1) MCSA Supertramp Awards 2016
2) MCSA- BMC Meet – the SA leg
3) Annual Memorial service – 28 February 2016
4 Annual Dinner – 7 May 2016
5) July Camp 2016 – Advance Notice
6) National Meet – 1- 04 October 2016
7) 125 Years National Expedition to Patagonia 2016
8) MCSA 125th Anniversary T-Shirts
9) Reciprocity agreement –MCSA and the NLMC (North London Mountaineering Club)
10) UIAA
10.1) Youth Olympic Games welcomes ice climbing
10.2) UIAA Ice Climbing World Cup, South Korea 16-17 JANUARY 2016
10.3) UIAA Ice Climbing World Cup Saas Fee, Switzerland 22-23 JANUARY 2016
10.4) Exclusive video highlights: UIAA Ice Climbing World Tour #1 Bozeman
11) facebook and web pages
12) Section News
13) Snippets
14) Any newsworthy items
1) MCSA SUPERTRAMPS AWARDS – 2016
As 2016 is the MCSA’s 125th year, all six applicants have received the MCSA Supertramp Award 2016!!!
Chris Aderne will climb in the Rwenzori in June with his partner Michael Kloos-
Alex Bester will climb in the Pedras Negras in Angola in November together with Ebert Nel
Jed Johnson and team mates, Craig Burton and Andrew Court, will climb at the Hand of Fatima in Mali in November
Rick Kotze will hike for a month in the Cape Fold Mountains together with Chris Arderne
Micha Stiller will trek solo for 600km in Nepal from Bhimdatta to Kathmandu
Tiffany Wells and team members, Kirsten Roberts and Sam Stainton, will climb in South East Asia at the end of 2016.
Congratulations and the best of luck to all! (It was worth putting pen to paper, hey?)
Great thanks to our generous donor.
Petro Grobler (Convenor: MCSA Supertramp Award)
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2) MCSA-BMC MEET: THE SA LEG
The MCSA-BMC meet is happening! The Brits who are coming to see us:
| Ben Heason |
| Tess Fryer |
| Jimmy Marjot |
| Pete Robbins |
| Mikey Goldthorp |
| George North |
| Becca Lounds |
| Sophie Whyte |
| Emma Twyford |
| Steve Mcclure |
The MCSA-ers who are hosting the Brits and heading to the UK:
| Marianne Schwankhart |
| Julia Wakeling |
| Candice Bagley |
| Richard Halsey |
| Gosia Lipinska |
| Warren Gans |
| Sarel Jansen van Rensburg |
| Johann Lanz |
| Garvin Jacobs |
| Louis Louw |
| Clinton Martinengo (SA only) |
The proposed itinerary (highly likely to change and updates will be advertised):
| Date | Activity |
| Thur 25 Feb | Most Brits arrive in CT |
| Fri 26 Feb | The last Brits arrive in CT and we all head up to Tafelberg |
| Sat 27 Feb | Tafelberg for one night (no water, so we’ll have to carry our own). Walk down and sleep at Sanddrift |
| Sun 28 Feb | Wolfberg, sleep at Sanddrift |
| Mon 29 Feb | Wolfberg, drive back to CT |
| Tue 1 Mar | Table Mountain + MCSA CT clubhouse slideshow by Steve McClure and Ben Heason + bring and braai |
| Wed 2 Mar | Yellowwood – Stay at the MCSA Du Toit’s hut |
| Thur 3 Mar | Yellowwood / Table Mountain – stay in CT |
| Fri 4 Mar | Fly to Jhb, drive to Blouberg, walk up |
| Sat 5 Mar | Blouberg |
| Sun 6 Mar | Blouberg |
| Mon 7 Mar | Blouberg, drive back to Jhb. Bring and braai and slideshow (Steve + Ben) at the MCSA/City Rock in Jhb. |
| Tues 8 Mar | Fly home or explore South Africa |
The vibe:
· Anyone and everyone are welcome to join for whichever bits of the SA leg they would like to join for, just organise your own logistics.
· If you would like to get involved in helping out at all, please let Julia (juliawakeling@gmail.com / 082 7557 123) know. E.g. if you would like to host any Brits in CT?
· The bring-and-braais + slideshows at the MCSA in CT and Jhb will be great events.
