Climbing to the top of the world was an amazing experience. I very much en-joyed the challenge and commitment involved. The mountain is very steep, full of beauty, risk and required much effort to climb. It will not change my life but it may change my perspective on life.

Arriving at base camp (BC) I was filled with anticipation. The first glance up at the Khumbu Icefall induced fear and an adrenalin rush. Then I remembered that fear just stands for False Evidence Appearing Real. I knew that I had to trust my climbing skills, gear, prepara-tion and team. This calmed my mind. I had been told that it was a matter of focussing on one climbing move at a time and not the entire climb. This approach proved successful. From that moment my fear disappeared. Having said that, throughout the climb there were a few moves where I had to take a deep breath, concentrate and refo-cus, but I was no longer fearful or con-cerned. This is not the case for all climbers. An experienced climbing friend of mine who was climbing in an-other team chose to leave the expedi-tion after a few hours walk in the ice-fall. It was evident that he had not pre-pared for the enormous mental chal-lenge of facing Everest.

The mountain can be intimidating. Base camp is situated on the side of a mov-ing glacier. Immediately above base camp is the Khumbu icefall. This is where the glacier goes over a drop and the ice breaks up. The icefall is climbed through the night when the ice

is more solid and there is less chance of avalanche or ice collapse. The ice-fall is a sea of large ice boulders, many holes, crevasses, dozens of ladders, and vertical ice walls to negotiate. It is dangerous but very beautiful. The ice is sculptured and most views are deserving of a photo. The blue ice is hypnotic and I find it interesting to peer into the deep holes and crevass-es.

The climb involved 4 return trips through the icefall. The first rotation was physically the most demanding, however as my body adjusted to an atmosphere with a lower concentration of oxygen, the climbing became more comfortable.

The most dangerous section of the ice-fall was near the top. This area ava-lanched twice during the season. There were large collapses that closed the route while the ‘ice doctors’ assessed the area and re-aligned ladders and ropes. (cont’d p.3)

Mt. Everest

2013 No. 3 SPRING

BANKSTOWN BUSHWALKING CLUB INC. THE OUTDOORS CLUB THAT DOES IT ALL!

CLIMBING EVEREST B y M a r g a r e t S t . H i l l

BUSH TELEGRAPH

Climbing Everest 1

President’s Piece 2

Safe walking 2

Most active leader 2

Climbing Everest 3

Grand Canyon 4

Carnarvon Great Walk 5

New members 6

Botanicals 6

Safety in river crossings 6

Snippets 7

Inside this issue:

Club email address:

bankstownbush@gmail.com

Postal address:

PO Box 7061,

Mt. Lewis NSW 2190

Phone no.:

(02) 9773 9141

All opinions and recommenda-

tions contained in this maga-

zine are the individual authors’

alone, and do not constitute

official endorsement by the

executive or members of the

Bankstown Bushwalking Club

Inc.

It’s the last day of July and the weather Bureau reports

Sydney’s hottest July on record.

But that’s just in the Sydney metro area. Outside of our city’s bowl the weather has been relatively “normal”. And many of the Clubs activities occur in these outer areas so we have to be vigilant of the weather conditions for where

we are venturing.

As an example: 2 weekends ago the abseil committee was running a trip on the western cliff line near Katoomba. All week the weather boffins predicted strong cold winds and low temps for basically the whole eastern part of the State. The two favoured weather sites, BoM or Weatherzone, had varying conclusions for the mountains forecast. We met at Glenbrook as usual where it was cold but sunny and only a slight breeze. Quite nice for July. Rick, who lives in Katoomba, phoned us from the trip start point to report freezing strong winds from the west and that perhaps we shouldn’t bother coming up. The trip participants had a pow wow and many wanted to still go, hoping the condi-tions would ease before they got there. The winds howev-er became stronger the closer we got to Katoomba. When we met Rick, his reported conditions had not changed and had possibly become worse. It was not an uncommon July mountain day. We stood around for 10 minutes often add-ing more clothes, beanies and gloves before deciding it would be unsafe to continue with the trip, and adjourned

P A G E 2

to a favourite coffee shop. In retrospect the experienced members had a pretty good idea that Rick’s reported con-ditions would hold and the trip would be cancelled, but it was equally important that the newer members experi-enced the contrasting mountain weather for themselves. And from that perspective it was encouraging, though disappointing for them, that it was the newer members who agreed the conditions were unsafe to continue. As a footnote, when we arrived back at Glenbrook the weather was the same as early that morning: sunny, cold but with little wind. The difference between both villages was amaz-

ing.

