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--- 195905 [2012/12/21 11:12] – Mostly complete colin
+++ 195905 [2012/12/21 12:19] (current) – [Frank Barlow] colin
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 with low scrub. A great gorge to the north, the Peak to the east and 2,000' of
 cliff and steeps to the south, with Currockbilly beyond bathed in sunset splendour, was the setting for our camp. ALAN ABBOTT somehow couldn't get aluminium tent pegs
-to go into rock. In fact, getting in the 82. tent pegs of the party occasioned more than passing comment.
+to go into rock. In fact, getting in the 82 tent pegs of the party occasioned more than passing comment.
 As we prepared our evening meal a burst of song. arose from, I suspect,
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 To get off the plateau-like area around The Peak means a drop over a cliff. The gentlest drop is to follow a ridge right out to its end, going about NE.
 MAX GENTLE disappeared with a sizable swathe of the party to find a way much more
-intrepid. Down below, the route took us over swamps, keeping the same general direction towards "Battleship Rock" of 'Dingbat Parade and Ardill pyjama fame'. We sat on some rocks and enjoyed ourselves matching FRANK BARLOW cross, a man of blue water now in a bit of black water that looks like hot water. The technique is to leap from grass tuft to tuft, hoping not to miss and fall in a knee-deep hole of mud.
+intrepid. Down below, the route took us over swamps, keeping the same general direction towards "Battleship Rock" of 'Dingbat Parade and Ardill pyjama' fame. We sat on some rocks and enjoyed ourselves watching FRANK BARLOW cross, a man of blue water now in a bit of black water that looks like hot water. The technique is to leap from grass tuft to tuft, hoping not to miss and fall in a knee-deep hole of mud.
 A ridge to the south took us back on to the escarpment above the trees and in
-the mist, skirting to the north of a smaller grassy peak and on to a small creek for lunch. The whole area was oozing with water as if it had been raining far months. In the afternoon we pushed Up the North-end cleft onto Mt. Renwick. YVONNE RENWICK, busy with her camera, recorded the mist and burnt-out beauty of the family mountain.
+the mist, skirting to the north of a smaller grassy peak and on to a small creek for lunch. The whole area was oozing with water as if it had been raining far months. In the afternoon we pushed Up the North-end cleft onto Mt. Renwick [Mt. Cole]. YVONNE RENWICK, busy with her camera, recorded the mist and burnt-out beauty of the family mountain.
 Crossing the top to the southward we came to the crevasse that traverses the plateau. Access to this is straight down a crack for about 20 feet with a good stance in the centre. "I'm not going down there" said a voice. "It's nothing, even I can do it. Look!". "Give us your pack. We'll take it down and if you don't want to come we'll bring it up again." "Don't look dawn, just put your foot over there, the other one on my shoulder and your back in here. Now lift this and put it on BRIAN HARVEY and the other one on JOHN SCOTT and you're half down".
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 A mighty struggle and we were down, packs and all. Then the WHITE ANTS
 collapsed on the ground and the elite climbed up the other side to see the view
-from the end of Mt. Renwick in the mist. This did not take long. In clear weather this view, however, is really fine and takes its place among those many outstanding panoramas exclusive to walkers.
+from the end of Mt. Renwick [Mt. Cole] in the mist. This did not take long. In clear weather this view, however, is really fine and takes its place among those many outstanding panoramas exclusive to walkers.
-The next move was to get off Mt. Renwick by going eastwards down the crevasse. We struggled through dense and tangling undergrowth, with rotting logs, loose and
+The next move was to get off Mt. Renwick [Mt. Cole] by going eastwards down the crevasse. We struggled through dense and tangling undergrowth, with rotting logs, loose and
 slimy rocks in the narrow dark: wet chasm, getting rougher and steeper as we descended. Near the bottom we were stopped by a 15' sheer drop flanked by a deep
 cavernous pool in a very narrow cleft; BILL RODGERS battled down and back up with a great effort and relying on matted roots, but the sight of his quivering muscles deterred the party. We managed to get up the cliff on the right with another mighty struggle, and went back to our starting point at the top. Some went down
-in the crevasse and beat out a camp site and the rest camped on top on the odd patches of swamp between:the enormous rock slabs.
+in the crevasse and beat out a camp site and the rest camped on top on the odd patches of swamp between the enormous rock slabs.
