Canberra Climbers' Association

CCA Christmas drinks 2020
2020-12-02 18:15 - 21:00 (Australia/Sydney) | Capital Brewing Co., Building 3/1 Dairy Rd, Fyshwick, ACT, 2609, Australia
Our last event for the year is the ever-popular Christmas drinks, which this year will be held at Capital Brewing Co. in Fyshwick. Snack type food is available there.
For those interested, a climb a the BlocHaus Bouldering beforehand is an option.
Come along, bring a friend or significant other, and enjoy a night out anticipating your Christmas holiday plans, or getting some great ideas for holiday destinations from fellow climbers!

POSTPONED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICECCA General Meeting / guest speaker TBA
2020-11-18 19:45 - 21:30, 2020-07-15 19:45 - 21:30, 2020-05-20 19:45 - 21:30 | Room HB3, Hedley Bull Centre, The Australian National University, Fellows Road, Acton, ACT, 2601
Come and hear a rundown of the CCA’s recent activities plus general climbing news and points of interest, followed by our guest speaker presentation.
CCA members and non-members are welcome.
Guest speaker: TBA

CCA General Meeting (AGM) / guest speakers Caitlin Horan & Peter Blunt
2020-10-28 19:30 - 21:30 | Ainslie Football & Social Club, 52 Wakefield Avenue, Ainslie, ACT, 2602, Australia
As COVID-19 restrictions are beginning to ease a bit, we are going to run our first General Meeting of the year! This meeting will also be our AGM, so we will include election of CCA office bearers for 2020/2021 and a rundown of the CCA’s activities throughout this year, as well as general climbing news and points of interest. The meeting will be followed by our guest speaker presentation, as usual.
CCA members and non-members are welcome.
Please note the change in our usual meeting venue and start time (see details below).
Guest speaker: Caitlin Horan & Peter Blunt
In September 2019, local climbers Cait Horan, Greg Fisher, and Peter Blunt took their 90 combined years of climbing experience to the most famous big wall in the world, El Capitan. Climbing The Nose was the adventure of a lifetime for the trio. Four nights on the wall and only a few hours of sleep here and there, 28 spectacular pitches and all the big wall antics.
The team will share with us tonight some of the pain and the glory of this epic journey.
Peter Blunt, Cait Horan and Greg Fisher at the top of their climb of the Nose on El Capitan, September 2019.

Climbing Day at Gibraltar Peak
2020-06-20 | Gibraltar Peak, Gibraltar Peak, Paddy's River, ACT, 2620, Australia
Gibraltar Peak and surrounds are a multi-level maze of boulders that offer some fine climbing. Most climbs are single-pitch and many are fully bolted, while others are a mixture of bolts and natural gear. Many of the climbs are in the sun for at least part of the day, making this a great place for a sunny winter’s day.
Participation
CCA will provide a limited amount of basic instruction and top rope climbing if there are enough volunteer leaders; please check with the coordinator (see details below). Experienced climbers just need to register with the coordinator and you can then do your own thing.
You will need to join CCA on the day if you are not a member ($20 for one year or $50 for three years), and all participants will need to sign the CCA Activity Waiver (PDF 75KB) before attending.
Participant numbers will be strictly limited to 20 so we don’t exceed the current restrictions for an outdoor gathering. Please register your interest with the coordinator, Zac Zaharias (see details below).
What to bring
You will need to bring your personal climbing gear (climbing shoes, chalk bag, harness and helmet) as a minimum, as we don’t have Club gear to loan out. You will also need food, water and sunscreen for the day.
Meeting time and location
The main outcrop of the Gibraltar Rocks is prominent and lies at the end of a ridge overlooking Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve. You can get there from Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve by following the marked fire trail. Alternatively, there are several steep, unmarked fire trails on the south side of the ridge (off Corin Dam Road) that can be walked up.
Nail Biter Spike (16) – Gibraltar Rocks
Climbing routes
thecrag.com describes Gibraltar Peak climbing as varied, with lots of slabs, a few great arêtes and some stellar cracks. 123 individual routes are listed.