As trip coordinators and participants it is always acceptable to reassess an activity. Consult the weather websites, of course, particularly the report for where you are heading, but don’t stop reassessing the situation. In winter it’s the cold and wind, in summer the heat, storms and fires. As a coordinator for over 25 years I have led and been on many trips that have been cancelled or altered to meet the condi-tions. Don’t be shy in having a word to the trip coordinator if you have any concerns. Trips are for the enjoyment and safety of all. And its August tomorrow…that usually means

winds.

Mikey

El Pres

Club Management likes to promote the importance of first aid training, whether basic, senior or remote area. So, if you need a Remote Area refresher there’s one on Sept 7 & 8 and the full Remote Area Course Oct 12 & 13 and 26 & 27 (yes, 4 days). Bookings for the 4 day course open on 6 September.

Note also the Club will subsidize the cost of Seniors First Aid and Remote Area First Aid courses to any member. The more first aiders we have, the safer it is for all.

For links to the course details and registration pages plus details of the Club’s course fee reimbursement visit our First Aid Training page on the Wiki.

If you have any questions about first aid training, please email, or come along to a meeting and ask, any member of the Walks Committee.

Thanks,

Mike

On behalf of the Management Committee

Hi all,

We have some new wording on the top of the program which I’d like you to read and be aware of. It says:

“The activities on this program are peer based. Peers have equal rights and responsibilities but not necessarily equal skills and experience. Each participant in a peer based activity, including visi-tors, has the primary responsibility for their own well-being in each activity in which they partici-pate. In addition all participants share responsibil-ity (or must be prepared to) for the good and or-derly conduct and safety of any Club activity in which they participate. This extends to helping others in an emergency.”

Essentially, the idea behind these words has always been the case but now we have nice simple words to explain it. This wording is also up on the Club Wiki. From the “Safety” aspect, Club Management would like all Members to be aware of the importance of advising partici-pants (or as a minimum one other participant) on a Club activity of any medical issues they have that may affect their safety during the activity. E.g. If you are asthmatic let someone know where your puffer is. If you need sugar let someone know where your munchies are. Have blisters, get them seen to. If you feel unwell, don’t keep it to your-self. (No there hasn’t been an “incident”, it’s just common sense.) We want all our trips to be enjoyable and being pre informed helps immensely. This request applies to partici-pants and activity coordinators alike.

B U S H T E L E G R A P H

SAFE WALKING

President’s piece B y M i ke Ro b i n s o n

Danny (left) was

the Club’s Most

Active Leader in

2012 and was

presented with the

trophy by Mike

(right), at the AGM

in March 2013

I am very proud of my achievement and know in my heart

that I would have easily made that last 50 or so vertical

metres had the weather not changed.

I feel blessed that I managed to stay warm, strong and return without any trouble. The same cannot be said for

the expedition’s other Australian team member. He had to be rescued from the Balcony later that evening. Apparently

he became exhausted, altitude affected, and got stuck at the balcony. Sadly he suffered frostbite to all 10 fingers

and 3 toes. He is currently recovering, however he has to keep his fingers separated and bandaged for 2 months. It

is only after this time that he will know for sure if he will loose the tips of his fingers.

Climbing Everest was most definitely an experience of a lifetime. As they say mountaineering is unpredictable and if

you expect everything to go your way then climbing Everest

is not for you.

Above the ice fall was a crevassed area, camp one (C1) and

the Western Cwm. This exposed part of the glacier led up

to camp 2 (C2) and the Lhotse face. Camp 2 is a relatively sheltered area below the Western Ridge of Everest. Some

climbers have attempted to scale Everest via the steep fluted blue ice of the Western Ridge but not this year.

The Lhotse face is steep, hard mostly blue ice. Despite well

below zero temperatures and cold wind, the limited oxygen and physical exertion required to get up to camp 3 (C3)

resulted in hot and thirsty work.