 Towards the end of the evening meal the mist turned to light rain. Everyone
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 So in the event of six inches of rain, 136,000 gallons would pass through the tent. It did! There was no escape. The plugs were all pulled out above and down it came
 At the start I knew there was nowhere to move to, so I put clothes in the pack and into the bag in swimming trunks. I managed to get the first part of the usual
-nightmare over before being suddenly awakened. BILL COSGROVE WAS WET. In fact he was partially submerged. Then there was a great performance. Fortunately I was rot able to be impugned. Salvation was in the lilos, which were blown up another
+nightmare over before being suddenly awakened. BILL COSGROVE WAS WET. In fact he was partially submerged. Then there was a great performance. Fortunately I was not able to be impugned. Salvation was in the lilos, which were blown up another
 couple of notches. A wail came from JEAN HARVEY in the darkness. The tide was
-rising! Then came the sounds of Max Gentle 's tent giving way, and his going in with David Ingram. I lay half-awake, submerged to the knees. The lilo and the waterproof pack were invaluable.
+rising! Then came the sounds of Max Gentle's tent giving way, and his going in with David Ingram. I lay half-awake, submerged to the knees. The lilo and the waterproof pack were invaluable.
 In the morning we had a cold breakfast and drank the water from the ground
 in the tent as needed. Sodden gear was packed, and we lost no time in battling up
-the crack on the other side, and back to the cleft of our original entry on to Mt. Renwick.
+the crack on the other side, and back to the cleft of our original entry on to Mt. Renwick [Mt. Cole].
 There were some murmurings and threats of mutiny, in view of fear of the Clyde River being impassable. But Alex soon quelled this with soft wards, and with docile
 obedience they plunged into the vegetation-choked chasm and followed him their packs oozing wet tents and wet sleeping bags.
-A few hundred yards eastward and we pulled out on to a shelf on the right, leading to another great cleft between the cliffs of Mt. Renwick and three great spires as massive as Belougery. After some complicated manoeuvring we came to
+A few hundred yards eastward and we pulled out on to a shelf on the right, leading to another great cleft between the cliffs of Mt. Renwick [Mt. Cole] and three great spires as massive as Belougery. After some complicated manoeuvring we came to
-a saddle in a high valley, suf.:rounded by great cliffs, spires and chasms, with even
+a saddle in a high valley, surrounded by great cliffs, spires and chasms, with even
-a "bread knife" rock thrown in. Here would be the place for a base camp for a few days. It is really impressive. Across on our right, descending from Mt. Renwick, was the lover cliff of the crevasse, COLLEY'S FOLLY, where we had stood above clutching the matted roots, frustrated and disconsolate, on the previous evening.
+a "bread knife" rock thrown in. Here would be the place for a base camp for a few days. It is really impressive. Across on our right, descending from Mt. Renwick [Mt. Cole], was the lover cliff of the crevasse, COLLEY'S FOLLY, where we had stood above clutching the matted roots, frustrated and disconsolate, on the previous evening.
 Dropping eastward down a creek below the north wall, we descended the roughest
-and scruffiest of the gorges so far. An hour or more of descent to the steep waterfall and below T.his came sidling below the cliffs to the "north-col" of The
+and scruffiest of the gorges so far. An hour or more of descent to the steep waterfall and below this came sidling below the cliffs to the "north-col" of The
 Castle. In rain, mist, and cold and with time running out, we struggled down the
-great rugged Slope w,n. from the saddle.
+great rugged slope down from the saddle.
 Yadboro Creek and all side creeks were in high flood. But it was great to get among the trees again and get some big log fires going to dry out the Sleeping bags.
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 Next morning we walked half a mile up the Clyde River to where it was wide and deep and the current less strong and "floated" over in whatever could be got
-wet. Some even tried floating the packs upside down but IRENE PRIDHAM floated the right way up, as also the "piece de resistance", David Ingram4 towed on the lilo. We even had to "float over" the Boyne creek after a lunch frustrated by time and rain.
+wet. Some even tried floating the packs upside down but IRENE PRIDHAM floated the right way up, as also the "piece de resistance", David Ingram towed on the lilo. We even had to "float over" the Boyne creek after a lunch frustrated by time and rain.
 The last run into Drury's was a gallop, but of no avail. Fortunately
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 "Where's Max? Where's Max?" "I'm going home. I don't like going up and
-down CRACKS all day :In the rain. See you next Easter, if it's fine!"
+down CRACKS all day in the rain. See you next Easter, if it's fine!"
