CANBERRA BIJSHWALKING aIM INC NEWSLETTER P0 Box 160, Canberra AG 2601 Registered by Australia Post: Publication number NMB 859 CANB[R CLUB VOLUME 30 JANUARY 1994 NUMBER 1 4 t JANUARY BARBECUE /. URIARRA CROSSING Wednesday 19 December 1994, 6.00pm onwards This barbecue has become our regular January get-together and will be held as usual under the huge Casuarinas at liriarra Crossing (East). Follow the road to Uriarra Crossing but turn off to the left before you get to the ossing - Club signs will probably be in place but if not just look around till you find u Wood fuelled barbecues are available, there will also be opportunities for swimming. Bring your own everything including plates and cutlery. For further information phone Sue Vidler on 212 3553(w) or 254 531 4) . SOUTH ARM OF B OWENS CREEK ly opened our packs to see what was dry and hoped that our sleeping bags weren't wet. Rene L's was damp in places but Map: Mt Wilson 1:31,680 the rest were dry. 4 and 5 Decemeber 1993 Sunday saw those with sore backs and thumping heads rise Taking part: Ally Street, Ian 1-lickson, Rene Davies, Rene slowly. Even slower was the attempt to crawl back into Lays, Graham Muller, Ann Gibbs-Jordan. yesterday's wet clothing. Once done, however, movement was quick. Within 20 metres of the campsite, we encoun- "I think I'm gong to go home and mark all the car camping tered a 5 metre jump. Although Ally and Ian dashed at it trips on the program in coloured texta so I can remember with glee, the two Renes. Graham and I looked at thejump, to go on them." Graham. the grey sky sprinkling rain and shivered. Graham smartly discovered a log leading from a nearby rock to the bottom "The top cennmetre of water actually feels warmer." Rene D. of the pool and shinned down it into the water. He was quickly followed by Rene Land me. Rene D threw caution "The rest is just fflffreezing." Ann. to the wind followed her pack which gave a resounding "This is definitely a rock-hugging creek." Rene L. thud as it hit the water. "J-u-m-p. This is fun. This is a really interesting creek and When looking at the map before the trip, I thought there I'm very glad we came." Hickson. must be a good block-up section downstream of our campsite. Sure enough there was - one cracker of a swim. "I'm enjoying this trip. It's wonderfhl. It's fun and it's taking As Graham put it "This leaves the Shoalhaven block-up for my mind off everything." Ally. dead." It was very similar to sections of the Wollangambie which Graham hasn't seen. Some of the sentiments expressed by those who stumbled over slippery boulders and logs, fell, swam, abseiledjumped I had spoken tojim Hand from the Newcastle Bushwalking and occasionally walked down the south arm of Bowens club before the trip and he had indicated that there was a Creek, central Blue Mountains on December 4 and 5. large camping cave at CR 397 575. The creek widened into a small forested area with a large sheltered overhang that A couple ofus had been down the north arm to thejunction would probably sleep 50 people. Large dry branches littered with the south arm but not the south arm and further the ground as overhang protected quite an extensive area downstream. Programmed as a rough trip, it lived up to my making it an excellent campsite. expectations. Throughout the morning the creek opened up and when Hickson's pre-trip comment "You'll be in the water from possible we found it preferable to struggle through what are your balls to your eyeballs all day" sums up both days aptly. commonly known as "water gums" than to continue We started walking at CR 359532 at 8.00am on Saturday walking directly in the creek. Thrashing through "water and finished at 600pm and spent the whole day in the gums" isn't one of life's pleasantries. At least we were watercourse. At times we were greeted by hot little puffs of walking downstream and not fighting against them as they wind and sunshine but both had disappeared by mid- tend to bend and grow with the flow of a stream. aftçrnoon and were replaced by rain showers. A few more swims saw us at the junction of Mill Creek The creek's changeability absorbed our attention: flat sandy around noon. More rock-hopping on super slippery rocks, sections where we disturbed large numbers of red crayfish this time upstream bought us to a fork in Mill Creek, lunch which dashed for shelter; canyon formations ofwavedwalls; and a fire. long block-ups necessitating sustained swimming; huge log jams; walls decked with