Camp 3 is cut into the steep slope of the Lhotse face. It

takes about 4 hours per tent to dig out the platform, conse-quently teams share tents. An afternoon spent at C3 can be

quite pleasant. It is warm in the tents and the views back down the glacier or up towards Everest are spectacular.

However, once the camp is in shade and the sun goes down

the camp is bitterly cold. Sleeping on snow, sub-zero tem-

peratures and howling winds resulted in very little sleep.

Rotations

We completed all rotations without supplementary oxygen.

First – BC to C1, sleep & then return to BC

Second – BC to C2 & sleep, walk up towards Lhotse

face, back to C2, sleep & then return to BC

Third – BC to C2 sleep, C3 sleep, then return to BC

Summit Push

Climbers and sherpas used supplementary oxygen from

camp 3 and above.

BC to C2 & sleep, C3 & sleep, C4 (South Col) arrived

at lunch time and then departed about 9.30pm, walk

through the night & summit in the morning.

Return to C4 (South Col) at 1pm, sleep, walk back

to C2 sleep & then BC

Note – between each rotation we all spent a few days back

at BC.

Rotations and the summit push are dependent on weather

reports. It is not possible to summit on a day when the winds are above about 40km/h. There are only a few days

each May when the wind drops sufficiently. This is just as the monsoon arrives and jet stream winds drop from up to

400 km/hr to below 40 km/hr.

The expedition team that I climbed with chose to follow the

fixing of ropes to the summit. Consequently we attempted the summit at the end of the first short window.

My summit was the Hillary Step at about 7.30 am on 13th

May 2013. It had been a windy night and snow was blown at us all night. I remained focussed and maintained a

strong and steady pace. My Sherpa and I arrived at the balcony about 4.30 am, we changed oxygen bottles and

watched the silhouette of the Himalayan mountain range light up. It was magnificent.

As the sun moved up into the sky the mountain range be-low became visible. Peaks rose out of low lying cloud. It

was just magic and a sight I will never forget. The sky was clear and blue. Views from the South Summit were breath

taking.

At the Hillary Step as I stopped for a drink and prepared for

the final hour, a dark cloud engulfed the summit within 3

seconds. The wind picked up. There was no sensible choice

but to descend.

P A G E 3

Climbing EVEREST ( c o n t ’ d f r o m p . 1 ) B y M a r g a r e t S t . H i l l

N O . 3 2 0 1 3 S P R I N G

Margaret &

Sherpa

Ankaji at

the Hillary

Step en-

gulfed in a

dark cloud.

Ladder under stress in icefall Abseiling down the Lhotse face

Everest summit

Ladder cross-

ing high in

the icefall

One of the best ways to start the festive season is by ‘doing’ the Grand Canyon. Justine led the walk at the top and I took group of 6 down into the canyon itself.

The Grand Canyon is one of the most picturesque walks in the Blue Mountains starting with a steep descent into Neates Glen, a moss covered gully that envelopes you with its glistening walls and crisp cool air. The trip is made more interesting as you traverse the gossamer waterfalls and stoop to pass through the rock overhangs.

The ‘tunnel’ is one of the highlights of the first part of the track, heralding the start of the canyon proper.

At the start of the canyon those abseiling into the canyon changed into our wetsuits, put on our harnesses and de-scended into the mottled light which fills the canyon.

The canyon has only the one abseil but about ten swims, and even though it was a beautiful summer’s day, the wa-ter temperature was quite low, making the swims invigorat-ing.

As the canyon swims came to an end, we met up with the main group of walkers and headed down to our lunch spot near Beauchamp Falls. After a brief lunch break we started the final section of the trip, the uphill walk to Evans Look-out, and the breathtaking views of the Grose Valley.

The walk up to Evans is always a challenge, no matter what pace you walk, but the views of the Grose Valley are so beautiful, you are bound to come back for more.