+[The Magazine is now in the financial position to use maps and illustrations with published articles. See the Editor or Business Manager if you are interested
+to enhance your stories.]
-The Magazine is now in the financial position to use maps and illustrations with published articles. See the Editor or Business Manager if you are interested
-to enhance your stories.
 =====Theme  and Variations.=====
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 ==== Alex Colley ====
-Mount Renwick is a lozenge shaped table-top about a mile long and 3,000 feet high. Its narrow axis is bisected by a fissure running from East to West. The fissure is about 40 feet deep near the centre and runs down through the cliff edges. The top of the mountain is mostly rock, partly covered with a thin layer of soil
+Mount Renwick [Cole] is a lozenge shaped table-top about a mile long and 3,000 feet high. Its narrow axis is bisected by a fissure running from East to West. The fissure is about 40 feet deep near the centre and runs down through the cliff edges. The top of the mountain is mostly rock, partly covered with a thin layer of soil
 which supports a knee-high growth of shrubs. The sides of the fissure are rounded
 at the top and nearly vertical at the bottom. The shallow part is 10 to 20 yards wide and its floor supports a thick growth of small saplings. As it deepens the bottom becomes a slit only a few feet across, slimy, slippery and full of debris
-and vegetation. About 4 p m. on Easter Saturday, as mist settled over the mountain, re off dawn the fissure towards the Castle, believing that a previous party
+and vegetation. About 4 p m. on Easter Saturday, as mist settled over the mountain, we set off down the fissure towards the Castle, believing that a previous party
-of :,3 15's had found it negotiable. After about half an hour of scrub-pushing,
+of S.B.W.'s had found it negotiable. After about half an hour of scrub-pushing,
-serrd.:ling and crawling, we came to a sheer drop of some 20 feet, negotiable for a small agile party, but a slow and risky proposition for an average party of 16. If
+scrambling and crawling, we came to a sheer drop of some 20 feet, negotiable for a small agile party, but a slow and risky proposition for an average party of 16. If
 we did get down we still mightn't get through. By that time it would be dark,
 camping down there was impossible and we wouldn't get back till morning. So we retreated; luckily finding a route straight up to the top of the mountain. We aimed to go back to the shallowest part of the fissure, where, with some clearing,
 there was enough space to camp. On the top we met Paul Driver, whose party had made
 camp there. This decided most of the party to stay on top, while some made down to the cleared patches where five of us had camped two years before.
 The rain came just as we started tea. Having spent many a wet season weekend
 at Jamberoo not far from Peter Page's rain gauge, I think I can estimate precipitation fairly well. For long stretches the rate of fall must have been at
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 Very soon the thin layer of soil on the top was saturated and water ran over
-it an almost continuous sheet. As the Slope increased towards the fissure rivulets were formed which cascaded over the rock into the trough. Before long the soil in the fissure too, although much deeper, was saturated, and water flowed over its surface.
+it an almost continuous sheet. As the slope increased towards the fissure rivulets were formed which cascaded over the rock into the trough. Before long the soil in the fissure too, although much deeper, was saturated, and water flowed over its surface.
 As the deluge intensified I recalled Frank Barlow's recent experience at Lamington during a similar downpour. The only place he could camp was on the track, with groundsheet stretched over the rivulet which ran down it. During the night four large crayfish left the stream to share his aquatic couch. The morning after our wetting I asked Frank whether the lobsters had annoyed him, but he was too busy wringing the water out of his sleeping bag to heed my funny joke.
