The Canberra Climbers’ Association (CCA) was founded in 1998. Membership is steadily growing and CCA is now a respected body representing climbers’ interests across the ACT region. The CCA has a broad membership base and supports all types of climbing: rock climbing, mountaineering, sport climbing, aid climbing, etc.
The CCA has been very successful fulfilling its Charter along the four main areas, as follows:
- Access – to ensure that climbers can maintain access to local climbing areas. with the help of local government agencies, and to keep climbing safe by maintaining fixed protection.
- Advocacy – to promote a positive image of climbing to the general community in the ACT, and to educate climbers and the public about climbing.
- Community – to build and nurture a climbing community in Canberra that is inclusive and supports all styles of climbing including, sport, trad, bouldering and mountaineering.
- Connection – to provide opportunities for climbers to socialise, share and connect with each other.
Access and consultations
CCA is involved in many consultations with the ACT and NSW parks and conservation government services, about access to climbing areas. We work closely with the ACT Parks and Conservation Service to repair and maintain access tracks to climbing areas, particularly in the aftermath of bushfires.
Read more about CCA’s access and consultation work
Member activities
CCA members meet regularly to discuss local issues, catch up on recent exploits, as well as see and hear from a range of speakers about their climbing experiences in Australia and overseas. Members follow a diversity of climbing beliefs, styles and techniques, keeping the club lively. The CCA provides an opportunity for local climbers to network, organise trips and find new climbing partners.
Canberra climbers also get together on the CCA’s social climbing days, from visiting the traditional granite heartland of Booroomba Rocks to modern cragging around Canberra, as well as nearby areas such as Blue Lake in Kosciuszko National Park.
CCA life members
Currently we have five Life Members in the CCA:
Chris Warner was awarded Life Membership for his work on the CCA Committee in the early days of the establishment of the CCA, and for his exceptional contribution to climbing.
Armando Corvini has given exceptional service to the CCA through his volunteering and mentorship.
Brian Mattick has done an extraordinary amount of work in the CCA, not only as Vice President and committee member dealing with meany of the access issues addressed by CCA, but also as one of the people who regularly go out unobtrusively doing track maintenance, route rebolting and volunteer instruction. Brian is also author of the 2012 Blue Lake climbing guide and White Rocks climbing guide, which are the most popular of the CCA climbing guides.
Peter Cocker has been integral to the development and evolution of climbing at Booroomba Rocks and other ACT granite crags since the early 1970s.
John Fantini was awarded Life Membership for his enormous contributions to climbing in the ACT region and abroad over many decades.
CCA committee
| President | Zac Zaharias |
| Vice President | Jim Rock |
| Secretary | John Wilson |
| Treasurer & Membership Secretary | Jack Pezzey |
| Public Officer | Anthony Hunter |
| First Nations Sub-Committee Coordinator | Alan Silva |
| Website & Facebook | Costanza Maffi |
| Ordinary Members | Michael Masters, Caitlin Horan, Penny Jones, James Lister, Anthony Hunter |
First Nations sub-committee
The CCA’s First Nations sub-committee undertakes research on Indigenous cultural lore and how this impacts climbers in the ACT. The sub-committee also examines lessons learned from the Grampians, Arapiles, Nowra and other popular climbing areas in Australia that have been the subject of Traditional Owner claims under heritage/cultural protection banners, in order to inform the CCA’s aims and activities.
If you would like to be involved, please drop us a line via our website:
