SBW Magazine & History Project

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====THE SYDNEY BUSHWALKER====

A monthly bulletin of matters of interest to the Sydney Bushwalkers C/O - Ingersoll Hall, 256 Crown St., Sydney. 
Box No.4476 G.P.O., Sydney. Phone: JW 1462.


^No.263^OCTOBER, 1956.^Price 9d.^


|Editor:|Dot Butler, Boundary Rd., Wahroonga, (JW 2208)|
|Sales & Subs.:|Jess Martin|              
|Business Manager:|Jack Gentle|
|Typed by:|Dot Butler|
|Reproduction:|Jess Martin|


^CONTENTS^Page^
|At Our September, Half-Yearly Meeting - A.G.Colley|2|
|The Sanitarium Health Food Shop (Advt.)|3|
|The Frontier Traverse - Colin. Putt|4|
|Leica Photo Service (Advt.)|5|
|Siedlecky's Taxi & Tourist Service (Advt.)|7|
|Walks Report for August - Malcolm McGregor|8|
|Hattswell's Taxi & Tourist Service (Advt.)|9|
|Letter from Dave Ingram|10|
|Walking for Profit - Alex Colley|12|
|Night Ascent of the Pons Portus - "Liar Bird"|13|
|What a __Leader__! or __What__, a Leader? - Geof Wagg|17|
|"Bushwalkers, Mugs, etc, (Paddy's advt.)|20|


Who walks with beauty never feels alone,
His constant comrades are the moon and sun. 
Shared bushland walks recall the friend now gone 
Invisible hands restore the absent one.

One camp still holds the footprints of the moon 
That came and went a hushed and secret hour;
A glowing campfire yields the lasting boon - 
Remembered friendship's white immortal flower.

Who takes of beauty wine and daily bread 
Will know no lack when empty years are lean; 
The brimming .cup is by, the feast is spread,
The sun, the moon, the stars his eyes have seen 
Shall still his hunger, and his thirst he stays 
With wine of friendship from remembered days.

                          - Mostly David Morton.


===AT OUR SEPTEMBER HALF-YEARLY MEETING===
- A.G. Colley.

The Meeting commenced at 8:20 with the President in the Chair and about 35 members present. First business was a welcome to our newest member - Margaret Innes.

Next Joan Walker, although not present, was elected to the Committee vacancy. As nobody wanted to be Federation delegate the election of a successor to Tom Kenny-Royal was deferred to the next meeting.

A motion was put by Heather Joyce and carried by the meeting, that we should write to the Sydney Morning Herald pointing out that a suggestion made by a correspondent for the formation of volunteer fire fighting squads to protect the park lands had already been carried out.

The President conveyed the good, though unofficial, news that a large part of the survey work for the Blue Mountains National Park had been done, and that land north of the Western line and between Kings Tableland end the Cox might be declared as part of the park.

The proposed Constitutional amendment, designed to make the Literary Editor's membership of the Committee conditional on the wish of the Editor and of the general meeting, was not approved by the Committee and failed to obtain the required three quarters majority of the meeting.

The sub-committee appointed to report on the celebration of the Club's 30th anniversary - in October next year - recommended, that no action be taken.

General business started with a discussion of the printing of a new songbook. Frank Young pointed out that it was a big job and a typiste was essential on the proposed song-book committee.  Alan Wilson thought the song-book was a waste of time so far as camp fire entertainment was concerned. It was seldom seen at camp fires and added nothing to their enjoyment. Renee Brown, speaking from long experience, said that 50% or more people didn't know the words 
of songs but liked to sing and the book was for their benefit.  Jane Putt's opinion was that the best way to learn the songs was to listen while they were being sung. In reply to a question Jim Brown, who was on the last Committee, said that the book had been designed to prevent the singers from getting on to "la-la-la-la" after the first few lines. About 300 song-books had been sold, and many songs were included because some people liked them and they might well 
become popular. Jack Wren councilled more care in selection of songs as about a third of the songs in the book were never sung.  A sub-committee consisting of Malcolm McGregor, Frank Young, Grace Aird, Colin Putt, Margaret Innes and Yvonne Renwick was appointed to produce a new book. Next it was debated whether or not the sub-committee should submit a list of proposed songs before the book was typed. Frank Barlow thought we should trust the Committee - the title didn't tell you anything about the song and many doubtful songs had the most innocuous titles - and this seemed to be the general view.

By this time nearly everybody at the meeting had had their say and the next motion provided an opportunity for the remainder.  Frank Ashdown moved that the library be disbanded, the books sold by auction and the money added to Club funds. The President immediately declared the motion, in the form proposed, to be unconstitutional, because a motion to sell the Club's assets required fourteen days notice to all members. The motion was altered to read that a notice 
of intention to move should be sent to members, and the debate proceeded. Jack Wren supported the motion in this form. He said the library had served its purpose and now only harboured silverfish. Other speakers pointed out that this was just another attempt to whittle away yet another of the features which had made the Club what it is now, and instanced the discontinuance of the Club's Annual Concerts, Christmas treat for children, the publication of the Bushwalker Annual etc. as cases in point. The motion was put and lost.  (At the close of the meeting a crowd assembled outside the library cabinet and at least one member was seen to leave with four borrowed books in his hand.)

Finally a motion was put, rather tentatively, by Jim Brown that Prospectives be allowed to attend Re-unions. Wal Rootes spoke against the motion saying it was, as its name implied, a re-union of __members__.  But people were getting tired of debating, the hour was late, the motion was put and (much to Jim's secret surprise, I'm sure) was 
carried; with which the meeting terminated.
                                                 

=== THE SANITARIUM HEALTH FOOD SHOP ===
 
OFFERS
QUALITY DRIED FRUITS, NUTS and BISCUITS
DELICIOUS FRUIT SWEETS
WHOLSOME, LIGHT RY-KING CRISP BREAD
AMAZING, LOW ECONOMY PRICES

COME TO OUR STORE, 13 HUNTER STREET, SYDNEY
AND SEE OUR WONDERFUL RANGE. OF HEiLTH-FOODS 
-  FOR WALKING TRIPS AND HOME USE



                THE FRONTIERTRAVERSE   AUGUST 1956.  Cmlin Putt,
  Signal Koppe  Lyskamm East Lyskamm West  Castor   Pollux
  14,980 ft.    14,850 ft.    11,680 ft.  13,850 ft. 13,400 ft.


     "Tempo bruto," roared the but guardian, shining a powerful tortth 
in our faces. I prised an eye open and looked at my watch 3.20 ail 
What on earth did 'tempo brutof mean? BQtter get up anyway.

The stars shone cold and bright, but the but shook and the guy wires strummed and twanged in the grip of a vicious'wind. With some misgivings about the weather we forced down some black bread, cheese and coffee, then put on storm clothing, crampons and rope inside the hut. As we stepped into the dark outside the wind enveloped us, it smote and cut at us, it tried even to invade that corner of consciousness which is reserved to control the placing of cramponed feet and the handling of the rope. We nearly ran. down the broad ice ridge from the Signalkuppe in our eagerness to escape the wind, and in the leeof the Parrotspitze we were rewarded by an excruciating return of 
circulation to fingers and toes, As we stepped into the Lys jock saddle the sun was already touching the top of the long steep ridge before us and the wind seemed less determined.

In two ropes of two we worked steadily up our ridge which was very steep, very narrow, but not complicated by rock steps or ice overhangs. Wind crusted snow and blue ice alternated with bewildering frequency, some large cornices required care, and sudden gusts of wind tried to catch us off balance, but crampons overcame all these 
things and an hour and a half later we found ourselves rather unexpectedly on the main summit of Lyskamm, a little sloping ice hummock with sheer depths of rock and ice cliff all around it except to the west where a mile or so of narrow winding ridge led to the other peak. The wind had dropped right away, the sky was cloudless and the sun 
unusually hot. With thoughts of soft snow later in the day we tight- rope walked the ridge at top speed, one foot in Switzerland, the other in Italy, and the ice-axe for a balancing pole. We were feeling fine in spite of the altitude, and we raced over: the rock steps in the ridge non-stop, crampons and all. On the West summit we found a party 
which had just come up the other side, with a guide who seemed to be something of a leg-puller. "Voila le Cervint" he shouted to his patrons, pointing to the bulky unmistakable mass of Monte Rosa across the way.

At a good pace we cramponed down the west ridge ofe Lyskamm on to the Felikjoch, a broad snow plateau feeding two glaciers. Here we began to strike soft snow and really hot sun. We took off our crampons and ploughed on, The ridge up Castor is broad, gentle and long; under conditions of slushy snow and extreme heat it is best not remembered. The west side of the mountain, however, is not a ridge but a steep ice face, complete with bulges of hard blue ice, ice-. 
cliffs and threatening seracs,. It was advisable to move one at a time over part of this, and when we had reached the saddle between Castor and Pollux and moved out from below the seracs, it was time for lunch. The meal was shortened by the reappearance of our old

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  enemy the wind, only as a chilly breeze this time, but enough to call 
  for a sweater and parka again. At the same time "hogsback" clouds 
  suddenly appeared, very, high .pp, over some of the distant peaks, We 
  took the hint and hurried on to the next climb, Pollux. After a short 
  uphill wallow over deep wet snow and a conventional bergschrund, we 
  were at the foot of the east face, our first rock climb of the day, 
  and never have I teen such rotten, broken, unstable rock. Although 
  the _face is steep, there is literally nothing sound on it; if you 
  pulled out one fair-sized luzp at the bottom,' the whole mountain
  would fall down on top of you. Winding its way up the face of 
  shattered, contorted stone, is the culprit - a band of jet-black 
 -porphyritic rock of obviously igneous origin.. We picked our way
. carefully upward, close together to avoid the dangers of displaced
  rocks, and hardly daring to speak above a. whisper. When , near the 
  top of the mountain, we at last got on to snow, it was no better for 
  it was only a thin layer of slush on top of steep ice. A piece which 
  broke away, from under my foot started a fair-sized avalanche with the 
  greatest of ease.

At last we reached the top, a short curved piece of snow ridge, and considered what to do next. The huge mass of the Breithorn was temptingly close, but it was getting late and the snow was becoming dangerously soft, in fact the immediate problem was how to get off Pollux without being mixed up with an avalanche. We chose the north 
.face directly below us; in almost perpetual shadow, it had kept a thin layer of firm snow, well bonded to the ice. As we left the summit a few streaks of racing mist formed around us out of the clear sky; minutes later, as we prepared to leap the bergschrund, the air around us 'thickened into dense cloud. Once off the steep face we set 
off down a broad snow ridge atA jog-trot, with the bad weather right behind us. On and on for hours, as fast as we could go, wallowing through knee-deep snow. There was one brief pause to negotiate a 
steep and avalanchy slope, and another when I broke•throUgh a crevasse'bridge. At last, sf•aked in sweat and snow-melt, we reached the left lateral moraine of the Gorner Glacier while volloys of 
thunder sounded out of black clouds on our peaks of the morning.  Two miles of slithering and jumping over the ice-hummocks of the • Gorner and we were safe on the track to Zermatt. I stopped to take 
off two sweaters and a pair of long trousers, and raced off to catch 
up the others. People of various nationalities all along the track 
greeted me in English, for who but an Englishman would run uphill 
with a heavy pack, clad in apparently nothing but a beard, ancient 
filthy parka and heavy boots.