· The nights at Sanddrift will be extremely festive – come and climb and join the campfire!
· If you would like to buy one of Steve Mcclure’s books (Beyond Limits: A life through climbing), please let Julia know before 15th Feb. He’ll only bring as many as he can pre-sell (finding out the price).
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3) ANNUAL MEMORIAL SERVICE – 2016
The Annual Memorial Service will be held at Maclear’s Beacon on Sunday 28 February 2016. The service will be conducted by the Reverend Tim Attwell. This is a non- denominational service and commemorates members of the club who have died in the past year.
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4) ANNUAL DINNER – 7 MAY 2016
The annual dinner will take place at Moyo’s restaurant Kirstenbosch on 7 May. The guest speaker is one of the Doctors who will be attending an International mountaineering medical conference that is occurring at the same time.
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5) JULY CAMP 2016 ADVANCE NOTICE
Hooray! Dates for the July Camp have been set and are Saturday 2nd July to Saturday 16th July, 2016. This means that, as requested by parents, the Camp will begin on the second Saturday of the school holidays.
As it stands at the moment, we are planning to hold the Camp at Lotheni, in the Southern Berg. Further details will follow after the recce.
In the meantime, we look forward to welcoming you and your family to a venue we have not visited for 20 years! The Committee is hard at work looking for leaders willing to commit to leading trips, especially trips to the top and traverses. So if that is your scene, please contact us!
Please, diarise July 2 to July 16, 2016 for the July Camp. See you there!
For further details contact – Rikki Abbott Wedderburn on 082 538 5389 or
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6) NATIONAL MEET 1 – 4 October 2016
The National Meet will take place in the Cedarberg from 1 to 4 October. We have booked all the chalets & camp sites at Sanddrif.
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7) MCSA 125 YEARS NATIONAL EXPEDITION TO PATAGONIA 2016
There was a HUGE response to the invite. Even if allowing for a 40% drop-out factor, there would be a group too big for comfort and too big for the local transport infrastructure. It has therefore been decided to split the trekkers into various groups over different dates. No new applications to take part will be accepted.
The expedition will be entirely self-supported; no guides or commercial operators will be employed. This also means everybody has to carry all his own goods, pitch his tent, cook his own meal and also take an active part in preparations.
There is now a website for the expedition. Follow the link if you want to follow their progress.
http://hostgoga.com/125yearsMCSAPatagoniaExpedition/
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8) MCSA 125th ANNIVERSARY T-SHIRTS
The Johannesburg Section will be offering for sale special edition MCSA 125th year anniversary First Ascent t-shirts embroidered with the MCSA’s special logo. A limited number will be available. Further details to follow.
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9) RECIPROCITY AGREEMENT – MCSA AND THE NLMC (NORTH LONDON MOUNTAINEERING CLUB)
A Reciprocal Rights Agreement has been concluded between the MCSA and NLMC. MCSA members with valid membership cards visiting the United Kingdom will be given the same rates and privileges as the NLMC gives to its own members when visiting the NLMC properties. This will include access to the club properties and any discounted hut fees, but will require adherence to local rules.
The NLMC has a well-positioned hut in Snowdonia National Park in North Wales. The ‘Hut’ is actually two properties, the Cottage and the Barn. The Cottage is strictly reserved for members and visitors whilst the Barn is regularly rented out which provides an income for the club. The Barn is suitable for large groups and is also available for members and visitors as long as it has not been rented out.
North Wales offers excellent opportunities for hiking and rock climbing as well as being a brilliant venue for winter ice and mixed climbing.
Any visiting MCSA member is required to first contact the NLMC Committee to arrange use of the club facilities prior to visiting. The latest contact details can be found on the NLMC website: www.nlmc.co.uk
The NLMC is one of the most active clubs in the UK. Our members have climbed on all corners of the globe from the dizzying heights of Mount Everest to modest buttresses of Stanage Edg
2016 Climbing Meets include Saxony in German, Monta Rosa in Italy, Scottish Highlands, Fairhead in Ireland and many more UK-based meets. We would welcome any MCSA members along. Members meet on Wednesday evenings at the Mile End climbing wall, followed by the Palm Tree pub. If you’re in London do come along – just ask at the climbing wall reception to be pointed to a NLMC member, or look out for the club’s red T-shirts.
