news > March 2008
ITALIAN ARTIST-CLIMBER PLANS MOUNTAINTOP PROTEST
Italian mountaineer and artist Alberto Peruffo has unveiled a series of mountaintop art events designed to coincide with the Olympic torch's ascent of Mt. Everest in early May. The "Sad Smoky Mountains" project will take place during the first 10 days of May, when orange and red smoke flares will be simultaneously ignited on more than 75 summits in Europe, including the Matterhorn and Mont Blanc. The display is timed to coincide with the approximate date of the torch relay's summit bid on Everest, and is a protest of Chinese policies in Tibet. These symbolic torches, Peruffo says at his website, will represent "an evanescent color of spilled blood, shame on those who have always remained in silence. Food for those who resist." Peruffo, who has staged similar public-art projects in the past, is encouraging friends and fellow mountaineers to hold their own protests on highly visible peaks during the first 10 days of May. Learn more at www.sadsmokymountains.net.
BE CAREFUL OF FIXED QUICKDRAWS
An accident in the Czech Republic has pointed out the need for caution with fixed (permanently installed) quickdraws in climbing gyms and on sport climbs. A climber fell at the first bolt on a route in a Czech climbing gym, and his rope was severed as it ran over the deeply worn carabiner; fortunately the climber was unharmed. Ideally, of course, indoor gyms frequently check and replace worn equipment, but fixed quickdraws are increasingly common at sport-climbing areas with big overhangs, and these may not be replaced often. The Czech Mountaineering Union suggests that carabiner wear is likely to be most severe on the first quickdraw of a route, below a roof, or anywhere else the rope is forced to run through a carabiner at an angle. See more details about the incident at www.czechclimbing.com/clanek.php?key=6771.
ANDREW LOCK PRESENTATION A SUCCESS
For those that turned out on Wednesday night you will agree that it was a tremendous presentation by Andrew Lock on Annapurna. About 160 people attended which was the second largest audience of his Australia lecture tour.Andrew kindly donated $100 to the CCA for the Club’s support in promoting the event and helping out on the night.
NEW ROUTES AT LEGOLAND, March 08
Hog wall has been rebolted and the free standing boulder behind it has 2 new routes by Chris Warner.Check the new routesnew route section.
NEW ROUTES AT TOWER ROCKS, March 08
Tower Rocks has 3 new routes and 2 projects put up by Andrew Bull and Chris Warner. They also replaced the rap bolts ontop of both main boulders and replaced some of the existing old route bolts. Check the new routes section.
ORRORAL RIDGE FIRE TRAIL
The fire trail will not be going ahead which is a great outcome for the local climbing community.
NEW GYM
Canberra Indoor Rock Climbing will be opening a second indoor
climbing facility, The South Canberra Rocks, in Hume.
The ‘South Canberra Rocks’ is set to open by the end of April.
This facility will cater for climbers by offering an extensive bouldering area
and many leadable walls.
The facility will have the same equipment and safety procedures as our centre
in Mitchell to allow our customers to move easily between the two centres and
experience the different terrains offered at each.
Memberships that will cover you for both The Hume and Mitchell centres will
be availble by the second half of this year.
NEW FIRE TRAILS AT ORRORAL RIDGE
Brown Consulting have been requested to undertake the preparation of Preliminary
Assessments (as required by the Land (Planning and Environment) Act 1991) and
Development Applications for these proposed fire trails.
The four proposed fire trails are:
• ·Bullen Range Fire Trail (Bullen Range Nature Reserve)
• ·Orroral Tors Fire Trail (NNP)
• ·Stockyard Link Fire Trail (NNP)
• ·Spencers Border Fire Trail (NNP).
The construction of these proposed fire trails was identified in the Strategic
Bushfire Management Plan (SBMP) developed by the ACT Government to ensure
uniform fire management standards across the ACT. The objective of the
fire trails is to provide ‘tanker standard’ access to these areas
of Namadgi National Park and the Bullen Range Nature Reserve to support fire
management strategies, in particular, fire suppression and fire fuel reduction
measures.
Brown Consulting and their team of sub consultants are undertaking fieldwork
to survey and assess the environmental impacts of the proposed fire trails.
This includes an assessment of Flora, Fauna and Landscape, Natural
and Cultural Heritage, Visual and Aesthetic Impacts and Soil Erodibility.
A public display will be available at Namadgi Visitors Centre between
28 April 2007 to 6 May 2007 if you wish to view these plans in more
detail. A feedback form will be available for you to fill in and make
comment. Also between 3-7pm on Wednesday 2 May 2007 the project team
will host a drop-in public information session at Namadgi Visitors Centre.
It is anticipated that the Preliminary Assessments and Development Applications
for the four proposed fire trails will be lodged in June 2007. ACTPLA
will then undertake the formal public consultation process associated with
these applications.
DUBIOUS TACTICS
Glitz Rock at the Cantaloupe bouldering area has seen a new hold created by the removal of rock in the Vendetta crack line droping the grade from V9 to 7 or 8. Its also made Cerebro (V11) a little easier with the drop down move. Please dont anyone continue the modifications as it will ruin Cerebro and turn Vendetta into a 4.
NZAC Australian Section - Canberra Meeting 16/08/2006
Come to the inaugural NZAC meeting in Canberra, with guest speaker Jonathon
Clearwater - Mountaineer and film maker. Jonathon will screen some of his exciting
award winning film, Southern Faces, which includes climbing footage and interviews
about the seven best NZ South Island areas. The film is about Kiwi climbers
in their element pushing their personal limits. Shot on location in New Zealand.