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 cleared a space on the crest of the rise, and if we moved camp we should at least have no further trouble with water rushing through the tent. We stuffed our gear into our packs, which were swirling round in deep pools, uprooted the tent, and fought our way back through the wet scrub to the cleared space. Alex and Alan
 re-erected the tent, and did a wonderful job. It was a most awkward business to say
-the least, as the cords had all become hopelessly tangled, and had to be cut and retied. The rain was still not too heavy, we thought, but the trees dripped endlessly and the water ran off us in rivulets. Looking from a little distance through the saplings, I was amused at the sight. Two grotesque figures (my apologies, sirs) crawling round in the mud, making strange noises and passing an evil-looking knife from one to the other. Five feet from our front door one of the dozens of waterfalls roared down the rock-face, but as our leader had forecast, it ran down-hill and let us be. The rain started again in earnest. Alan returned to our first tent-site to recover a square of plastic which had been overlooked during our packing. He told us that the crew of the next tent had built themselves an island each and they were stretched straight out on these, while the briny lapped round the edges. We mopped up the groundsheets and crawled back into Sleeping bags. These were damp in patches,
+the least, as the cords had all become hopelessly tangled, and had to be cut and retied. The rain was still not too heavy, we thought, but the trees dripped endlessly and the water ran off us in rivulets. Looking from a little distance through the saplings, I was amused at the sight. Two grotesque figures (my apologies, sirs) crawling round in the mud, making strange noises and passing an evil-looking knife from one to the other. Five feet from our front door one of the dozens of waterfalls roared down the rock-face, but as our leader had forecast, it ran down-hill and let us be. The rain started again in earnest. Alan returned to our first tent-site to recover a square of plastic which had been overlooked during our packing. He told us that the crew of the next tent had built themselves an island each and they were stretched straight out on these, while the briny lapped round the edges. We mopped up the groundsheets and crawled back into sleeping bags. These were damp in patches,
 but they kept us warm for the rest of the night. About 4 hours, I think, had passed since we had first crawled into our sleeping bags. During the trip, I had tried to
 impress on people the many good points of this mountain. It would be diplomatic to
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 ====Jean Harvey====
-We had pitched our tent about 30'-40' below the top of Mt. Renwick, on about a 3" depth of soil and grass. Brian and I were awakened from our slumbers by the
+We had pitched our tent about 30'-40' below the top of Mt. Renwick [Mt. Cole], on about a 3" depth of soil and grass. Brian and I were awakened from our slumbers by the
 urgent "Jean, Jean, I'm sleeping in a puddle" of Irene. Grabbing our torches we were horrified to see that the water was flowing under and over the groundsheets and we,
 too, had our own private puddles. All were averse to braving the elements to dig
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 Having completed this diversion we surveyed our sodden bags and, to our amazement,
 Brian suggested we get out of them and spend the night sitting up. As it was not yet
-midnight Irene and I protested volubly against such folly, preferring pneumonia recumbent, enclosed in bag, to pneumonia sitting up, without bag. After much seeking we found some not so wet portions of our bags, twisted these round to our backs, and lay back hopefully 'wooing Sleep. Whether it was the constant bellowing of the tent in the wind, the rhythmic drip drip from various parts of the tent, and the gentle spraying of the rain (through the japara) on our faces we'll never know,
+midnight Irene and I protested volubly against such folly, preferring pneumonia recumbent, enclosed in bag, to pneumonia sitting up, without bag. After much seeking we found some not so wet portions of our bags, twisted these round to our backs, and lay back hopefully wooing sleep. Whether it was the constant bellowing of the tent in the wind, the rhythmic drip drip from various parts of the tent, and the gentle spraying of the rain (through the japara) on our faces we'll never know,
 but we did sleep, fitfully. With the dawn came a very wet Alex, adjuring us to pack up as quickly as possible and get going. After hastily eating some cold rice and apple we wrang ourselves, and our gear, out, hoisted up rucksacks, and squelched off, after our leader, into the mist.
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 Having failed in our efforts to get down through the central crevice of Mount
-Renwick, on our way to The Castle, and as we were fast running out of light, and as
+Renwick [Cole], on our way to The Castle, and as we were fast running out of light, and as
 it was going to rain, we returned to the centre of the mountain top. Stumbling along the steeply Sloping southern side of the crevice we came upon an extra bare
 -patch with about two or three inches of soil or moss every here and there in small patches on otherwise steeply sloping rocks.
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 they can both swim because, in the morning, they were both seen fast asleep, floating at the end of their anchor lines.
-I couldn't understand why I was so cold during the night. Every time I moved it seed as though a block of ice was against my back.  After a,most hideous and
+I couldn't understand why I was so cold during the night. Every time I moved it seemed as though a block of ice was against my back.  After a most hideous and
 sleepless night I dozed off and dreamt I was pouring myself out of my water-bag
 (fantastic thing to dream). Waking from the nightmare I realised that the reason for feeling cold was that my sleeping bag was full, and I mean full, of water. Anyhow, after pouring myself out, I found that Brian had got a fire going and that the rain had stopped. On examination, the only dry article of gear was my camera which was inside three plastic bags.
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 I've camped on rocks before this. I've camped on mud. I've camped on snow and ice. I've camped on logs. But I've never camped IN a waterfall before.
-Breakfast: Hot food: Cheerful banter! Smiling faces!? Wet, heavy packs, and on the track again and off for The Castle. Silly, isn't it?