    At the rack railway a train stopped for us, its doors invitingly 
open, but knowing that the fare to Zermatt is some 15/-, we made
rude signs at it until it moved off. Apparently the conductor was 
in league with the powers of darkness, for immediately there was a 
deafening thunderclap, and we were deluged with enormous hailstones. 
More surprised than pleased, we slithered and skidded down the five
miles of steep hail-covered track in record time, and were in Zermatt 
in time for an excellent and fabulously cheap meal at the Hotel 
leisshorn. One of the party went to sleep at the table and dropped 
his head into his plate of food; I was asleep before I was properly 
in the tent, my feet were out in the rain all night and I never even 
noticed it. But what a day, what a terrific day it had beenl



=== COMING SOCIAL EVENTS for OCTOBER. ===
 

|Oct. 17th.|"WHAT'S WRONG WITH THAT SLIDE".|Bring along your slides, both good and bad, and have them expertly criticised.  There will also be a talk on the scope of colour film. Keith Renwick would like to have your slides handed in as soon as possible.|                              
|Oct.24th.|MEMBERS' SLIDE NIGHT.|Bring along your slides and let us see what you've been taking.|
|Oct.31.|SWITZERLAND.|Slides and talk by Don Shepherd.|

                                                   7,





           IMPORTANT TRANSPORT NOTICE 


   B U S H W A L K E R S REQUIRING TRANSPORT FROM BLACKHEATH



     ANY HOUR            RING, WRITE or CALL ... 




             SIEDLECKYIS TAXI 8c TOURIST SERVICE 



               116 STATION STREET, BLACKHEATH 





   24 HOUR SERVICE



        BuSHWALKERS arriving late at night without transport 

        bookin can ring fOr car from Railway Station, or call 

        at above address   IT'S NEVER TOO LATE 



   'PHONE: B'HEATH.S1„ or SYDNEY No. 1E3563 after hours

                          or MA3467



   FARES: KLNANGRA WALLS 30/- per head (minimum 5 passengers)
                          3/ "   H     n u
         PERRYAS LOOKDOWN 
         JENOLAN STATE FOREST 20/-' "  if  ft if
         CARLON'S FARM   10/-    u     " n    n







   LOOK FOR T.C.3210 or PAC}W4RD T.V.270







OFFICIAL WALK OCTOBER 19 20 21 - BOMADERRY-CAMBEWARRA,-BARREN-GROUNDS-KIAMA

This walk, with variations, at this time of year was once a regular feature of the programme and was well attended. The leader hopes it will be again. There will be about two miles to walk the first night - a full moon has been arranged.

Next day is mostly walking on back roads with about an hour is uphill scrub bashing thrown in.

On Sunday we walk over the Barren Grounds which are just a garden of wild flowers at this time of year.

Most of the walk is on the coastal side of a 2000 ft. range with almost unobstructed views which extend from Cape Banks on the north to Mount Dromedary on the south.

It is fair/medium test walk standard, mostly on tracks.  For further details see leader: Alex Colley.

=== WALKS REPORT for AUGUST 1956. ===

The programme for August opened with Yvonne Renwick's Field Week-end at Euroka. Beautiful weather brought out 12 members and 3 prospectives and 4 youngsters. Altogether a good week-end.

Snow Brown did not get enough starters for Kanangra, but Heather Joyce, not to be done out of her week-end away, gathered up three others and set off down Black Jerry's for Harry's River, Bees Nest Creek, Little River, etc. However, with a little extra time ,in bed on Saturday they didn't make Bees Nest and finally came home a bit late on Slinday.

The Saturday trip with Jess Martin in charge, saw. some very fine wild flowers in the Willawarra area of The Chase, and the participants, six members and 1 prospective, enjoyed themselves.

The Blackheath-Bell trip with John White gave a typical white welcome to 3 trippers (2 members and 1 prospective). Snow was encountered on Saturday night, which continued through most of Sunday on the walk into Bell.

On this same week-end the President led seven others, including 2 prospectives, to South Trig for a Corroboree. Dull weather was the order of the day but the flowers were good and a pleasant week-end was the result.

For the last week-end in this report I am rearranging the trip order to give full scope to the Friday night walk. On the Sunday walk Joan Cordell had 5 members, 1 prospective and 1 visitor. She reported that it was a little early for the flowers but all had a good time.   Len Fall had only one offer of a starter and by mutual consent the Saturday trip was called off.

Now for itl   Four members and 1 prospective began the Rigby 70 miles.  The party camped in snow on Narrow Neck on Friday night and after a brisk walk on Saturday morning the leader, at the foot of Debert's knob, stated his legs were sore and he was going home.  The party, minus leader, continued. On Sunday morning the party, (still minus leader) steamed up past Bimlow and on arrival at Sheehy.'s Creek they noticed an immaculately dressed "gentleman" near a Renault. On closer inspection it proved to be the "leader" who had nipped home on Saturday, slept at home, and had taken the opportunity for a pleasant run on Sunday in the car, no doubt to jeer at any walkers who might come by. . However, I am pleased to report that his white-anting was somewhat mitigated by his stowing all 5 bodies and 4 packs into the Renault and driving them home.

So for August the programme trips drew 41 members and 8 prospectives.


PAGING TEE PAGES. 

       You will note on consulting the Walks Programme that on the week- 
   end of 3/4/5/ November the Friday night and Saturday afternoon walks

                                                            9.








               FOR ALL YOUR TRANSPORT PROBLEMS 


                       CONTACT


             HATTSWELL'S TaXI & TOURIST SERVICE 


                 RING, WRITE, WIRE or CALL

                  LILEEILDIE_2EEIEE.


