Activity Reviews - UTS Outdoor Adventure Club

Sydney Ledge Interclub Climbing Comp - 24/09/2008

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 00:00:00 +1000

While Uni of Sydney won the night overall, the smiles on UTS faces, and the fact we partied on until midnight - just goes to show who had the most fun and in my opinion, got the most out of the event!
To put it into perspective, we drew 25 members - out of 68 climbers, that's not bad! And it was Sydney University's regular club night!
UTS came second overall, with just under 4000 points total.

Bruno Riemenschneider's colossal dyno* of 3 meters to the lip of the overhang still didn't rank him in the top 3 - but he came first of all UTS Climbers with 220 points of a possible 250. (*If anyone has a photo of this, please send it to me!)

Fiona Thomson and Karolin Riou tied for first place amon g the female climbers, which is a great acheivement - especially for Karolin who only started climbing this year, making her the winner of the Novice Category as well.

Marty took out the first place in the prussicking competition, which left him a little exhausted falling off dozens of routes the rest of the night.

Greg Strain and Sandi Martin came 3rd in the blinded folded gear sorting.

And a big congratulations to Leo Jiang, Harry Hayashi & Danny Harrow - all scoring over 200 points.

Full results below:

Ledge Climbing Centre

2008 Inter-Club Climbing

UNSWOC (16)

Open Men (10)

Open Women (3)

Simon Li

Aaron Victor

Matthew Perret

200

190

170

Jette

Yael

Su Li Sin

120

115

Novice Men (2)

Novice Women (1)

Ian Donaldson

Steven Hare

Niranda

105

UTSOAC (27)

Open Men (12)

Open Women (5)

Bruno

Liang Jia Liang

Harry

Danny Harrow

220

215

205

Fiona Thompson (1^st)

Sandi Martin (3^rd)

Annie Le

145

125

115

Novice Men (4)

Novice Women (6)

Grant C

Thiraut Silvin

Samual Hatton

120

115

110

Karoline Riou (1^st)

Romona Frauke (2^nd)

Caroline Neubauer (3^rd)

145

125

115

SURMC (25)

Open Men (16)

Open Women (3)

Tim F (1^st)

David B (2^nd)

Hamish B (3^rd)

Dean

240

235

220

Broni Finnigan (2^nd)

Kaitlin Beare

Natasha

140

115

Novice Men (3)

Novice Women (3)

Thomas C (1^st)

Sean Clynes (2^nd)

Sean Coleman (3^rd)

200

165

140

Georgi

Lydia Yale

Erica Strom

Navigation and Rogaine Skills Workshop - 20/09/2008

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 00:00:00 +1000

After Maninder and my rather distasterous attempt at our first rogaine in the ACT (we thought we had headed North only to run into some more experienced rogaines who informed us we had in fact travelled very far South..) we decided to register for the Navigation and Rogaine Skills Workshop at Rydal (near Lithgow).

The two day workshop started on Saturday morning, so whilst most people enjoyed the 30 degree day at the beach- we learnt how to read a map, use a compass and hike up and down gullies and spurs.

Given our rusty skills we registered in novice and with an experienced navigation leader, our first activity was a 2.5 hour lesson in the bush. We learnt the basics of rogaining- how to read contour lines, determine between spurs, gullies, saddles and nolls and how to (and not) use a compass.

Second up after a well deserved bbq lunch we attended the 'how to read a map/plan for a rogaine' and 'what to wear and take' sessions. We learnt that our previous 10-15min prep time wasn't going to cut it with the rogaining gurus, so we took notes and learnt the tricks of the trade to maximise our scoring opportunity (watch out Marty!!)

To round off the day Maninder and I enjoyed a beer at the local one man pub and then headed off for the night time rogaine exercise. After 2 hours of extensive bushbashing, star gazing and avoiding rabbit holes we decided to leave the 24hour rogaines to the Marty's of the world and concentrate on day time events (for the time been anyways).

Sunday saw our third and final navigation exercise- this time attempting to navigate on relatively flat ground (generally non preferred terrain for true rogainers) which gave us the opportunity to recover from all the climbing from the day before.

Our final activity- the real test was a 3 hour rogaine without the assistance of our navigation leader. We were able to apply all the skills we had learnt over the 2 days- planning a proper route (points maximisation), using a compass (without taking a bearing) and determining between a gully and a spur. Unfortunately we haven't yet mastered how to avoid climbing up the steepest part of a hill- but one more rogaine and we'll be experts!

Our two day course definately was worthwhile with Maninder and I taking first place in both the Womens' Open event and first place out of all the Novice Teams.

We'd like to thank the NSW rogaining organisation for hosting the event and especially to all the volunteers who were exceptionally patient in continually explaining to me how to use a compass.

Lack Macquarie rogaine and Marty- watch out!

The Spring Pubgaine: Results - 5/09/2008

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 00:00:00 +1000

And the results are in: 2008 Spring Pubgaine

Starting at 6.30pm from the UTS Glasshouse Bar, 53 Pubgainers embarked on a 3 hour mission across Sydney's Inner-West, braving gales, torrential rain, and a few misplaced markers to buy well over 2000 drinks and over 100 pub visits.

3 hours for some, over half the teams arrived at the Lansdowne after 9.30pm, perhaps a little under the influence, but no real complaints.
Unfortunately the organisers - Marty (President UTS OAC) & Grant (President of the German club deUTSch) had to watch the UNSW Inaugurators take out the first place prize, with UTS OAC's Harry Hayashi & Grant Campbell taking 2nd place.
Below is a full list of the 15 teams, how everyone faired - including the winners of the Dogbowl, Team Sportsgirls!

Team Name:	Members:	No. in Team	POINTS	Total Visited:	Time:
Inagurators	Mark & Stewart	2	1000	15	9:25
AA	Harry & Grant	2	830	14	9:43
Hypo	Steven, Simon, Joan	3	790	11	9:29
The team that has already won	Joe, Marco, Julian, Florian	4	660	9	9:28
Bungan Ranchos	Micha, Anne, Sharon, David, Marcus	5	620	8	9:35
Bikers	Gab, Rosy	2	620	11	9:42
I337 B33R KR3W	Carl, Joseph, Jess, Alexandra, Caroline	5	570	12	9:42
Hambugers	Moritz, Patria, Fabian, Nicki	4	500	9	9:30
PubRunners	David, Susanne, Jenny, Gunnesch, Silvin	5	410	9	9:30
Mooie Madchen	Priscilla, Noodje, Merle	3	350	3	9:32
Adventurous Girls	Annie, Victorie, Katherine, Tae Yeon	4	300	6	9:35
Sandpit Ninjas	Merilee, Danny	2	270	8	9:27
Your Shout	Amanda, Alison, Maninder	3	170	6	9:33
E Team	Colas, Bruno, Karoline, Therion, Greg	5	0	1	9:44
Sportsgirls	Carolin, Ramona, Patricia, Rex	4	-160	4	9:46

Mt Jagungal - 27/06/2008

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.

ACT Rogaining Championships - 17/05/2008

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!

NSW Rogaining Championships: South Coast - 19/04/2008

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!

Sweet Dreams - Sublime Point - 6/04/2008

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! - 30/03/2008

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 - 12/03/2008

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... - 8/03/2008

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 ~

2007 Outdoor Adventure Survey Results - 3/04/2008

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! - 13/11/2007

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 - 13/10/2007

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 - 12/08/2007

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 2 - 14/06/2007

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!

Scott's Navigation Tips - Part 1 - 14/06/2007

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.

Be a Trip Leader with UTS Outdoor Adventure Club - 14/05/2007

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