CANBERRA BUS/H/WALWNG CLUB INC. NEWSLETrER P.O. Box 160, Canberra, ACT. 2601 tf Registered by Australia Post: Publication number NBH 1859 VOLUME 26 JUNE 1990 NUMBER 6 JUNE MONTHLY MEE11NG THE ANNUAL CLUB AUC11ON WHERE? Dickson Library Community Room WHEN? Wednesday 20 June 1990, 800pm WHO? Bill Burford, Auctioneer Extraordinaire WHAT? Dig out that unwanted gear that has been cluttering your cupboards for so long and bring it along to the annual Club auction. Anything connected with bushwalking, skiing, abseiling or any of the other Club activities is suitable. Those with nothing to sell should come along and pick up some of the many bargains that are usualty to be found at these events. Someone bought a single mitten last year; so if you have a single mitten for sale, it is likely that there is a ready buyer. Come along and see the gear that people bought last year, or see 13 pairs of Alan Vidler's used sandshoes. Before the meeting, join Club members at 6.00pm for dinner (BYO) at the Vietnam Restaurant, O'Connor (the one on the corner). T shirts and badges carrying the Club's emblem, the corroboree frog, are available for purchase at Club meetings from the Social Secretary. PRESIDENTS PRATRE While not bread and circuses, the last month has been walks and conservation - issues which are the basic sustenance of this Club. On Wednesday 23 May, in addition to telephone and letters, 25 people rolled up at the Vidlers' house for what can only be described as a successful walk planning meeting. Keep those walks (and ski trips etc.) coming; without them we have little purpose. On the conservation side; on the weekend of 19-20 May, it was 26 of our stoutest up into the Valley of the Monoliths. While this is discussed in greater detail later in IT, I want to say thank you to those Club members who were able to make it, it was a great effort. For the rest of you, do not despair, as you will have another opportunity to participate in late August - early September. In an earlier edition of IT, I foreshadowed the Club developing its own minimum impact bushwalking code. The intention is to have a draft to put before the Club in the July IT. This is a matter in which all of us can and should participate. I have some specific thoughts in terms of lighting wood fires in high use areas, and in terms of the need to take a toilet trowel on walks. It is important though that we also receive your thoughts on the development of a club minimum impact bushwalking code. If there is anything you want to add at this time, or after the draft is put out, please contact John Thwaite, Henry Burmester or myself. David Campbell "4 INSURANCE LEVY At the beginning of the Club year a number of members paid a $1.50 personal insurance levy. It was decided that we would not proceed with the scheme. Since then I have been trying to contact Club members who paid the levy to give them a cash refund We have decided not to post out the refunds as the cost of postage and cheques does not make such an exercise worthwhile. If you have paid the levy and have not received a refund please contact me, preferably at a Club meeting or function. Mike Morriss MEMBERSHIP MATIERS New Members Paul Bannister, Lesley Bell, Ross Burke, Anita Cieslar, Janet Duncan, Christine Dunn, Elizabeth Janssen, Aliceann Reilly, Rhonda Smith. Prospective Members Wayne Brault 58 Barada Cres, Aranda ACT 2614 251 6895(h)2805687(w) Michael Cross Unit 14/1 Flecker P1, Florey ACT 2615 2587746(h) 2525082(w) Christopher Dowd 34 Campaspe Crct Kaleen ACT 2617 241201 7(h)2435062(w) Mariane Judd 7 Eleanora St Fisher ACT 2611 2886049(h) 2811666(w) Narelle Niven 11 OakesSt Cook ACT 2614 2516996(h) Connie O'Driscoll-Murphy 30 Bainbridge Cl Chisholm ACT 2905 2917627(h) John Skurr 7 Eleanora St Fisher ACT 2611 2886049(h) 2811666(w) Jack & Norma White I4TullaroopSt Duffy ACT 2611 2884483(h)2765586(w) Lisa Windsor 19 Kambalda Cres Fisher ACT 2611 2888943(h)2490396(w) Kristin Young 71 Limestone Ave Braddon ACT 2601 2480560(h)2475099(w) WALK SECRETARY'S WAFFLE I thank - we all thank - the 25 or so people who came to the May Walks Planning evening and helped create a programme packed with interesting trips and few gaps. My noble(?) decision to leave my own trips for filling programme gaps has left me little opportunity to programme trips, a pleasant position for a Walk Secretary! I hope we continue to have a reasonable number of people assist with the club's prime function. I'd also like to see more people involved rather than the usual "few leading many" - a walker with some leading experience is a safer walker (can tell North from Down), and more considerate of leaders when they are a follower (would I like such behaviour on my