Hailstorm Retreat
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Volume 38 Issue 1 Pugilistic Creek, Kosciusko National Park. “Sub-zero in March” Summer 2013 Wouldn’t you like to be here? Rare female Honey Possum with babies in pouch, Mt Chance (WA) campsite on Bibbulmum Track. Photo: Nancy Ainsworth, Watagan Wanderers Karen Davis at Wineglass Tor above the Great Horseshoe Bend in the Shoalhaven River. Photo: Brett Davis, Shoalhaven Bushwalkers Walk Safely—Walk with a Club T h e Bushwalker The Official Publication of the Confederation of Bushwalking Clubs NSW Volume 38, Issue 1, Summer 2013 From the editor’s desk. ISSN 0313 2684 IRST, an acknowledgement. In the last issue I had a picture on the inside front cover of a walker in a gorge, but I had lost all the details. Editor: Roger Caffin Karen Davis wrote to me to tell me that she is the walker, the pho- [email protected] F Graphic Design & Assembly: tographer is her husband Brett Davis, and she is in Bungonia Gorge. They Barry Hanlon both belong to the Shoalhaven Bushwalkers. Coincidentally, one of the Proofreader: Roy Jamieson photos opposite is also of Karen, but in the Budawangs. Another bit of amusement concerns the Totem Pole. You will find what Confederation Officers: looks like another photo of Michael Keats by the Totem Pole inside - but it President: David Trinder is actually someone else. They went there after reading Michael's story. Administration Officer: My wife and I have not done much walking recently: what with Sydney [email protected] hitting a record 45.8 C and the Shooters Party about to be let loose in Na- Website: www.bushwalking.org.au tional Parks, we have felt a bit inhibited. I wonder: just how many walkers Address all correspondence to: and clubs are going to feel worried about their safety? I understand that PO Box 119, Newtown, NSW 2042 the Confederation's Insurance Policy may have to rise a considerable amount due to the shooting. Sheer total utter madness - and the basest of political deals. It stinks. David Springthorpe of the CMW has sent a page from their Club maga- The Confederation of Bushwalking zine advertising the availability of new copies of the Budawangs sketch Clubs NSW Inc represents maps. I thought this might be of general interest. approximately 66 Clubs with a total membership of about 8,700 bushwalkers. Articles for Publication Formed in 1932, the Confederation I am getting a bit low on pictures for the Inside Front Cover. If you would like to see provides a united voice on behalf of all yours published, send them in. Note that I need the originals, straight from the camera bushwalkers on conservation, access and uncropped and unretouched, so we can set them up for the printing process. We need high resolution for large pictures. and other issues. Apart from that, please keep those articles rolling in. We need them. Plain text People interested in joining a please, and again the original unedited photos direct from the camera. If you want to bushwalking club may write to the include a DOC file or a PDF (in addition to the plain text) to illustrate the sort of layout you have in mind, please do so as well. Confederation Administration Please note that opinions expressed by authors may not represent the official [email protected] opinions of the Confederation or any Club. The Editor’s opinions are his own, if he can for a list of Clubs, but a far more find them. useful on-line list is available at the Roger Caffin Confederation website Editor www.bushwalking.org.au, broken up into areas. There’s lots of other good stuff there too, including the bushwalking FAQ. Index Wouldn’t you like to be here? 2 From the Editor’s Desk 3 President’s Report 4 Hailstorm Retreat 4 Letter to the Editor 6 Wilderness Vandalism 7 Shelved in Kalang Canyon 8 Wilpen Creek to Widen Balcony 9 Kosciuszko Can Wait 13 Hydration Packs - the case against 14 Turtle Rock — just one of Book Review 15 the many amazing pagoda formations that were seen Front Cover: Pugilistic Creek, Kosciusko Na- by the team of intrepid tional Park. “Sub-zero in March”. Photo: Roger bushwalkers who completed Caffin. the Wollemi north-south traverse in 2012. Story page 9. Volume 38, Issue 1, Summer 2013 The Bushwalker | 3 Walk Safely—Walk with a Club HOPE Club members have been able to Iget out into the beautiful outdoor plac- es despite the recent park closures and fires. Since my last report the national bushwalking organisation BAI Hailstorm Retreat (Bushwalking Australia Incorporated) held its conference at Narrabeen on the northern beaches of Sydney in November. Michael Keats The President, David Reid from Victoria, The Bush Club stood down and was replaced by a New South Wales representative, our past state ICK Jamieson’s book, ‘Canyons President, Dodie Green. We