P A G E 4 B U S H T E L E G R A P H

The slippery canyon floor

Grand Canyon - 2 December 2012 by Tim Fox

The base of the abseil

The abseil

Neates Glen The start of the Grand Canyon Track

The track to Beauchamp Falls The canyoning party

The final swim Many parts of the canyon never see full sun

A yabby defending its territory

The steep walk out An Eastern Water Dragon on the track to Beauchamp Falls

The Tunnel New stepping stones at the creek crossing

One of the many waterfalls Getting ready for the abseil Evans Lookout

GPS, we arrived at the lookout. The views were magnificent, noth-

ing could have prepared us for the 270 degree view. We all agreed that it had been worth the effort to get there. The return to our packs was very easy and with the help of the GPS, we were back at our packs and lunch within 30 minutes. At Cabbage Tree camp we had an extra surprise. There were 2 folding chairs, the low to the ground style, navy and white stripes, we couldn’t believe our eyes. We took turns at sampling the comfort of a back rest after 5 days with none.

The last day’s profile appeared to be easy and all downhill. It was

surprising how this affected us when we were faced with a number of climbs during the day. We saw the first running water in 4 days and passed the Devil’s Signpost before having lunch at Boolimba Bluff. We finally arrived at the Visitor centre just before 4pm to regis-ter our safe return from the walk and then headed straight to the

amenities block at Takarakka for a shower with hot water, soap and shampoo.

We did not see any snakes on the walk, however we did hear one

when looking for a tree. We don’t want to think about how many snakes saw us.

We celebrated our last night with dinner at the Wilderness Lodge before retiring to our permanent tents at the Takarakka Bush Resort for a good nights sleep.

The next day we headed home via the Arcadia Valley and Lake Nuga Nuga. Our timing could not have been better. The lake was covered in flowering Lotus Lillies, and it was a bird watchers para-

dise. Next stop was Lonesome lookout for a final view of the valley and the surrounding area before heading south to our “Donga” accommodation at Surat.

Next day we had morning tea at Mungundi on the Barwon River and were greeted by 3 local geese. After reading the information

board we realised that Mungundi means “resting place of wild geese”, of course, it all made sense. During the drive we saw a Jabi-ru. I got rather excited, as I hadn’t expected such a sight so close to

the road and so far south.

We agreed to have a BBQ at Narrabri, the thermal pool was planned, but we settled for sunset at Yarrie Lake and it was just beautiful. Yarrie Lake is the “Bondi Beach of Narrabri”. There is an area for swimming, an area for water skiing, powered and unpow-ered camp sites, hot showers, picnic shelters and wood BBQs. The resident caretaker makes sure that the area is kept in good condi-tion, peaceful and safe from vandals.

Our last travel day saw us having morning tea at the “Who woulda thought it” lookout above Quirindi. An excellent lookout with 360 degree views. Over the 2 weeks we had seen and experienced so much, we could not help feeling that we had been away for a lot longer than we had.

The Carnarvon Great Walk is one of a number of Great Walks in Queensland. This walk was on one map with a scale of 1:35,000 with 20 metre contours. The route was well marked and the camp

sites were excellent. The profile gave us extra information, but was not always as accurate as it could have been. It is hoped that anoth-er Great Walk in another part of Queensland will be organised in the not too distant future.

This walk had been on the agenda for 3 years and this year we were

determined that it was going ahead. The weather forecast was good, the track was opened on schedule and there were 6 people commit-ted to doing the walk.

I had not done an overnight walk for some time and I was extremely anxious about committing to a 6 day walk. My training plans had been almost non existent and my packing had been left to the last minute with the result being I had far too much stuff, I desperately needed to refine my packing.

It was a 3 day drive to the start of the walk, some people would say that is extreme. We covered 2,850 klms by car in the drive to and from the walk, but it was worth it. We saw so much, it made us appreciate

what a special country we live in, there is so much to see and do, and it is all in our backyard.

Our first stop was Burning Mountain and some walked to the summit for views and to see the smoke. Unfortunately, the smoke was not easily seen this day but the view was good. We stayed overnight at Narrabri and next morning we walked around Narrabri Lake, with

many birds making use of the good supply of water. Next stop was Sawn Rocks, part of Kaputar National Park, We were pleasantly sur-prised to find the road to Bingara has been sealed. Our second night was Surat, with the accommodation in a “Donga” (a workers hut). It was very comfortable and the pub food was excellent. In the after-noon, to stretch our legs, we walked along the Balonne River, past exercise stations and picnic areas, a very pleasant way to spend some time. Next day lunch was beside some Dakota plane wreckage before

arriving at our permanent tent at Takarakka Bush Resort. We had 4 people in one tent and 2 people in another. The 4 shared a double bed, a single bed and a set of bunks. We also had a refrigerator and an electric light. It made for a very comfortable night and I spent the afternoon reorganising my pack. Others went exploring Mickey Creek, Platypus Gorge and Balloon Cave and they did see a platypus.