Blue Lake climbing weekend 2020
2020-03-20 - 2020-03-22 | Blue Lake, Blue Lake Kosciuszko National Park, NSW, Australia
Blue Lake in Kosciuszko National Park, NSW, is a rare and beautiful cirque lake which has some of the clearest waters of any Australian lake. Granite cliffs of up to 55m overlook the west side of Blue Lake, providing some wonderful traditional climbing and the only alpine climbing area in Australia.
CCA holds this climbing weekend annually. It is open to all CCA members and to non-members who join CCA ($20 for one year or $50 for three years) at the beginning of the weekend. All participants will also need to sign a CCA Activity Waiver (PDF 75KB) before the weekend.
If you are interested in attending, please register with the event coordinator, Zac Zaharias (details below). He will then send you details including the camping location and possible car pooling options.
Please note:

this is a climbing camp and we don’t provide instruction; we expect everybody to be self-sufficient climbers and campers. However, for those that are a little rusty, there are opportunities to tie in to the other end of the rope and follow up on some of the easy single-pitch classics on Elephant Buttress.
you will need to walk 4 km with your climbing and camping gear, from the car park at Charlotte Pass to where we camp above the tree line. Day climbing is also possible by doing the 4 km treck from the car park to the cliffs with just your climbing gear.

Blue Lake image gallery Blue Lake climbing guide

Turdus – Blue Lake

CANCELLED: CCA General Meeting / guest speakers Caitlin Horan & Peter Blunt
2020-03-18 19:45 - 21:30 | Room HB3, Hedley Bull Centre, The Australian National University, Fellows Road, Acton, ACT, 2601
CANCELLED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE:
As a precautionary measure against the spread of the COVID-19 virus, the ANU is cancelling all public and social events from Monday 16 March until the end of semester one (Saturday 20 June).
This includes all CCA General Meetings, including this one 🙁

Come and hear a rundown of the CCA’s recent activities plus general climbing news and points of interest, including the latest news on the effects of the ACT bushfires on climbing areas. This will be followed by our guest speaker presentation.
CCA members and non-members are welcome.
Guest speakers: Caitlin Horan & Peter Blunt

In September 2019, local climbers Cait Horan, Greg Fisher, and Peter Blunt successfully climbed the Nose on El Capitan after nearly a week of grueling climbing and only a few hours of sleep here and there.
Cait and Peter will share with us tonight some of the pain and the glory of this epic trip.
Peter Blunt, Cait Horan and Greg Fisher at the top of their climb of the Nose on El Capitan, September 2019.

CCA Christmas drinks 2019
2019-12-04 18:00 - 21:00 | The Kingston Hotel, 73 Canberra Avenue, Griffith, ACT, 2603, Australia
Our last social event for the year is the ever-popular Christmas drinks at the Kingston Hotel.
Meet at the Bistro area. Drinks and dinner are available at the bar.
Come along, bring a friend or significant other, and enjoy a night out anticipating your Christmas holiday plans, or getting some great ideas for holiday destinations from fellow climbers!

CCA General Meeting / guest speaker Hugh Newall
2019-11-20 19:45 - 21:30 | Room HB3, Hedley Bull Centre, The Australian National University, Fellows Road, Acton, ACT, 2601
Come and hear a rundown of the CCA’s recent activities plus general climbing news and points of interest, followed by our guest speaker presentation.
CCA members and non-members are welcome.
Guest speaker: Hugh Newall

Have you considered mountaineering in South America?

Earlier this year, Hugh was a member of a 43-day ANU Mountaineering Club expedition to the Cordillera Blanca, Peru. Tonight he will be sharing an insight into climbing in the Cordillera Blanca, recounting the expedition highlights and the lessons that were learnt.

CCA Climbing Week - Mt Arapiles
2019-10-19 - 2019-10-27 | Mt Arapiles, Mount Arapiles-Tooan State Park, Centenary Park Road, Victoria, 3409, Australia
Come and join CCA members Robert Douglas and Brian Mattick for a week of climbing at this wonderful world-famous sandstone crag.
Mt Arapiles has everything from short test pieces to multi-pitch classics at all grades. The 3,000+ climbing routes are too numerous to be listed here, but comprehensive descriptions are available on thecrag.com website.
Please contact Robert or Brian (details below) if you would like to join in.
Watchtower Crack (16), Mt Arapiles. Photo by Steve Morris

