Dear ANUMC enthusiasts,
You are all formally invited to the best party of 2018. Is collapsing in the gutter besides Mooseheads starting to loose its appeal? Or has the closure of unipub left a irreparable gap in your weekly drinking routine. Fear not - there is a new venue in town! For one weekend each year, The Castle opens its doors to ANUMCers of all persuasions. It’s definitely as sweaty as Mooseheads - and no less intimate - but for once, there is a sense of class. We don’t simply party on top of a mountain, we scrub up finer than Zuckerburg in front of an adversarial Congress. Word has got around this year will be bigger than ever. There will be games, live music and even guest appearances. Dan might arrive on the Sunday morning after a sketchy, head-torch first ascent of the escarpment and our resident drone artiste will be present for all your DP needs. All in all, this will be a night to remember… You absolutely cannot miss out.
(Thanks Oscar for the introduction.)
2018 is the 25th anniversary of the first Cocktails on the Castle. To mark this, we will recreate the original photo (above), as well as any other outrageous ideas that we dream up! (Get your thinking caps on and get the suggestions rolling in.)
We will leave Friday afternoon from Canberra and camp at Long Gully campground. On Saturday morning, we will start our short but steep (nearly 800m ascent over 5km) hike up to the Castle. The walk is exposed, with some scrambling. Once we summit, there will be spectacular views of Pigeon House, Byangee Walls and Mt Talaterang. After a quick change from hiking clothes into formal attire, the festivities will begin. Have a look at ex-president Jess’ write ups for descriptions of the previous events and information about the hike: https://wordsandwilds.wordpress.com/2014/12/04/cocktails-on-the-castle-the-red-promenade/ https://wordsandwilds.wordpress.com/2014/01/23/cocktails-on-the-castle-the-heatwave-edition/
This is a great social event for all club members. While you don’t need to have any experience, please let me know your hiking experience when signing up, and vehicle details (or lack thereof). You will need to be reasonably fit and have a head for heights. Let me know if you have any doubts and we can have a chat.
This trip is only 3 weeks away! Sign up now! Pretrip is on the Tuesday before (1st May).
List of essential gear:
Formal dress
Cocktail food and drink (think martinis, champagne with rasberries, mulled wine ... the more extravagant the better)
Any tables, chairs, musical instruments, photography equipment, eskis etc. that you can lug up the mountain
Camping/hiking gear (tent, sleeping bag, sleeping mat, clothing, hat, pack, stove + fuel + matches, plates + cutlery, toiletries, torch, sunscreen, water - you will need to carry all your water with you)
Warm clothes (over your formal dress when it gets dark)
Good pair of walking shoes/boots
FREE STANDING tent
This walk involves EXPOSED SCRAMBLING: Here's a picture from last year (of Mel being awesome):
Credit: Ivan Dovana. (Note the steepness - see the height of the lower person.) If you think you might freak out doing this, have a talk with me. You might still be able to come on the trip; we'll just need to make a plan/have a backup plan.
See trip description. Depart Friday night. Camp at Long Gully campsite. Depart Saturday morning 8:30am from Long Gully carpark -> Kalianna Ridge -> Meakins Pass -> The Castle, following the castle walking trail. Map: Corang 1:25k.
We will split into two groups from the start. We will have dedicated leaders (who are experienced and capable to lead the trip on their own with first aiders, EPIRBS, first aid kits, etc.) for each group.