      'Phone: Btheath 128 or 249        Booking Office -. 4 doors
                                         from Gardner's Inn Hotel 
                                         (LOOK FOR THE NEON SIGN).


              SPEEDY 5 OR 8 PASSENGER CARS AVAILABLE 


                LARGE OR SMALL PARTIES CATERED FOR


   FARES: KLNANGRA WALLS      30/- per head (minimum 5 passengers)
          PERRY'S LOOKDOWN          "            If II   Ie
          JENOLAN STATE FOREST 20k- "    "          If   If
          CARLON'S FARM       10/- "      11     II If   II






   WE WILL BE PLEASED TO QUOTE OTHER TRIPS OR SPECIAL PARTIES 
                       ON APPLIGATION.









both converge on Peter Page's homestead at Jamberoo, for the Saturday 

night camp. This has been cunningly arranged so that the S.B.W. 
Light Opera Company can do "Excerpts from' the Operas", in honour of 
Mr. and Mrs. Page of the Old Hands Division, and for the enjoyment of 
the many walkers who are expected. to .come by CAR - in fact, we know. 
of so many it going to be a minor Reunion. Roll upi Bring your 
Chronic Opera Books and join'in the fun!






        Dorothy BriOden has just come back from a six-weeks' tour of 
the centre where she naturally visited Ayer's Rock, Mt. Olga, 
McDOnnel Ranges, Simpson's Gap and all the usual attractions. She 
says there is an organised service out to the Rock and Mt. Olga by 

Tuit's Motor Service operating from Alica Springs. The trip is of 

five days duration, and food and accommodation is provided, the cost 
being 2,40 per head. This gives a complete day at each of the two 
features, where one can either get around with the guide or jug 4.; do 
as one fancies.

10.

             LETTER FROM DAVE INGRAM
                                       T.S.S. "Southern Cross" 
                                          Atlantic Ocean.

Dear S B.W1s,

     I have delayed this letter till the sea voyage is nearly over. 
Now I can give you a.resum6 of my activities,

     The ship is very comfortable, modern and convenient. The food 
is generally not up to standard although we occasionally get a really
appetising dish. Some of the Belgium waiters are highly amused .at the 
way in which the English chefs on the ship ruin good food - and 
with some justification. Possibly becalms the ship doesn't carry 
cargo,. it has an unusual.pitching motion which upsets some of the 
.passengers. There was a patch of rough weather off the Southern
Coast of Australia which laid about half the passengers low. I 
.missed breakfast and lost the next two meals, and then felt hungry 
again. All in all I didn't feel any the worse for the temporary 
indisposition.

     As we approached Western Australia the sunny days were delight- 
ful. I went to the University to see Shirley Dean. It is a beautiful 
spot - Shirl took me over most of it - their open air theatres
are really good. Then we drove' through King's Park to an open air 
tea house overlooking Perth, for lunch. Most of the passengers were 
sorry to leave Perth.

     It was ton days' steaming to Durban, or 4,300 miles, mostly 
through warm sunny days and cool nights. Durban is very colourful.- 
rather reminiscent of Brisbane but more modern than B. I had a bus 
tour to the Valley of 1,000 Hills. and was impressed by the number of 
eucalypts and acacias being used as windbreaks and for beautification 
It was two'days, steaming to .Cape Town where we arrived on a.bright 
cool day - visibility marvellous. Table Mountain is really im- 
pressive and so is the trip by cableway from Kloof Nek to the summit, 
 OW- a go, but well worth it.) As it was Sunday we saw several 
walking and climbing parties. With my cabin mates we hired a gar
and drove 200 miles through the neighbouring fruit and vinegrowing 
towns of Paarl, Transsh Hoek and Elgin, crossing and recrossing the 
Drakenstein Mts. Some of the mountaih passes are most interesting, 
one being lined by eucalypts instead .of a retaining fence. I hope 
to have a few nice transparencies of the area as I have met an old 
friend on board who is a great camera-enthusiast and has given me 
considerable advice on the'subject. We'have.already made plans to 
visit Spain together.

     From Cape Town to Canary Is. at Las Palmas was another 4,000 
miles. We didn't see a thing other than ocean until a day out of
Las Palmas when several ships passed, iLcluding the "Stirling Castle" 
bound for Cape Town, She was a fine sight.

     Las Palmas is a free port, so that things are fairly cheap.
If the colour in the gardens and the palatial hotels are a sample of 
what we'll meet in Spain, I'm already keen about it. A party of us

                                                         11.

 had a car trip of about 30 miles to Monte in the hills amongst 
 citrus and vegetable gardens - the island is intensely cultivated; 
 most of the produce goes to Great Britain. Lunch at the Santa 
 Brigida Hotel was a treat, just slightly better than the "Taiping." 
 Bargaining with the various hawkers was fun, but the beggars were
 a nuisance.  Since leaving Las Palmas the weather has been mainly 
 dull and cool with a fair' swell. In fact, it looks like a shower 
 of rain at the moment.

     Th.e'task of packing. up will be on today as I hear thatthere 
 will be a party pn tomorrow night in our cabin. Being Sunday night 
 there will be no farewell dance. We're due in Southampton on 
 MOnday.   My three cabin mates have been very pleasant company - 
 two are English and the. other a Swede with an American accent.

     I don't know when I'll get a chance to write again, so don't 
 expect too much. I trust that the rain has eased at last (we read
 of the recent floods on the South Coast), and that the Walks program- 
-MB is in full swing.

                        With best wishes,
                                                  DAVID.




           IT WILL BE NEW COUNTRY FOR SOME.