The Carnarvon Great Walk is a 6 day circuit covering 100 klms. We started the walk in the gorge and did all the side trips before arriving

at Big Bend for camp. Big Bend has toilets and the river is a good

supply of drinking water. We expected to have the camp site to our-selves with a school group following us the next day. At 5pm, just on dark, we heard some noise, and were quite surprised to find 2 adults and 7 teenage boys had arrived at the camp. There had been some confusion, they assured us that they were booked for the night, and they would keep to themselves and not disturb us too much. They were being picked up at West Branch camp on their third day.

We had been advised that the days would be very warm and dry, so

we decided to rise each day at 5.30am and start walking at 7am. Wa-ter is particularly scarce in this country, so we carried 3 litres of water every day and we drank most of the water that we had carried.

The second day is the hardest day of the walk. We had to climb 600 metres out of Boowinda Gorge to Battleship Spur and were rewarded with spectacular views. This day was not a walk in the park, we had to climb, at times on all fours, there were ladders on particularly steep sections and the terrain was rough. Our next camp at Gadds camp

was a welcome sight at the end of the day. The camp had a toilet and a shelter (roof, no sides), with down pipes to an underground water tank and 2 hand-operated water pumps. Every camp had the same facilities, except Consuelo and Cabbage Tree did not have toilets.

The third day was very warm and this made the day harder than ex-pected. After spending a long lunch in a shady dry creek bed, we arrived at West Branch camp mid afternoon. We made good time while walking, mainly because of our early starts. With no campfire at night we were in our tents very soon after dark and the early rises

were easy to achieve.

The fourth day to Consuelo camp covered the most distance but it was relatively easy walking. Lunch was had by Dhundna creek, the only tributary to Carnarvon Creek that was named on our map.

The fifth day, to Cabbage Tree camp was the easiest day, but we had an excursion to do. We wanted to visit Nabooloo Head. Nabooloo Head was 2.5klm off the track, across a reasonably flat section of ta-

bleland. We set about planning the best approach and after 2 hours of bush bashing and checking and double checking the map and the

P A G E 5

Carnarvon Great Walk Qld 19 to 30 April 2013 by Lyn McMillan

N O . 3 2 0 1 3 S P R I N G

Stretch-

ing at

Big

Bend

camp

Lillies at

Lake Nuga

Nuga

Trying the

Chairs at Cab-

bage Tree

camp (note

water pumps

and shelter)

The following new members have joined us in the last few months.

Please make them welcome when you meet them on an activity.

Rod Hulme Oleksander Butskov

Shane Leslie Christian Milewski

Georgina Holloway Georges Hall Community Centre

188 Birdwood Road Georges Hall NSW 2198

Club email address: bankstownbush@gmail.com

Recently some club members attended a training session on Safety in River Crossings. While at that session they were updated on the procedures currently recommended in Australia. Some of these recommendations are now summarised below.

If you find yourself in a position where you need to cross fast flowing water, the safest way to cross on foot, is to position the group in a line, with the biggest, strongest and heaviest person at the front of the line, followed by the rest of the group. The front person should face the oncoming current, the next smallest person stand behind them and press down on their shoulders, also facing the oncoming current, followed by the remainder of the group in descending order of size. The group then slowly moves one foot at a time sideways across the river (a shuffle). Always unbuckle waist belts before stepping into the water.

If you find yourself being washed down a stream of water, you should position yourself facing downstream with your feet toward the middle and fastest current. Then attempt to float yourself back toward the bank or edge and hopefully safety. Use your feet to bounce off obstacles in the river. Be aware that it is more difficult to float in aer-ated water.

Crossing flooded rivers is never recommended, safety should always take precedence and waiting until the water has receded or finding an alternate route should always be the preferred option.