+Breakfast: Hot food! Cheerful banter! Smiling faces!? Wet, heavy packs, and on the track again and off for The Castle. Silly, isn't it?
 Over lunch we discuss how we should negotiate this section of the route next time. Silly, isn't it? or is it?
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 "The night was dark and stormy
-The billy goat was blind" etc. etc. Well, we didn't scratch our 'neverminds' like billy, but we were not cautious in camping just off the top of Mt. Renwick in threatening weather. The top was definitely uninviting, so we pitched tents in the coarse grass and sally gums just over the edge.
+The billy goat was blind" etc. etc. Well, we didn't scratch our 'neverminds' like billy, but we were not cautious in camping just off the top of Mt. Renwick [Mt. Cole] in threatening weather. The top was definitely uninviting, so we pitched tents in the coarse grass and sally gums just over the edge.
  With a bit of organisation our meal was quickly prepared and was ready just as the first shower of rain came. Into the tents to eat it. A gusty wind caused some anxiety as to whether the tents would remain upright and the rain came in squalls. This was a good opportunity for an early night as we'd had a busy day and tomorrow's programme promised more "busyness". Soon after 10 p m. I could feel cold water trickling under the groundsheet. Knowing that a dry sleeping bag would be doubly desirable on the following night I replaced it in its waterproof cover and slept in my inner bag. Needless to say the night was mild.
 There was considerable consternation in the Leyden-Cosgrove tent a couple of times, but the night continued wet and windy until about 2 a m. when a bright light
-Shining into the tent and Max Gentle's voice woke me from a doze saying 'Who's in here? I'm washed out". So he came in and settled down. Water may have been running
+shining into the tent and Max Gentle's voice woke me from a doze saying 'Who's in here? I'm washed out". So he came in and settled down. Water may have been running
 under the grass but the tent wasn't letting any rain through.
 To while away the hours until dawn we discussed this and that - women in our lives, the possible difficulty in ascending the rock face of the fissure later in
 the morning and whether we should go on to the Clyde River or return along the
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 I think perhaps that we did not suffer as much as some that night. In fact now that I look back on it from the comfort of my home some five weeks later I can't help feeling that I may have been exaggerating a little about our discomfort. Of course we got wet, or at least Pam and I did. Pam had found herself the cutest little hip
 hole earlier in the evening but as it soon turned itself into a hip bath it had to be
-vacated, although by then it was too late. Also the wind changed through the night and blew in on her. As far myself I only got my dry bed sox wet and my shoulders where the water seeped through the groundsheet, but Bill was dry: When the rain first began Bill, with true protective instincts, offered to sleep at the end of the tent from whence the weather came. Standing in the pouring rain, with the mind lashing his groundsheet about him, he gamely tied a spare groundsheet across the end of the abdulled tent and then, although quite exhausted from this great effort,
+vacated, although by then it was too late. Also the wind changed through the night and blew in on her. As for myself I only got my dry bed sox wet and my shoulders where the water seeped through the groundsheet, but Bill was dry: When the rain first began Bill, with true protective instincts, offered to sleep at the end of the tent from whence the weather came. Standing in the pouring rain, with the wind lashing his groundsheet about him, he gamely tied a spare groundsheet across the end of the abdulled tent and then, although quite exhausted from this great effort,
  summoned the strength to put our three packs along the inside to help hold down the groundsheet. As I said, Bill was dry!
-Although the night seemed long we did sleep a little and in our waking moments were entertained by snippets of conversation coming from David's tent, next to ours. Max had moved in during the night and whiled away the hours recounting a few of the more romantic moments of his life to a weary David. But it was very frustrating the way the mind roared right at the most enthralling point, Apart from that it was interesting to lie back listening to the sounds of the night and try to decide whether those shrieks and moans came from the wind in the casuarinas outside the tent or were in reality the sounds of souls in despair.
+Although the night seemed long we did sleep a little and in our waking moments were entertained by snippets of conversation coming from David's tent, next to ours. Max had moved in during the night and whiled away the hours recounting a few of the more romantic moments of his life to a weary David. But it was very frustrating the way the mind roared right at the most enthralling point. Apart from that it was interesting to lie back listening to the sounds of the night and try to decide whether those shrieks and moans came from the wind in the casuarinas outside the tent or were in reality the sounds of souls in despair.
 And so the night at last became day and after a hearty breakfast of one half apple, one half orange, one chocolate-coated biscuit each and the promise of a lolly later, we began one of the longest walking days I can remember.