trips?") : Ski touring time is here again. For those new to this activity, remember firstly that leaders are much more likely to reject a newcomer than on walks, so discuss the trip and your experience with them early. Secondly, be aware that the destination and grade of a trip are statements of intention which are frequently (mostly, say the cynics) , varied as a result of snow or weather conditions. I'd also like to remind everyone of the notice at the start of every walks programme - the transport cost is an estimate based on full cars. If cars are not full then the cost is likely to rise. Many people appear to be surprised when this happens - so much so that I suspect some leaders are cheating drivers by undercharging in such cases. Alan Vidler TRANSPORT TROUBLES As check-in officer, I collect statistics on the number of participants in each Club activity and details of all walks that do not go. Over the last few months several Club walks have had to be cancelled due to lack of transport. To operate a successful program, the Club needs leaders, walkers, and walkers who are prepared to offer transport for others on the trip. All walkers who own motor vehicles are urged to offer them for transport on at least some of the walks they book for. The current practices see the same old faces providing transport and, if these people do not go on trips or vehicles are out of commission, trips are cancelled. For walks I lead I am now asking people to nominate whether transport is required, available and they want to use their car, or available if really required. I hope that all walkers with access to a vehicle will offer to provide transport if really required for as many walks as possible. Any members with other suggestions on how to alleviate the current shortage of transport are welcome to raise their ideas with me or any other member of the Committee. Allan Mikkelsen BIRRIGAI FUNC11ON A successful fund raising function was held at Canberra's Outdoor School, Birrigai on Saturday 28 April. About 120 people took part in earth education activities, an Italian Dinner and a Bush Dance. The function raised $1100 for the South-East Forest Campaign. The Forestry Working Group of the Conservation Council of the South East Region and Canberra extends its thanks to the staff at Birrigai and to all who attended. CBC support made it a success. Mike Morriss Notice of Motion The following motion will be moved by Keith Vallard at the June Monthly meeting: "I wish to move that By-law 3 be amended to allow concessionary membership to be determined on the membership form by the applicant. Thus the following by-law amendments should be adopted: 3.1 A reduction of the annual subscription rate should be made available to members and potential members who are: Full time students Unemployed C. Pensioners 3.2 The concession should be 1/2 the normal rate of subscription for the membership category in question. 3.3 Members and potential members should be the persons responsible for assessing their membership status. 3.4 The Committee shall have the right to revoke the concessionary membership status of any member subject to appeal at a meeting of members. 3.5 The receipt of a rebate to the annual subscription will not affect the recipient's standing as a member". A letter from the YWCA, Banif, Canada, I May 1990 [This letter raises a number of unanswered questhns. the most obvious being, 'What was Mr Bendeli doing in the 'YWCA7. Ed] Dear chaps and chapettes, Greetings from Banif, Rocky Mountains, Canada. As I sat down to have dinner (several sandwiches of mozzarella cheese and mushrooms, 1 apple, 1 banana and a drink of milk) the urge grabbed me to write and let you know of the various misdeeds and misadventures that have befallen your hon. auditor. In one sentence: lots of skUng. Landed in Vancouver on Wednesday, and Friday we were up on Grouse Mountain downhilling. Grouse Mountain is one of the local (of 3) skiing areas that you drive to after work. Soon the pattern established itself. We would go touring on the weekend and downhilling during the week at Blackcomb/Whistler. Typical instructions given to us for a tour would be: "we go up the road for a while, pick up the trail up the hillside, ski across the lake and we arrive at the hut". The reality of the situation is that several hours later, groaning under the weight of ice axes, ropes, climbing gear and camping gear, we would have risen 4000 feet and still have 5km of frozen lake to cross! To get us fit for these tours, we adopted the schedule of walking up the first third of Blackcomb ski area (2000 feet) and catching the lifts to downhill on the other two thirds (3500 feet): A total of 5500 feet of vertical drop.