     Just a few words on what to expect on Jean Harvey's Official 
 Walk of Oct. 26/27/28. The train is the 6.33 p.m., tickets to 
 Glenbrook. There is a walk of about six miles on Friday night to 
 the Oaks, where the camp will be a fixed one until Sunday morning. 
 Good camp site - plenty of tent-poles waiting from last time.
 Be sure your battery is fresh.

     On Saturday morning, not TOO early, the way will be along an 
 easy ridge to Monkey Vines Creek and down on to Erskine Creek, which 
 just abounds in deep, smooth rock swimming pools, Following the 
 creek two or three miles, and after lunch the party will move off up 
 back to the tops and so back. to camp along a pleasant track to the 
 waiting camp.

     On Sunday morning, again not TOO early, the route is down a 
 long gentle ridge to Euroka Clearing for lunch, thence into Glen- 
 brook, catching the 5.3 p.m, back to the Big Smoke.

     Note: White-ants may remain ensconced safely in camp all day 
 Saturday if desired.         Enquiries to JW1462.


 CORRECTION: In the report of our August General Meeting it was
 stated that the Youth Hostels Assn. was planning to sell shares for 
 the building of aski but at'Kiandra, whereas it is the BUSHCRAFT
 ,f .SSN. which is sponsoring the scheme. We trust no inconvenience 
 has been caused to the Youth Hostels Assn. by this error.

12.
WALKING FOR PROFIT 
- Alex Colley

"Beat the vultures	
walk;• exhorted the Harbour Bridge footway
philosopher in his chalked message of July 1st. The fare rise must  
really have got under his skin becaube a little further on, in place  
of the usual "Repent", or a specific appeal directed just to the  
sinners f this extra wicked State in the form "Repent N.S.W.", he  
had written "Repent, or go to Hell!"
Though doubtful whether any amount of repentance could affect my  
future, it seemed to me that he might be right abOut the vUltUres.  
Approaching the problem ,scientifically I have estimated how mach. can be  
saved in time and money by walking instead of catching a tram.
The assumptions I have made are:
1. that the average wait for a tram is five minutes,
2. that trams do a mile in 10 minutes,
3. that a pair of shoes., three helf soles and four pairs.of  
socks, at a cost. of E,8 in all, will do about 1,000 miles,  
making cost per mile 2d.
4. that a bushwalker can do a mile "track and easy," without a  
pack, in 16 minutes.
The profits of walking would then be as follows: (The lower  
profits are when you start at the beginning of the section, and the  
higher limit for journeys which involve an additional section.)
Walking Time saved Fares Footwear Profit  
Time	
or lost	
Cost
Minutes
32 save 
	
2	
rt
lost
	
7	
2
	
13	
rr
	
19	
ft
rr
25
Distance Travelling  
and wait- 
in  time 
miles	
Minutes Minutes 
2	
4
2
10
8
1
15
16
2
25
32
3
35
48
4
45
64
5
55
BO
s. d.	
d.	
d.
	
6d.-9d	
1
2	
5-1--8i-
	
6d.-9d	
1	
5-8
	
6d.-9d	
2	
4-7
9d.-y-	
4	
5-8
	
1/- 1 3	
6
V 
6-9
	
1/3	
8	
7
	
1/3-1/6	
10	
5-8
For distances over 5 miles the profit margin narrows, until it  
cuts out altogether at 13 miles.
There are, I admit, some imperfections in this accounting. You may  
not have to wait 5 minutes for a tram, particularly in the city. But  
it	
not often than a city tram does a mile in 10 minutes. It may 
average better than a mile in 10 minutes when it gets outside the city  
approaches, but the odds are you will have to wait longer for.it if
it is a long distance tram. If you catch a bus it will save more time]  
but the same amount of money will be lost. So, for distances up to one  
mile you will save no time by catching a tram and you will certainly  
lost financially. For distances between 1 and 13 miles, how far you  
walk will depend on how much you galue your time. Myself, I shall wan

                                                              13.

             NIGHT ASCENT OF THE PONS PORTUS.

                                                  - By "Liar Bird"

     We were talking in the Club one evening, and the gist of the 
subject matter was that we wanted to get high.

     "Stitt and Garth have already achieved that noble distinction," 
said Colin, "But why the rest of you?"

    "Bathing weakens you, doesn't it Garth:" cried Snow gaily. This 
seemed to law to be apropos of nothing in particular. I put it down 
wo just one of Snow's inscrutible witticisms.

     "There's a limit to how high you can get before the President 
throws you out," said Geoffo.

     We attributed these remarks on the part of Putt and company to 
sheer lack of soul and continued our discuss ion. Suddenly we. had it: 
"What about a night climb of the Pons.Portus?"

     Agreedl And over our coffee and drinks we excitedly sketched 
our plan of attack. Beryl was a bit abashed at our audacity and 
some thought to deter us by hinting at likely hidden •ambushes and 
uttered grim warnings on the danger of trying to infiltrate this 
forbidden territory, but that only inflamed our desire the more; 
we would be particularly careful to respect the rights of the 
natives, and no act of vandalism or defacing of shrines or holy_ 
relics wouldisully the splendour of our passage.

     Garth and Peter organised the transporttiand our expedition set 
out. We journeyed ever towards  the north.
At one of the native encampment            Jr AA.
we surprised some animals of              fLA.4
the genus Felis scavenging 
amongst the native middens.
We marvelled at their          C14--Njj
apparent tameness but did
not disturb them. Small 
rodent-like animals were
also in evidence.

     As our party proceeded, sudden rain sheeted down, but excep 
that it made us slightly uneasy about our prospects, it failed to 
dampen our determination.