It should also be remembered that a car can lose traction in 150cm of fast flowing water. In a car, with the engine at the front of the car, the rear of the car will start to float, the car will then spin around. Always check the depth of water and the road surface condition of any flooded roadways, before attempting to drive through water.

A recommended weather site is www.willyweather.com.au

Contributions to this newsletter are always welcome & can be emailed to Thaïs on

tmaturner@yahoo.com

Deadline for Summer issue is: Fri 1st Nov 2013

Meetings coming up in 2013: September 9th October 14th November 11th

We’re on the Web!

http://

www.bankstownbushwalkingclub.

org.au

CLUB MEETINGS EVERY MONTH

USUALLY HELD ON 2ND MONDAY OF MONTH—

EXCEPT JANUARY

P A G E 6 B U S H T E L E G R A P H

acacias actinotus minor banksias caladenia catenata dampiera stricta dillwynia retorta doryanthes excelsa epacris longiflora grevilleas hardenbergia violacea hibbertia scandens hybanthus monopetalus isopogon anemonifolius kennedia rubicunda lomandra longifolia patersonia sericea persoonia telopia speciosissima xanthorrhoea

BOTANICALS from Bronwyn

NEW MEMBERS

Can you match the two lists?

banksias climbing guinea flower coral pea drumsticks

eggs and bacon false sarsaparilla fuchsia heath geebung grass tree grevilleas gymea lily lady's fingers

lesser flannel flower native iris no common name slender violet spiny-headed mat rush waratah

wattles

SAFETY IN RIVER CROSSINGS by Lyn McMillan

N O . 3 2 0 1 3 S P R I N G P A G E 7

Bushwalking Safety Booklets The club has copies of the excellent "Bushwalking Emergency Management" booklet, which is

published by Hobart Walking Club, for sale. Booklets are printed on waterproof paper so that they can be carried in your pack and

used as a reference in the field. Price is $5. If you would like to purchase one, please email Lynda at lyndapaju@gmail.com

Using Your Setapress Bandage If you have a Setapress bandage and have trouble remembering which set of squares

you need to line up to get the correct pressure for snake bite, then this tip might help. Just think brown snake to remember it's the brown squares that need to be aligned.

Attention Activity Coordinators! We have updated the Activity Register to reflect the changed terminology relating to the

club adopting the policy of running peer-based activities. Please make sure you download and use the new form from http://bankstownbush.wikispaces.com/Club+Forms. It is now the same form for both abseil and non-abseil trips.

Bushwalker Bequests One of Sutherland Bushwalking Club’s members died in an accident while bushwalking.

She left "significant funds" to be used for track maintenance in the Blue Mountains. Regarding the Bequest from Prue Angell, Suth-

erland Club have been advised by NPWS that a small plaque will be placed along the Undercliff track to acknowledge the contribu-tion made by Prue’s bequest to the upgrade of the track. The wording and presentation are yet to be finalized. Members of Banks-town Club may like to do something similar, as this is a lasting and positive memorial.

Unexpected Finds in the Bush Recently, on another bushwalking club’s activity, a group of bushwalkers found a de-

ceased person. This was found in an area where no tracks existed. If anyone ever has a similar experience, the first response must always be to contact 000. This should be done at the first available opportunity. The scene should not be tampered with in any way.

The emergency services will require details of the location. Coordinates are available on most mobile phones. The emergency ser-vices may need to be guided back to the location.

Happy Campers An article from a weekend paper 50 Something June/July 2013 section states: “Love

camping? Keep doing it. Apparently campers are more optimistic, less stressed and feel younger than non-campers. Camping also

improves social interaction, facilitates children’s learning and promotes family cohesion. These are the findings of a Liverpool John Moores University study which surveyed 2,000 adults and 1,000 children (both campers and non-campers). Campers include any-one who regularly camps in a tent or caravan. 76% of campers are satisfied with their quality of life compared to 59% of non -

campers. 93% of campers said camping can make you feel happier, and nearly half of all non-campers agreed. 8 in 10 campers felt that camping brought you closer together as a family. Campers felt healthier for their age than non-campers.”