CCA Annual General Meeting / guest speaker Lex Holcombe
2019-09-17 19:45 - 21:30 | Room HB3, Hedley Bull Centre, The Australian National University, Fellows Road, Acton, ACT, 2601
We will have a short meeting for the election of CCA office bearers for 2019/2020 and a rundown of the CCA’s recent activities plus general climbing news and points of interest, followed by our guest speaker presentation.
CCA members and non-members are welcome.
Guest speaker: Lex Holcombe
Lex has stood at the bottom of cliffs for the last 40 years and thought ‘how the f*** do I get up that!???’. His trip to Canada was no different.
Inspired by a Petzl catalogue in 1980, Lex set about planning and training for a trip to Canada. 38 years later he was ready…
Tonight, Lex will talk about a trip across vast areas of land through 3 Canadian provinces. It is a mini orientation to just some of the climbs in Canada (including an NA classic 50), an insight into the enormous potential for adventure and some practicalities on the nuts and bolts of how to get around Squamish, The Bugaboos and the NW Territories.

The art and science of trad lead climbing
2019-08-24 | White Rocks, White Rocks, Karabar, NSW, 2620, Australia
Have you ever wanted to learn how to lead “trad” climbs and not known how to start?
Traditional climbing, or trad climbing, is a style of rock climbing in which a climber places all gear required to protect against falls, and removes it when a pitch is complete.
This is a 1-day introductory traditional lead climbing course run by CCA in conjunction with K7 Adventures. The course is a mix of theory and practical activities to introduce the foundation skills for traditional climbing, such as:

climbing knots
modern traditional climbing equipment
belaying leaders and seconds
setting up anchors
placing and removing protective gear
keeping yourself (and others) safe at the crag.

The course is being run by qualified, experienced Outdoor Recreation Industry instructors from CCA and K7 Adventures.
You will be provided with a gear list for this activity and there will be homework to complete before the course; homework will take about 60 minutes.
The course will take place at White Rocks, a small limestone crag located on the Queanbeyan River within 30 minutes’ drive from the centre of the Canberra CBD.
Participant numbers are limited to 3-6 climbers.
Trad climbing gear

Booroomba Cliffcare Working Bee
2019-08-19 | Booroomba Rocks, Booroomba Rocks, Namadgi National Park, ACT, Australia
The CCA spends considerable behind-the-scenes time and effort managing and maintaining access for the climbing community, to the ACT climbing areas.
We will be holding a one-day cliff-care working bee at Booroomba Rocks. Typical cliff-care tasks are track work, erosion control in descent gullies and re-bolting routes with safer technology.
Please join us if you are able to volunteer your time.

CCA General Meeting / guest speaker Penny Brothers
2019-07-17 19:45 - 21:30 | Room HB3, Hedley Bull Centre, The Australian National University, Fellows Road, Acton, ACT, 2601
Come and hear a rundown of the CCA’s recent activities plus general climbing news and points of interest, followed by our guest speaker presentation.
CCA members and non-members are welcome.
Guest speaker: Penny Brothers
Twin summits: highs and lows of a bifurcated climbing career
Penny Brothers’ formative years as a climber were spent in New Zealand, the USA, the Himalayas and even in Australia, where she completed rock and alpine ascents including Yosemite big walls and, in 1980, the first ascent of Bhrigupanth (6770 m) in the Garwhal Himalaya as part of a women’s team. She then had an unplanned hiatus from climbing while tending to her family and an academic career at the University of Auckland. In recent years she had an equally unplanned return to climbing, with ascents in New Zealand, Peru, Patagonia, and even in the ACT where she has just taken a job at The Australian National University. She served as President of the New Zealand Alpine Club in 2016-2017.
Tonight, Penny will talk about her early years and then strategies for successful “crevasse rescue”: climbing out of the middle-aged abyss.

Integral Crack – 50 years celebration
2019-06-15 | Booroomba Rocks, Booroomba Rocks, Namadgi National Park, ACT, Australia
Image above: Integral Crack (20), on the South Buttress of Booroomba Rocks, Namadgi National Park. Photo by John Price Photography.