     Leaving behind at last the mundane traffic and somewhat squalid 
dwellings of the natives, we wound through the foothills and estab- 
lished base camp in a grassy area among trees. To the west, between 
us and a great drop-away into space, was a rounded hill supporting 
some magnificent specimens of giant Ficus, their broad, glossy green 
leaves making a dense canopy over the thick branches, contoured 
strangely like human limbs and torsos.    On the east we were shel- 
tered by a great white wall, practically vertical but curiously free 
from avalanches. To the north soared our objective flanked by two

 14.

 great symmetrical bastions of granite.

     Canada may.have its Rockies; Switzerland may have its AlPs; 
 these mountains, cold, remote and antiseptic, are all inland, far 
 removed from the wild tang of the ocean whose salt is TRV7 very • 
 blood of all Sydneysiders. As we gazed on our Heart's Desire we 
 felt that here,for us, was the answer to the mountaineer's dream
 a magnificent challenge, its feet actually.bathed, by the bottle.. 
 green waters of the Pacific while its summit soared above us into 
 the night - mysterious depths of ocean below and equally mysteriau 
 heights of sky above - not to mention great chunks of mysterious 
 mystery all the way up to the summit, and the same again, no doubt, 
 down the other side. As Snow, I think it was, so aptly put it on a 
 previous occasion, "the mysteriousness of it sorta gets. you in."

     Almost always, when mountaineering, before the climbing 
 actually begins, you find yourself obliged to plug for miles up a 
 glacier flanked with rather monotonous grey mounds of lateral moraine 
 The moist air beaded our hair and eyebrows with tiny white droplets 
 as we plugged along the curved sweep, the walls on either side 
 shining with a grey metallic gleam. And so tb the base of the climb

     "Forward, Onward and Upward!" cried Colin. "When danger 
 threatens and adventure calls only the pedestrian fool would fail
 to heed. Excellsiorl "rt's all yours;     wait for you down here."

     So Pete and Garth and Nobby and I hi-tolled up our pants and 
 tucked our whatnots into our underbelows respectively and prepared 
 to climb over the first obstacle. Suddenly, with the thunderous 
 roar of an avalanche, a hissing, screaming death from the darkness 
 bore down towards us. A great blast of wind engulfed us, our ears 
 were filled with a deafening clatter, then the noise gradually 
 diminished as this harbinger of death disappeared into some dark 
 crevasse or underground cave.

     We peered into the murk of night, as black as the back side of 
 the moon, listening intently for any further hint of danger, then 
 took our courage in both hands and made swift individual dashes over 
 the avalanche chute to relative safety.

     Now the climbing really began. We surmounteA the first ob- 
 stacle with some difficulty - real toe and_ finger work of a spiky 
unpleasant nature, but once surmounted we found Ourselves on a 
 veritable stairway, wet and slippery, but nevertheless a stairway. 
 This led us to the first terrace, so to speak.

     I recalled the two other occasions I had been on this climb. 
 Once with Geof and Ross, the latter unsuitably clad in dancing 
pumps - Geof and I had waylaid him for a brief workout to improve 
his dancing steps. He was at great pains to keep his footwear free 
 of scratches, but didn't succeed. "Serves him right!" said Colin, 
 "I have no patience with Mountaineers who go round masquerading as
 Citizens,'" - with which sentiments all, including Rosso, concurred

     On this.occasion we had found ourselves trapped at the beginning

                                             15.

of the summit sweep by an impassible obstacle which would have 
necessitated an unjustifiably risky traverse over a great space 
filled with nothingness, or, alternately, a return to the base of
the climb and the choosing of another route, which time did not permit 
if Rosso's social life was to remain unsh4tered, so we called it a 
glorious failure and postponed our attempt to the sweet future.

    On the other occasion our party had done a.cqmplete traverse 
and come down the northern arrete. Snow was Optatic. "Gee, 
Colin would like this," he cried, "No filthy vegetation. This is 
about the first climb I've been on where there's been no waste 
rabbit-food to clutter up the prospect:"

   And now here we were again. The lie of the terrain now 
necessitated a bit -'of extremely steep upward progression, dark and 
windy and exposed, then the long sweep to the main BUrfillit began.

   How. can one best describe that glorious ascent? The sense of 
depth and space all around us, accentuated by the moonless night, 
so that we felt ithat if we stepped either to right or left of the 
narrow arr'dte we were on, we would surely be walking on air.

   At one place a dark rectangular obstacle caused us some concern. 
We thought it wisest to avoid it altogether and were forced to make
a risky detour out on to the grey slabs, fingers scribbling over a 
scattering of nobbly handholds, feet scratting desperately for 'holds. 
It is strange how the mind, in times of stress, turns to extraneous 
subjects, as if unwilling'to acknowledge the existance of the 
obstacle confronting it - I distinctly remember that at this
stage Pete and Nobby were engrossed in a discussion on electronic 
eyes, to which Garth lent an attentive ear.

   There were no further obstacles as we followed the beautiful 
curve and sweep to the summit. "Gee, this is crack-on t" cried 
Garth enthusiastically. Although thebe was no moon, there was 
sufficient light from the stars to give visibility. "Gee, this is 
collossal," said Garth. "This is mighty:" Away to the east the 
ocean stretched, dark and mysterious. Below us the flat area
gleamed and shone with an unearthly radiance. "Gees this is bang-onr 
said Garth. How some people do burble when they're happy -
can't hold their beans.

   The photographers wished and mourned for their cameras. They 
would not mind waiting round for a lengthy time exposure either - 
the resulting picture would offset frostbitten ears and fingers 
caused by loitering around in the rarefied atmosphere at that height 
However they had no cameras, and after admiring the view for a while 
longer we commenced the descent, noting below us at least four 
avalanche troughts, two of:which we would have to cross on the 
return route.