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10) UIAA
10.1) YOUTH OLYMPIC GAMES WELCOMES ICE CLIMBING
Following on from its popular appearance in the Olympic Park at the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, ice climbing will feature as part of the sports initiation programme at the 2nd edition of the Youth Olympic Games to be held in Lillehammer, Norway, from 12-21 February.
10.2) UIAA ICE CLIMBING WORLD CUP, SOUTH KOREA 16-17 JANUARY 2016
The second leg of the 2016 UIAA Ice Climbing World Tour offered a stunning display of power, determination, speed and technique. The weekend’s action witnessed as many twists and turns as the tempestuous local weather. Full results and details about the 2016 UIAA Ice Climbing World Tour are at: http://www.iceclimbingworldcup.org
10.3) UIAA ICE CLIMBING WORLD CUP, SAAS FEE, SWITZERLAND 22-23 JANUARY 2016
Saas Fee is always a popular destination on the UIAA Ice Climbing World Tour. A truly unique venue, an atmospheric amphitheatre carved into the resort car park, marks the Swiss location out as a special place for athletes and supporters alike.
During this weekend’s competition, thousands of spectators circled the spiralled car park ramp gaining a privileged view of the world’s best ice climbers. The nature of the arena enables fans to watch the action from several different vantage points, and the vortex effect of the venue generates a lively sound.
Over 100 athletes from 17 countries, the actors in this live amphitheatre, produced ice climbing of the highest order as round 3 of the season lived up to expectations.
The penultimate weekend of the season proved a key juncture ahead of next weekend’s season finale in Rabenstein, Italy. Available shortly on UIAA YouTube and Vimeo channels.
10.4) EXCLUSIVE VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: UIAA ICE CLIMBING WORLD TOUR#1 BOZEMAN
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11) FACEBOOK AND WEB PAGES
National: https://www.facebook.com/Mountain-Club-of-South-Africa-181163071916739/
MCSA Search and Rescue Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/MCSASAR
Cape Town: https://www.facebook.com/MountainClubOfSouthAfricaCT
EP: www.facebook.com/MCSAEPSection
Free State https://www.facebook.com/MCSAFS
Hottentotsholland: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mountain-Club-of-South-Africa-Hottentots-Holland-Section/385143928232942
Johannesburg: https://www.facebook.com/groups/141752442885/
KZN: https://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_185119868204602
Magaliesberg: https://sites.google.com/site/mcsamagaliesberg
Magaliesberg: www.mcsamagalies.co.za
Namibia: http://www.mcnam.org/
Paarl/Wellington: https://www.facebook.com/PaarlWellingtonMCSA
South Cape: https://mcsasc.wordpress.com/
Stellenbosch: https://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_132651793466552
Tygerberg: https://www.facebook.com/bksa.tygerberg and
http://sites.google.com/site/bksatygerberg
Worcester: http://www.mcsawor.co.za
https://www.facebook.com/mcsawor
Links for all section’s web pages are all on the national webpage.
12) SECTION NEWS
KZN SECTION
Klip Kloof on the White Umfolozi is now under new management. Should you wish to climb here it is essential to book in advance by phoning Mrs Maryna Lingenfelder on 082 446 1777 failing which you will find yourself confronted by a rather imposing locked gate.
The current charges are as follows:
– R80 pppn for camping
– R150 pppn to stay in one of the huts – with all bedding provided
– Children up to 10 years of age can stay for free
– R50 pp for day trips.
Please note that in the past a reasonable amount of crockery and cutlery as well as a gas cooker were available on site. This is no longer the case. As usual it is necessary to bring your own drinking water and charcoal.
The new owners are very climber friendly and have plans for significant new developments in due course. In the meantime please give them every possible support.
CAPE TOWN SECTION
ROVOS RAIL: DAR–ES-SALAAM
If anyone missed Stephen Craven’s slides, they will be shown at Meadowridge library – Mon. 15 Feb. 2016 0930 for 1000 hours and Tue. 16 Feb. 2016 1930 for 2000 hours. sacraven@mweb.co.za
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13) SNIPPETS
13.1) 35TH INTERNATIONAL GEOLOGICAL CONGRESS
The 35th International Geological Congress (35th IGC) will be hosted in South Africa at the Cape Town International Convention Centre from 26 August to 4 September 2016. The IGC is one of the major international geoscience conferences and is hosted in a different location every 4 years. The 35th IGC is only the second of these prestigious conferences to be hosted in South Africa; the previous event was the 15th IGC in 1929.