Peter Cocker and Peter Aitchison made the first ascent of Integral Crack, at Booroomba Rocks, on 11 July 1969. At the time, it was one of the hardest climbs in Australia (Ewbank’s The Janicepts (21) had a point of aid at the time).
The climb is described as “A classic by any standards. The best line at Booroomba, and one of the best climbs…” in the ACT Granite climbing guidebook (1997, edited by John Churchill and Mike Peck).
Please join us in celebrating rock climbing at Booroomba Rocks, featuring Peter Cocker and the first ascent of Integral Crack.
Highlights of the day

Saturday mid-morning: an open chat around the campfire with Peter Cocker and other climbers who have been instrumental in the development of Booroomba Rocks, and a display of historic climbing gear; this will be held in the picnic area at the top of Booroomba Rocks, and a delicious morning tea will be provided (BYO cups and some water for the billy, please, and BYO lunch!)
Saturday afternoon: a celebratory climb of the Integral Crack route by one of CCA’s longstanding members, with a commentary by Peter Cocker
Saturday night: camp at Honeysuckle Camp Ground; camping fees for CCA members will be covered IF YOU REGISTER BEFOREHAND – see details below)
All day Saturday and Sunday: an opportunity to climb the routes at Booroomba Rocks (please note that there will be NO GUIDED CLIMBING for this event)
Recording of anecdotes and oral history, at opportune moments throughout the day
A video recording of Peter’s story
Possible magazine article and photos by nature photographer and lifelong bushwalker, naturalist, climber and conservationist, Ian Brown.

Registration and further information
For more information, to register for Saturday night camping, or to volunteer to help out, please contact the organisers listed below.

CCA General Meeting / guest speaker Peter Blunt
2019-05-15 19:45 - 21:30 | Room HB3, Hedley Bull Centre, The Australian National University, Fellows Road, Acton, ACT, 2601
Come and hear a rundown of the CCA’s recent activities plus general climbing news and points of interest, followed by our guest speaker presentation.
CCA members and non-members are welcome.
Guest speaker: Peter Blunt
Alpine Rock in the Range of Light (Sierra Nevada)
A journey through some of the classic middle-grade rock climbs in the Sierras, 40 years in the making. Featuring stunning images from climbing photo journalist Ian Brown and personal stories of “1,000 feet of perfect granite” on Mt Whitney, Charlotte Dome, Temple Crag, Tuolumne and Half Dome. The magical beauty of the Range of Light, the oldest living things on the planet, bears, permits, camping access, bolting and ethics etc. And preparing for the next challenge – big wall routes on El Capitan.
Peter is a long-time CCA member with a trad climbing ethic. He has been rock climbing for 40+ years and has climbed extensively all over the world. Peter undertook initial exploration and development of the Point Perpendicular crag and has set other new routes on mostly obscure remote cliffs. He instructed and taught climbing in the ACT for 35 years in Outdoor Education and is now retired from the workforce.

Range of Light (Sierra Nevada)
Range of Light (Sierra Nevada)
Range of Light (Sierra Nevada)
Rising clouds, El Capitan, Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park
Fairview Dome and juniper, Yosemite National Park
Peter Blunt climbing Regular Route, Fairview Dome, Yosemite National Park
Range of Light (Sierra Nevada)
Range of Light (Sierra Nevada)
Lone pine, Half Dome, Yosemite National Park
Peter Blunt on Snake Dike, Half Dome, Yosemite National Park
Range of Light (Sierra Nevada)

Introductory Climbing Day – Booroomba Rocks
2019-05-12 | Booroomba Rocks, Booroomba Rocks, Namadgi National Park, ACT, Australia
Our popular introductory climbing day at Booroomba Rocks, Namadgi National Park, is a great way for newer CCA members who are first-time climbers at Booroomba to enjoy the delights of the classic trad climbs at the Booroomba crag. It is also a great opportunity for indoor climbers to experience the joys of outdoor and trad climbing.
You will be led up a selection of classic routes at Booroomba Rocks, by experienced CCA members; grades will depend on climbers and leaders.
Participation
Participants of any experience are welcome. The numbers who can participate will depend on how many CCA leaders we have, and we aim for a ratio of one leader/guide for a maximum of two participants, so it’s first in – best dressed!!
You will need to join CCA on the day if you are not a member ($20 for one year or $50 for three years), and all participants will need to sign the CCA Activity Waiver (PDF 75KB) before attending.
Please register your interest with the coordinator, Zac Zaharias (see details below). Registrations open from 24 April 2019.
What to bring
You will need to bring your personal climbing gear (climbing shoes, chalk bag, harness and helmet) plus food and water for the day. A water bottle that you can attach to your harness comes in very handy, as most climbs at Booroomba Rocks are multi-pitch. Many of the climbs are in full sun for most of the day so some form of sun protection is a good idea.
Meeting time and location
We will meet at the Booroomba Rocks car park at 9am for introductions and to organise climbing parties. To get to the car park, drive up Apollo Road to about 1km before the Honeysuckle Creek Tracking Station. Turn right onto the gravel road (it’s signposted) and follow this to the end, about 3 km.