lacy ferns; brilliant green mossy "It says something about the trip when we're all huddled rocks decorated with delicate white flowers; dropsjust big around a fire literally in the middle of the stream1" Ally. enough to warrant an abseil and drops that insistedyoujump into the inky depths of the pools below. A quick exit up the ridge between the two äeeks bought us back to the car which was parked near Mt Tomah Our campsite at the junction with the north arm was just Botanic Gardens. sufficient. Limited in space, surrounded by towering cliffs, the creek below full of massive blocks of sandstone, a Ian's previous comment wraps the trip us "a really interest- canopy of tall rainforest trees above, it provided a refuge for ing creek." Would I go again? Yes. It offered a lot of variety six tired people. and I'll be fitter next time. But where were the adventurous young? Three ofthe women were 41 years, the other 52 and Although rainforest timber doesn't burn well, Ally got a the men were 38 and 50? magnificent fire blazing within halfan hour - a godsend for tired cold people. This was also the time when we cautious- Ann Gibbs-Jordan Page 2 paper (small notes will get lost) and fax or post to me. Postal address is 8 D'Hage Crt, Melba ACT 2615. Fax (06) Ala/Sr 2391369. AlaJile Finally! do not really find it satisfactory to have trips dictated over the phone. Iffaxing or posting a walk is a problem give Thanks to every one for your assistance in my settling in me a call. I can usually collect the details from you. My job period. It has taken a few ITs to get the format and system is pretty 'mobile'. organised. In addition I have started a newjob and blown- Some folks have said that it is difficult to contact me. Whilst up two computers ... I am however confident that the this may have been the case I now have two message learning curve is pretty well over and I have a system facilities. established. In order to make myjob easier however please note the following: Contact details are: The walks programme is typed using Microsoft Word for H: (06) 2588890 - Answering machine attached. Windows. Ifyou have a number of walks, a disk injust about any IBM format would be great. Best of all please use Word, B: (018) 488893— If no answer you will be diverted to an but don't worry if this is not available. answering machine. Not everyone has access to a computer. If you are writing Finally thank you for all of those walks. the programme is out trip notes please do so on a reasonably sized sheet of looking pretty good. Maurice Wicks ACTIVITY PROGRAM TRANSPORT Costs are presently 25 cents per kilometre per car divided equally among ALL participants. This amount is a guide only and can be varied at the discretion of the leader depending on the condition of the roads, the number of passengers per car and othe factors. The figures given for individual trips are rough estimates only,based on four people per car, and other factors - the costs may rise if cars are only partly filled. Park admission and camping fees are additional costs which leaders should list separately. Members are reminded that bookings close at 200pm on Thursday. [1RtAir/41UWtSJ4d ( ti The Check-in/contact Officerforthe Club isMichael Pedvin 2885751(h), 2775177(w). He (NOT the police or other bodies) should be the first point ofcontact for worried relatives ifyou are late returning from a trip. Leaders must also report the safe return OR cancellation of their trip to the check-in-officer. GRADING OF WALKS (5) Short - under 12km/day (E) Easy - firetrails, tracks, beaches etc. (M) Medium - 12-20km/day (M) Medium - bush tracks, alpine areas, some scrub (L) Long - over 20km/day (R) Rough - much scrub, steep climbs, rock scrambles (W) Wet - compulsory swims, many river crossings NOTE: In calculating distance 1 km is added for every 100 metres climbed. Page 3 Saturday January 15 - Molonglo below Coppins - MIM A walk for a hot summer's day mainly down the gorge with frequent swimming stops. Bring bathers and children if you wish. Start mid-morning, finish by tea time. Maps: Canberra and Cotter 1:50000. Leader: Keith Sayers 2583268ç'h) 295 7774(w), Sunday January 16 - Tuross Cascades Bludge Trip - SIE The length of the walk down the road will depend on how far we can get the cars; normally it is about 3 kim. lfthe rock pool with the waterslide is unpopulated, we will spend most ofour time relaxing, swinmiing and sliding there, otherwise we will look for a pool further downstream.