   Eventually we dropped down to the avalanche chutes and dashed 
swiftly across without being overwhelmed with black ruin. Then the 
long plug back along the glacier bed. We had a wash and a drink
at a spring bubbling up under a rocky overhang, and sighted one lone

 16.

 native who might have been hostile. Then back to our base camp 
 and a great welcome by Colin and the waiting others.

      "So you weren't copped:" said Putt°.

     "It wasn't an electronic eye," explained Pete, "It was a hot 
 water system,"

      What a curious thing for him to say. Now what the Hell are 
 they talking about?




            FEDERATION REPORT SEPTEMBER
                                                   - Allen A. Strom

     Two important matters arose from the discussion on the Committee 
Report on The Decline in Membership of Bushwalking Clubs:-

   1. A Committee has been set up to organise "Junior Walks" for boys 
        and girls 14 to 16 years. It will meet with Paddy Pallin as 
        convenor, wo work out a working plan.

   2. It was decided to proceed with Trail Blazing, in oushlands near 
        Sydney. By the November meeting, Clubs are asked to submit 
        personelle for a Committee to be set up to handle this work.

     Other points raised by the Report are being followed up by 
further contacts and enquiries.

     A new Publi21I7 Officer is required and Clubs have been asked 
to advertise the vacancy.

     The Assistant Information Officer complains that new Walks 
Programmes and Walks ReportS are not being forwarded —to him with 
regularity. This is defeating the purpose of the Officer's work 
and bushwalkers are asked to give greater co-operation.

     Assistance with repairs to the Main Entrance Track at The 
Bouddi Natural Park is required on week-end Out.2V27/28, 
Phone: UA2983,

     The Member for Bulli, The Minister for Lands and The Premder 
have all promised attention to protests against alienating portion 
of The Royal National Park for housing.

     The Dept. of Lands reports that information for a National 
Parks Act is being collected.

     Now that The Barren Grounds has been declared Faunal Reserve 
No.3, bushwalkers are asked to impress upon their friends its 
true significance. A party will visit the area on Oct.12/13/14. 
'Phone: UA2983.

                                                            17.

      WHAT A LEADER or WHAT, A LEADER?
                                              Geof Wagg.

     The miles, the miles, the miles, the weary miles. Once more 
walkers fling themselves against the barrier of miles and time, 
with little hope of auccess.

     The programme stated: Katoomba-Black-Dog-Cox R.-Wollondilli R.- 
Fattai R,-Hilltop;. distance 72 miles.  How often and hov/ fruit- 
lessly has this appeared on a programme, and how often must rnrro and 
Miles have laughed up their sleeves at the hollow bravado of the Idoa, 
So why should four walkers, conscious of all this, pit their puny
strength against the impossible? I'll tell you°   It was the name 
in the last column but one - the column marked "Leaders" This name, 
this man, whose calm detached thinking and quiet unanswerable logic 
has landed so many tough trips at Blue Gum, and so many Blue Gum
trips at the Hydro Majestic "from the highest point of which," so he 
says, "you can obtain a splendid view of Kanangra Walls."

     I scarcely remember the memorable night at the meeting when our 
leader sprang to his feet and in his ringing voice cried, "Who will 
venture forth to Hilltop with me, to glory in his manhood with toil 
and sweat, to feel the heat that blisters and the stinging snows?"

     John Scott, John Manning and Snow all shouted "I".

     Hadn't been listening myself so only caught the last bit and 
murmured "Aye" from force of habit then found it too late to retract.

     Our leader is a man of democratic character, and 'although he 
owns a blue Renault car he travelled up with his party by train, 
leading. them successfully on to the train at Central and off again 
at Katoomba. But at Katoomba] We stepped out of our steam-heated 
compartment•just as the first fluttering silver snowflake. landed on 
the pavement like a speck of dandruff on a navy blue coat. That was 
only the first. More came - and more and-mare and mpre.
twirled and twizzled and did a little dance .round our logs and • 
settled on our cold noses.   Over the frosted pavements o' leader 
led us, past the Carrington, past, the Homeadale and the Belvedere, 
out into the teeth of the blizzard on Narrow Neck. Snow uttered a 
small wail as we passed within sight of his warm bed at home in 
Lurline .Street.

     It was only masterful leadership that got the party past the 
warm dry cave at Coral Swamp, but on the second neck, as we received 
the full unchecked force of the biting south-west wind, he finally 
realised that he could drive us no further and gratefully we sank 
into oblivion in the 'meagre shelter of the overhang beside the track. 
We had been oblivious for scarcely 15-minutes when along came John 
Manning who had caught a train an hour later than ours, so must have 
accomplished the distance in approximately half the time it had taken 
us, This seemed a phenomenal feat, particularly for an unled party.

     We spent an extremely cold and uncomfortable night, and at 
times could not help making the perhaps. rather unfair comparison

18.

between this shelter and the luxurious cave at Coral Swamp. However 
the wisdom of the leader's decision was obvious when he roused us 
shortly before dawn next morning, because every one of the party with- 
out exception was almost pleased to be moving again. After driving 
the prospective out to light the fire we ate a dark breakfast and 
thawed our boots.- Our wet long trousers which.had frozen in the 
night we folded, being careful not to snap off the legs, and stowed 
in our packs.

     It must have snowed heavily during-the night, because all the 
ridges towards Jenolan, were carrying quite a mantle of white, and 
so indeed was the Neck itself, which made the bush-brushing even
more than usually painful.' • Going down to Glenraphael an unfortun- 
ate accident occurred which caused the party some discomfort. It
was just one of those little things for which, no one can be blamed 
suddenly we noticed that the prospective, John Manning, had been 
allowed to slip into the lead, and from then on the pace began to 
blister. But we didn't notice the cold any more.