Booroomba Rocks image gallery Booroomba Rocks climbing guide

Vomit (17) – Booroomba Rocks, South Buttress

Climbing Day at The Cloisters, Orroral Ridge
2019-04-07 | Orroral Ridge, Orroral Ridge, ACT, Australia
The Cloisters is a jumble of granite boulders on the Orroral Ridge, in Namadji National Park, ACT. There are good climbs at all grades (see descriptions below), and most of the day’s activities will take place around The Hello Boulder (15m high, pictured above) and Simple Simon Slabs, where there are some excellent, moderately-graded crack and wall/slab climbs.
Participation
Participants of any experience are welcome.
You will need to join CCA on the day if you are not a member ($20 for one year or $50 for three years), and all participants will need to sign the CCA Activity Waiver (PDF 75KB) before attending.
Please register your interest with the coordinator, Brian Mattick (see details below).
What to bring
You will need to bring your personal climbing gear (climbing shoes, chalk bag, harness and helmet) plus food, water and sunscreen for the day.
Meeting time and location
Meet at the car park on the Orroral Ridge at 9am (see map at the bottom of this page). To get to the car park, drive up Apollo Road to the Honeysuckle Creek Tracking Station then turn onto the gravel road near the shelter/toilets and follow this to the end, about 4 km uphill.
Climbing routes
thecrag.com describes The Cloisters as having “a wide range of grades and styles on boulders nestled among the trees” and lists 68 individual routes.

CCA General Meeting / guest speaker Rolfe Oostra
2019-03-27 19:45 - 21:30 | Room HB3, Hedley Bull Centre, The Australian National University, Fellows Road, Acton, ACT, 2601
Come and hear a rundown of the CCA’s recent activities plus general climbing news and points of interest, followed by our guest speaker presentation.
CCA members and non-members are welcome.
Guest speaker: Canberra-raised mountaineer and adventurer, Rolfe Oostra
Rolfe Oostra is a mountaineer and expedition leader, and co-founder of 360 Expeditions. He has summitted some of the highest and most technical peaks on earth, including Ama Dablam, Manaslu, Cho Oyu and Everest. He has made notable first alpine ascents in the Andes, Karakoram and Greenland and has established many new rock-climbing routes in Africa, South America and Australia. He has also explored many unknown landscapes and communities, from unpaddled rivers in the Congo and Amazon basin to some of the world’s most isolated deserts.
Rolfe will be back on home turf in Canberra and joining us to talk about his fabulous adventures and summits, and to share his advice and experiences.
Top image: Rolfe at Trango Towers, Pakistan. Above: Rolfe on Mera Peak, Nepal.

Introductory Climbing Day – Booroomba Rocks (South Buttress)
2019-03-03 | Booroomba Rocks, Booroomba Rocks, Namadgi National Park, ACT, Australia
Our popular introductory climbing day at Booroomba Rocks, Namadgi National Park, is a great way for newer CCA members who are first-time climbers at Booroomba to enjoy the delights of the classic trad climbs at the Booroomba crag. It is also a great opportunity for indoor climbers to experience the joys of outdoor and trad climbing.
You will be led up a selection of classic Booroomba Rocks, South Buttress routes by experienced CCA members; grades will depend on climbers and leaders.
Participation
Participants of any experience are welcome. The numbers who can participate will depend on how many CCA leaders we have, and we aim for a ratio of one leader/guide for a maximum of two participants, so it’s first in – best dressed!!
You will need to join CCA on the day if you are not a member ($20 for one year or $50 for three years), and all participants will need to sign the CCA Activity Waiver (PDF 75KB) before attending.
Please register your interest with the coordinator, Brian Mattick (see details below).
What to bring
You will need to bring your personal climbing gear (climbing shoes, chalk bag, harness and helmet) plus food and water for the day. A water bottle that you can attach to your harness comes in very handy, as most climbs at Booroomba Rocks are multi-pitch. Many of the climbs are in full sun for most of the day so some form of sun protection is a good idea.
Meeting time and location
We will meet at the Booroomba Rocks car park at 9am for introductions and to organise climbing parties. To get to the car park, drive up Apollo Road to about 1km before the Honeysuckle Creek Tracking Station. Turn right onto the gravel road (it’s signposted) and follow this to the end, about 3 km.

