anywhere in the world with the help of orbiting satellites. So if these gadgets exist then why are we teaching navigation? Well consider being guided off track by GPS out in the remote Wollemi wilderness walking for two days and then you realise that it doesn�t work anymore. Oh My Gawd!!!! It could be that the batteries went flat or someone sat on it or the satellite network wasn�t working or the valley is too steep to get reception but the end result is you are in trouble.

But hey, what if you did the right thing and packed a map and compass just in case this happened. Good thinking but do you honestly expect to be able to find your way out of a wilderness that only bushwalkers with years of navigational experience would dare venture?

So the moral is: Take the GPS but don�t attempt it unless you can do it without a GPS.

Note: If using a GPS you will get a grid reference that is approximately 14 numbers long (or 2 lots of 7 numbers) which can be very confusing if you are applying this to a standard grid reference. Typically on a 1:25,000 map this should mean that a 6 number grid will come from the numbers 3, 4, 5 and 10, 11, 12. The last number of each set of 7 brings the accuracy down to one square metre whereas the first number gives the square 1000km. Also note that you�ll need to make sure both GPS and map use the same grid reference datums!

Be a Trip Leader with UTS Outdoor Adventure Club - 5/14/2007

Mon, 14 May 2007 00:00:00 +1000

Every year the UTS OAC welcomes 100s of new members to the club looking for a great time out of the city, many internationals wanting to see the bush and locals wanting to get some peace and quiet. But it all falls down if people don�t donate a little time to organise it all.

So just like every year we advertise for people to join the club, we also ask for people to move to the next level and become Trip Leaders.

Now, it�s not a completely thankless position (especially if people remember to say thankyou). The club has an excellent Karma system which allows people to gain discounts on training courses in return for running trips as well as utilizing the clubs array of fantastic gear.

If you weren�t already aware, UTS OAC has an amazing storage room filled with gear for:

Sport and Traditional Rockclimbing
Abseiling and canyoning, including wetsuits
Caving (from ladders to headlamps)
Camping and bushwalking (including dozens of tents, sleeping bags, stoves and lamps)
Backpacks, harnesses and all the accessories
Navigational gear like Maps, books, GPS and first aid equipment
Snorkelling equipment
And dozens of ropes of all lengths to suit your needs

If you have a look at the photo galleries, most of the gear people are using/wearing actually belongs to UTS OAC.

Club Resources:

We are constantly working on improving our website for people to utilize, some sections are still blank, but if you go to our links page, you can tap into what already exists! http://www.utsoac.org.au/links.asp

For information on the outdoors in Australia, go no further than http://www.bushwalking.org.au/. These guys cover it all, including the good ol� Buhswalkers Code which we encourage everyone to abide by. First rule that anyone going bush in Australia should abide by � �Take only photos, leave only footprints�.

http://www.bushwalking.org.au/~documents/Policies/Confed-Bushwalking%20Code%202004-02.pdf

On the subject of what to take, we have several premade lists depending on the type of activity you wish to embark on -http://www.utsoac.org.au/WhatToTake.asp?PageID=20

So if you�re ready to move to the next level � ask the trip leader on the next trip you attend or come to one of our indoor climbing nights, and ask about how to get involved.

Marty Middlebrook � Activities Officer

Welcome to Sydney � Now get out there - 2/22/2007

Thu, 22 Feb 2007 00:00:00 +1000

A big g�day to all the new members of the UTS Outdoor Adventure Club � be you an international student here for a semester, Aussie first year here for the rest of your youth, or an outdoor enthusiast keen to join one of the best clubs in Sydney.

I have endeavored to address the most frequently asked questions that newcomers have about the outdoors and living in Sydney.

If you have questions, ideas, suggestions or advice � make sure you register at our online forum

Gear: There are dozens of camping and outdoor stores throughout Sydney.

Kent St is the accepted Outdoor Mecca � just behind Town Hall there are around 10 specialty stores for every taste. Make sure you ask questions and shop around.

National Parks: There are several National Parks within an hour or two of the city; the most popular being Blue Mountains National Park; Kuringai Chase (where UTS has a campus) and Heathcote National Park � one of the oldest in the world. There are camping, climbing, canyoning and mountainbiking options in all of them.

There are three types of �Bush� in Australia, National Parks � basically totally protected from any development; State Parks � usually roads run through these and there are often a few houses around, but still very serene; and Nature Reserves � smaller areas of land that are generally very beautiful, but bereft by traffic noise!

Transport: Sydney has some good services in terms of transport � luckily to the entrance to many national parks.

Buses and Trains are the best way to go � try http://www.131500.info/ for time tables.

There are some reasonable cycleways, but you will often find yourself sharing the road with cars.

For some OAC trips � we ask that people with cars support the activity by carrying gear and participants.

Gyms and Training: OAC provide in-house training for club members throughout the year in a variety of areas.

There are regular group activities at Sydney Uni Ledge ($5 on Mondays) and St Peters Sydney Indoor Climbing Centre on Thursdays. St Peters is by far one of the most impressive gyms in the country, but Sydney Uni is easier to get to and cheaper. St Leonards Climb Fit is also a good alternative for those north of the bridge.

There is information about training and skill development at each gym!

Advice and Resources: again I refer you to the online forum - http://www.utsoac.org.au/forum/ There are loads of experienced people in the club who are itching to impart their knowledge about crags, canyons, maps, food, gear, training and anything else you can think of. Don�t be bashful � ask people. Speak to people who work in the industry, Gyms and Stores � they know their stuff.

I hope this was helpful. The best advice is just to ask for advice � when you�ve got a question � ask. If you don�t, you might end up in trouble!

See you soon.

Marty