Former club member Owen Zuber and wife Susan, now living in Canada, are pleased to announce they’re expecting their first chi ld.

Subscribe to the Great Walks magazine e-newsletter and check out the How to… section. Lately they’ve published ‘10 bush skills

that will save your life’. Great Walks is the only truly bushwalkers magazine on the market, with Australia-wide, and local, info.

Check the Paddy Pallin website for many and varied “How to….” video clips

Check out Wild magazine e-newsletter Wildnews for an Australian Mountaineering Survey 2006-2011

Hunting in National Parks Fantastic outcome for bushwalkers. Just when I was about to publish the Safety Notices

about Bushwalking on Hunting Grounds, this is off the agenda for now, as an inquiry into the operations of the Game Council has resulted in disbanding by the State Government, temporarily halting hunting in State Forests and on Crown Land, and imposing strict controls and supervision of volunteer shooters in planned pest control programs in National Parks. A trial is due to commence

in Oct, scheduled and managed by NPWS. This is not before some notable incidents of illegal hunting occurring in National Parks prior to any access to NP being granted. Being advocate & regulator & other shady political deals led to the Game Council’s demise.

Early in July we read of the death, in Qld, of Claude Veyret, formerly of Katoomba. Claude cut the horse track over the Wongas and

many other firsts in the Burragorang, and Blue Mountains area, and is mentioned on many maps.

Junior maps have been created for many areas across the Blue Mountains in conjunction with NPWS and Year 2 school students.

The site to download these maps is http://www.bushtrackers.com.au/

Some bad news from the highest mountains in the world—do a Google search for the BBC news about Nangar Parbat base camp

in Pakistan on 22 June 2013, and also sad news from K2 in late July 2013.

Don’t forget the Bicentenary Festival of Walking in the Blue Mountains is being held this year from 5-13 October.

Conservation news Kimberley region WA—Good -James Price Point Development has been defeated. Bad -fight is on

to protect the Fitzroy River. Tassie—Good -Tassie Forest Agreement and World Heritage extensions in Tassie Forests. Bad -an Iron Ore Mine has been approved in the Tarkine Wilderness. Australia wide—Good—network of Marine Parks established. Nullabor —Good—establishment of Nullabor Wilderness Protection Area.

Anyone interested in the impacts of fires in the Australian bush on the previous and current generations as well as the wildl ife and

flora, could contact Thaïs who has access to a DVD about the Victorian fires and the healing process, as well as a documentary about the Leura fires of 1957 and our current generation’s readiness for more significant fire events in the coming years. The back-ground to the memorial at the top of Perry’s is revealed.

At the May 16 showing of the Banff Mountain Film Festival, not only were we treated to the presence of Jonesy from Cas & Jonesy’s

winning doco on Crossing the Ice (the Aussie boys’ film of their epic trip) and another world class adventurer’s preview of his film of an epic climb in Antarctica, but Rob Gibson and Thaïs Turner were also prize winners of 2 of the 10 prizes drawn that night.

As a follow up for those interested in Everest, as this year is the 60th anniversary of Sherpa Tenzing and Edmund Hillary’s summit,

check Margaret St. Hill’s blog posts from himalayanascent.com, and from mountaineer ChrisJensenBurke, and see if you can view

footage of the 60Minutes broadcast from 16 June. Last Climb (about Mallory’s expeditions) is also in our club Library.

The recent case of a missing person in the Leura area has revived interest in the Jamie Neale story from 2009. His father Richard

Cass, has recently published an eBook called ‘Ruined Castle: the search for Jamie Neale and its Aftermath’.

Adventurers abound—locals and internationals are competing in adventure races being held in various places in the Blue Mountains

throughout the year and a Katoomba local is currently kayaking around Australia, having adventures with crocodiles etc on the way.

In mid-June the bridge connecting the Giant Stairway to the cave in the first of the Three Sisters was replaced in a tricky operation

using a large helicopter. The old bridge was used since the 1930s & NPWS are pleased to have now successfully replaced it.

Coal Seam Gas Exploration and licences remain a contentious issue in the Greater Sydney area where the poten-

tial to damage aquifers for all time and generations is ever present. Fracking is a highly damaging method. Join the protest.

SNIPPETS Compiled by Thaïs Turner