Early Bird registration and abstract submissions are currently open. An exciting Scientific Program will be offered under the three main topics: Geoscience in the Economy, Geoscience for Society and Fundamental Geoscience. Fifty exciting field trips into South Africa and elsewhere in Africa will take delegates to the geological superlatives that the continent has to offer.
Please visit the website http://www.35igc.org for further details of the conference, registration and abstract submission.
13.2) THE FLAB (‘FAT LAD AT THE BACK’) TOUR: SIMON DODDING: SOUTH AFRICA: JANUARY – MARCH 2016
By Russ Dodding
It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best. – Ernest Hemingway.
Fresh from his recent long-distance bicycle touring adventures in 2015, my brother, Simon, will arrive in South Africa in mid-January 2016.
In 2015 he ‘credit-card’ toured from Port Elizabeth to Mossel Bay (return). On retirement from the Royal Air Force in Britain, he then undertook a 4 600 kilometre cycle tour adventure from his home in the English Lake District to the Black Sea (up the River Rhine and down the River Danube), camping for the most part. He finished the year with a relatively short excursion along the Camino de Compostela in northern Spain.
Simon is BIG! in all respects. Large in frame, huge in personality, very generous of spirit and a very solid citizen. He had a challenge to purchase cycle clothing in his size, so was very pleased to find custom-made clothing available in his native Yorkshire, from the company ‘FLAB’ – ‘Fat Lad at the Back’! Simon is not made for speed, but if you want someone to peddle for eight hours solid- he’s your man.
He returns to South Africa for the umpteenth time, a place he loves, in 2016. The main purpose of his visit is to cycle the length of the country, from Musina to Cape Town. He will contrive a road version of the recently developed long-distance off-road cycle route, the Dragon’s Spine.
Simon will encounter the following mountain ranges during his 9 week adventure: Soutpansberg, Wolkberg, Transvaal Drakensberg escarpment, Golden Gate, Malutis, Stormberg, Bamboesberg, Sneeuberg, Grootriviershoogte, Baviaanskloofberg, Kammanassieberg, Groot Swartberg, Warmwaterberg, Langberg, and then several of the ranges on the run-in to Cape Town from Worcester.
The outline of the Dragon’s Spine road route to be undertaken by Simon is: Musina, Louis Trichardt, Mooketsi, Tzaneen, Diphuti, Ohringstad, Pilgrims Rest, Sabie, Mbombela, eManzana, Amsterdam, Piet Retief, Paul Pietersburg, Vryheid, Blood River, Rorkes Drift, Ladysmith, Bergville, Phuthaditjhaba, Clarens, Fouriesburg, Ficksburg, Ladybrand, Hobhouse, Zastron, Sterkspruit, Ladygrey, Barkley East, Elliot, Dordrecht, Molteno, Larame, Middleburg, Graaf Reinet, Jansenville, Steytlerville, Willowmore, Barandas, De Rus, Klaarstroom, Prince Albert, Die Hell, Ladismith, Barrydale, Montagu, Worcester, Wolseley, Riebeck Kasteel, Malmesbury, Bloubergstrand, Hout Bay, Cape Point, and back to Hout Bay.
The approximate distance that Simon will cycle is 3100 kilometers. Heather and I will join him for approximately 325 kilometers of his tour, on the eastern Free State leg.
So, and here’s the rub, should you see Simon on the road (look for his distinctive wand and flag) or he is passing through your town or area, please consider extending some famous MCSA hospitality to him. It would be much appreciated.
Find Simon on Facebook or contact him via email at: simondodding@hotmail.com
Thanks.
Russ Dodding, Life member, Johannesburg Section.
13.3) M R I – LAND DEGRADATION IN THE DRAKENSBERG – SUE TAYLOR
13.4) AFROMONT – WORKSHOP ON INVASIVES – CAPE TOWN MAY 02 -06
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My father considered a walk among the mountains as the equivalent of churchgoing.
Aldous Huxley
14) Any newsworthy items for inclusion in MCSA National News can be sent to the Editor, Bridget Carrick: bridget.carrick7@gmail.com