     Snow Brown'aecured the premier position in the skither down 
Tarots Ladder and we looked forward eagerly to a reduction in pace. 
Instead he broke into a run. The impetut of this carried us over 
Debert's where we re-assembled. Somehow„.(probably to assure a 
moderation of pace) I was thrust into the lead. But what was wrong 
this morning? I found that Black Dog was all down hill, that it was 
a beautiful morning and the wattle was out, and suddenly the ground 
started racing backwards under my foot. Next thing I knew I was on 
the Cox and the. others were tumbling down the hill like apples out 
of a barrel. John Scott found that the pace wasn't the only thing 
that had been blistering.

     But where was our leader?  Whipping in stragglers? go, he
alone was missing. We decided, however, that some leaderly task must 
be delaying him and made the rather rash decision to push on knowing 
that he would soon overtake us. In this forbidding country we felt 
very much the lack of leadership and were quite relieved to find 
ourselves at Harry's Humpy by lunchtime, especially as' the oranges 
were on. We waited here for an hour and a half, expecting at any 
moment to see our leader's countenance come into view,. but as neither 
his nor John Scott's did we assumed that they were either having lunch 
at Kill's Defile or they knew a better orchard elsewhere. (As regards 
our Leader, this may easily have been the case.) When we tried to 
move on after lunch we again felt the lack of wise counsel as some- 
thing told us we might have been somewhat immoderate with the oranges..

     By the time we reached the McMahon's crossing we knew most of the 
fire was out of us and we barely had the energy to drive the prospect- 
ive accross so we could see how deep it was. As it appeared to be 
quite safe Snow and I made the attempt and received our first of 
several clues that finally led us to deduce the fact theitJohn's legs 
are about 12" longer than ours. Now we found the once beautiful. Cox 
Valley a desolation of blackberry and erosion. Also, with no leader 
we mistook our route and,taking the new road for a timber track, We 
tried to pick our way 'along the remains of . the old one which got us 
into all sorts of trouble because there are now no bridges. Each

                                                                                                                                                                                                               19.
 successive crossing was deeper and colder, and sometimes even John 
had trouble. We felt great sympathy for our absent leader, whose 
legs are shorter than ours.

                These troubles had cost us time, and although we walked for more 
than an hour after dark, we made our miserable camp only a few hund- 
red yards short of Bimlow. As we cooked on a fire of fence posts
we tried to comfort ourselves but it was useless. Here we were, 
three lonely bods in a strange and alien landscape with no shelter 
for the night, but worst of all, no leader.                                                                                                            No one woke us shOrtly 
before dawn next morning, no one had us striding gaily ahead by 6 
o'clock, no one was alwaysvready with a cheery confidence to assure 
us we were on the right track. Is it any wonder our stride became a 
stroll, or our stroll became a struggle? At the Nattai Bridge our 
struggle became a fullstop while we talked things over. It was 
clear by now that with the loss of our expert guidance we had lost 
our chance of reaching Hilltop. So what did it matter? It was just
a pleasant stroll up the Nattai to Sheehy's Creek, then an easy .climb 
to the road. Perhaps it was rather a long way to Picton, but certain- 
ly no worse than Narrow Neck.                                                                            Lots of worse ways of spending a 
Sunday.
                                                                                         • • • • • •

               John and I were just stepping out of the scrub on to the Picton 
Road as a blue Renault drove past. Much to our surprise it slowed 
down - stopped - the door opened and out climbed the last person 
we expected to see.                                                     Hair combed, clean face, an ironed shirt and 
knife-edge creases in his trousers, shined shoes. It was our leaders

               "G/day fellers' Just thought I'd drive out to see how you were 
getting 'on."
               Oh, the relief with which we punched him to make sure he was 
real. How we pounded and pummelled him, swung him round and tossed 
him in the air. Snow coming up just then struck him with a large 
piece of wood while passing motorists stared. Yes, he was real all 
right.                              John Scott was there too (he'd been picked up .at Bimlow),
so we were all together again.                                                                              Packs were stowed aboard, walkers 
likewise, and the prospective in the back seat with his head between 
his knees found a disadvantage in long legs. The leader climbed in 
and away we went.

               And so it ended. Once more our leader was leading us, assuring 
us about the route, passing the hours with cheerful anecdote - the 
old immaculate Digby• Everything was right.

                                                                                    . • • • • •

Footnote: The story of how and why he met us where he did is Digby/s„ 
                                          and he appears to be sticking to itl



WANTED TO BUY:                                                A sleeping bag.                                                If anyone has one they wish
to dispose of please contact Tom Moppott (Phone: JA8873)

       ??'

                          I










       WALKERS, MUGS, ETC.




    Paddy doesn't suggest that walkers 
have any connection with mugs except when .";rte
they are drinking. However, on a recent    ;SS
trip with the Brisbane Bushwalkers it.. 
transpired that one of the most remark- 
able things about the Sydney walkers, in 
the eyes of the B.Bts,' was that they 
didn't use plastic bowls. .


    With the B.B's the flexible plastic 
bowl (about 1 pint capacity) is the 
maid-of-all-work. It acts as drinking 
cup, plate, mixing bowl and (with a 
pressed in lid) a food container.


    The B.B's like them so much that 
they seem to carry 3 each, and to avoid 
confusion each person has his own device 
or initials painted thereon.


    It certainly is an idea.


    Paddy has prepared himself for the 
rush and has bowls complete with lids -


        3 for 8/9. 


           or


         3/- each.



       ■■••••■■•■■■ 



                      'Phone: BM2685






      PADD PAWN

       Lighttleight Camp Gear
       201 CASTURFACH St SYDNEY   r",