7.30 pm - Doors open at 7.00 pm. Lecture Theatre - Lower Ground Floor, Department
of Earth and Marine Sciences Australian National University. Daley Road, (Opposite
Burton and Garran Hall), Canberra. Join us for drinks afterwards. Entry by gold
coin donation to offset costs. For more info, contact David Cregan at pinotd@grapevine.net.au
GEORGE'S BOULDER
A large plate of rock tore off George's boulder recently out at Corin road,
which caused the loss of a new V7 put up by Chris Warner. This produced however
another new problem that he also did going at V10 'Shapeshifters' it goes up
the new obvious high flake from a sit start on the back side. Andrew Bull also
recently added a new mega dyno on the boulder, 'Leg Spinner' going at V6 from
a sit start below the finish of 'Phone Sex'. He also added a phone extention
to the classic V8 'Phone Sex' finishing up 'Leg Spinner’, so now the problem
tops out, creating 'Phone Sex Leg Spinner' V9. George's boulder still boasts
2 of the hardest boulder problems to be done locally in Canberra.
ACCIDENT AT ARAPILES
By Dan Harrison, Vanessa Burrow May 25, 2006 - 2:03PM (The Age)
Rescuers have recovered the body of an off-duty police officer killed yesterday
in a rock climbing accident at Mount Arapiles, 350 kilometres west of Melbourne.
Police have identified the dead man as 48-year-old police sergeant and father-of-two
Warwick Cook of Nyah West, near Swan Hill.
Sergeant Cook, the officer in charge of the town's police station, had been
in the force for 31 years.
Sergeant Cook fell 15 metres onto a ledge at the Syrinx Climb at Tiger Wall
while climbing with a friend yesterday.
A Rural Ambulance spokesman said paramedics were called to the area about 4.30pm
yesterday but were unable to reach the man.
"The climber was on a ledge, under an overhang . . . he was suffering leg,
back, pelvic and spinal injuries," he said.
Sergeant Tim James of police search and rescue said rescue crews decided not
to try to recover the body last night for safety reasons.
This morning a rescuer abseiled down the mountain to collect the body from the
ledge. It was placed on a stretcher and lowered to ground level just before
noon, Sergeant James said.
He said Sergeant Cook was wearing all necessary safety equipment when he fell.
"His equipment was in new condition . . . none of his equipment failed,
he just impacted the ground exceptionally hard,'' he said.
Sergeant Cook's friends and family had arrived at the site to pay their respects,
Sergeant James said.
A police spokeswoman said a report would be prepared for the coroner.
ACCIDENT AT BOOROOMBA
As you may be aware there was a climbing accident at Booroomba on Monday afternoon
(20 Mar 2006) which was reported in the Canberra Times on Tuesday morning. The
report in the paper is reasonably accurate.
T he following additional information may be of value:
The rescue was made by Southcare helicopter. They were tasked by NSW Ambulance
Service from Sydney.
ACT Police and Emergency Services were not aware of the incident as I spoke
with both the ACT Police Media unit and the Emergency Services Media Unit to
confirm this fact.
A bushwalker raised the alarm after hearing calls for help.
The injured person was a climber and did have a partner with him at the time.
The two climbers were roped together.
It would appear that the accident occurred near the top of the cliff. The exact
climb and location are not known.
The climber was winched out as it was the most expedient method.
The injured climber was taken to hospital with lacerations. They were discharged
the next day so clearly (and thankfully) not a serious injury.
CANBERRA'S HARDEST AID ROUTE
Chris Fitzgerald put up a new aid line at the Belfry. Check it out in 'new
routes.'
CCA ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP DUE
It is membership renewal time. At $15 per year, CCA membership is a bargain,
particularly when you see the many discounts and other benefits that come along
with membership. In order to minimise administration you are encouraged to take
out membership for more than one year. The treasurer will collect renewals at
the next meeting, Alternatively you can electronically transfer funds to the
CCA bank account at:
Account Name: Canberra Climbers Association
BSB#: 801009
A/C #: 1064291
If making an electronic transfer, please ensure that you put your name as the
payee so we can update our records.
CCA REBOLTING PROGRAM
Rebolting has commenced at Gibraltar. Many worriesom bolts have been pulled
out and replaced. Many thanks to the hard work of the volunters.
CHANGES TO MEMBERSHIP DETAILS
Please don’t keep us guessing. If you change address, phone number, email
etc please let us know so we can update membership details. We regularly email
out correspondence so if you haven’t heard anything from us for a while
it is because your email bounced.
NEW MEMBERSHIP
Membership forms are available from our website www.canberraclimbing.com or
from our RUNOUT newsletter.GREAT OUTDOORS DISCOUNT
Gus Cutler from the Great Outdoors in Phillip has provided the following discount
to CCA members for the Month of March.
All 5.10 climbing shoes, 20% off. He has a good selection. Just bring your membership
card.
EVEREST DVD
A limited edition DVD has just been released by the Army Alpine Association
of its 2001 Everest Expedition via the North ridge. The two disc DVD tracks
the story of the dramatic events that unfolded, the aftermath of the deaths
to 3 of the trekking party in the Annapurna Sanctuary, interviews with team
members, dramatic high altitude footage (taken professionally by renown New
Zealand cameraman and guide Mark Whetu) and finally success. This is an Australian
Everest story and one that will not be available in retail stores. If you would
like a copy, please contact either Adrian McCallum at adrian.mccallum1@defence.gov.au
or zaharias@webone.com.au Price is $25.