congratulate Great North Walk, on the way to Brooklyn Near Sydney’, 5th edition includes her on that role and we are sure she will an excellent sketch map showing progress the aims of BAI well. These aims R cess Officer, Training Coordinator and the relative disposition of a series of can- are to support and encourage the states. Insurance Officer. At the same time some yons and slots draining into Bungleboori BAI instigated a national training of the current members have busy work Creek along the northern bank from War- survey to which 54 Clubs responded; the lives and are having trouble getting to atah Ridge. Ten canyons are depicted findings are summarised below. meetings and it is difficult for representa- (Scatters, Dead Log, Arch, Four Dope, ■ Over 50% of Clubs have no formal tives of country Clubs to participate on Deep Throat, Cannons, Whip Bird, Bridge, training programs - (this must adverse- the Management Committee. We are and Bjelkes Mind), plus the romantically ly affect safety outcomes) planning to start holding meetings by tel- named Hailstorm Retreat, located be- ■ Clubs don’t want to pay for training econference. A telephone meeting might tween Scatters Canyon and Dead Log Canyon. ■ The Clubs that do training want to run start at 7.30PM and run for 90 minutes. Hailstorm Retreat is a discontinuous their own programs This should allow country Clubs to partici- pate, it might help people to fill vacancies rising slot that provides an excellent ■ Most prefer outcomes-focused training and help current members. access to the Bungleboori Creek from to build competence Confederation is planning to Waratah Ridge. Rick insists on referring to ■ Most Clubs are clear about what they participate in the Australia-wide Great Bungleboori Creek as the ‘Bungleboori think should be included in leader Australian Bushwalk (GAB) on 3rd March. South Branch’, and Dingo Creek as the training We propose the walk to go from Cowan ‘Bungleboori North Branch’. However, this A Training Working Group with 2 Station to Hawkesbury River Station terminology was officially changed by the NSW representatives was established to (Brooklyn) on part of the Great North NSW Geographic Names Board, 29th investigate the development of an online Walk track. We have explored the route September 2006. curriculum for Clubs to use if they wish. and plans are underway. We are hoping Although this was my third visit to BAI or the state Confederation is not that most nearby Clubs will send a group. Hailstorm Retreat, it is an experience that going to impose training requirements on We also want to encourage non-club merits return visits as it is, from a Clubs. walkers to join in and we are looking for a geomorphologic point of view, very Insurance was discussed and will be sponsor to help with publicity. special. Essentially the Retreat is a 300 m made more efficient. The payment Many young people are joining long, variable-width, negotiable slot program will be bushwalking “Meetup Groups”. The cutting through 140 m of vertical cliff. It organisers of these groups sometimes starts at the bottom as a dry tumble of ■ Clubs to declare membership on 1st require a fee and do not provide PA or PL rocks on the north bank of the March insurance or the vetting of leaders. They Bungleboori Creek. ■ Invoices will be sent out by the broker are based on Social Media sites and they Initially the slot alignment wanders a on 1st July are in “our space” and some Clubs might bit from side to side before becoming a ■ Insurance money is due on 30th July be affected by losing or not gaining young defined, north-south oriented members. I would like to hear your watercourse. Sections of the Retreat are ■ Broker is paid on 20th August comments. narrow, vertically-sided slots, connected The NSW Confederation Management Some Clubs have concerns about by ‘V’ shaped ravines, reflecting the Committee still needs people to fill 4 posi- standards being imposed by ORIC and the differential hardness of the sandstone tions: Conservation Officer, Tracks and Ac- federal body AAS. Confederation has sequence. There are two narrow slot-like taken on the threats that sections in the length of the Retreat that could have made our lives hell make for dramatic pictures. In one of and by working with them these slot sections a Coachwood tree has have achieved standards that grown, creating a constriction which we can live with. becomes more challenging each year as It appears that Clubs that the tree grows. Negotiating this tree are prepared to pay more for requires wriggling through a gap between better Personal Accident two exposed roots. insurance cover are in the minority. In most Clubs a t was a warm and humid day, with an majority of members are not Iextensive cloud front building to the employed.