Booroomba Rocks image gallery Booroomba Rocks climbing guide

Vomit (17) – Booroomba Rocks, South Buttress

Blue Lake climbing weekend 2019
2019-02-01 - 2019-02-03 | Blue Lake, Blue Lake Kosciuszko National Park, NSW, Australia
Blue Lake in Kosciuszko National Park, NSW, is a rare and beautiful cirque lake which has some of the clearest waters of any Australian lake. Granite cliffs of up to 55m overlook the west side of Blue Lake, providing some wonderful traditional climbing and the only alpine climbing area in Australia.
CCA holds this climbing weekend annually. It is open to all CCA members and to non-members who join CCA ($20 for one year or $50 for three years) at the beginning of the weekend. All participants will also need to sign a CCA Activity Waiver (PDF 75KB) before the weekend.
If you are interested in attending, please register with the event coordinator, Zac Zaharias (details below). He will then send you details including the camping location and possible car pooling options.
Please note that you will need to walk 4 km with your climbing and camping gear, from the car park at Charlotte Pass to where we camp above the tree line. Day climbing is also possible by doing the 4 km trek from the car park to the cliffs with just your climbing gear.

Blue Lake image gallery Blue Lake climbing guide

55m granite cliffs at the west end of Blue Lake, Kosciuszko National Park, NSW

CCA General Meeting / guest speakers Ken Baldwin and Huw Kingston
2018-11-21 19:45 - 21:30 | Room HB3, Hedley Bull Centre, The Australian National University, Fellows Road, Acton, ACT, 2601
Our last general meeting for 2018. Come and hear a rundown of the CCA’s recent activities plus general climbing news and points of interest, followed by our guest speaker presentation.
CCA members and non-members are welcome.
Guest speakers: Ken Baldwin and Huw Kingston
Ken Baldwin – Red wine, rosti and hard pack
The classic Haute Route one-week traverse of the French, Swiss and Italian Alps from Chamonix to Zermatt is every ski-mountaineer’s dream – and the magnificent scenery is just one of the many highlights. Huge ascents of over 1,000m in a day lead to even bigger descents – including one 2,200m downhill run down to Zermatt – the equivalent of Mt Kosciuszko summit to the sea. The catered réfuges provided excellent cuisine after a hard day, washed down with beer and wine. The perfect Bluebird weather for 8 days made for great photography, but the huge storm that followed led to a disaster near the highest point that saw 7 skiers perish overnight. A reminder that any adventure in the high mountains should be undertaken with the utmost respect of the environment.
Huw Kingston – Vodka, slushies and powder
With a bottle of Shohona in hand, Huw Kingston will tell tales from his ski expedition to the Fann Mountains in Tajikistan in Central Asia. Earlier this year, Huw and his three companions failed miserably to ascend the highest peaks but succeeded magnificently in making the first ski traverse of this stunning range that runs up to 5,500 metres. Expect acts of barberism (yes, correct spelling…..) on the streets of Tajikistan, plumbing the hell of the deepest, sloppiest snow on earth and rejoicing in soft, soft powder.

CCA Climbing Week - Mt Arapiles
2018-11-03 - 2018-11-11 | Mt Arapiles, Mount Arapiles-Tooan State Park, Centenary Park Road, Victoria, 3409, Australia
Come and join CCA members Robert Douglas and Brian Mattick for a week of climbing at this wonderful world-famous sandstone crag.
Mt Arapiles has everything from short test pieces to multi-pitch classics at all grades. The 3,000+ climbing routes are too numerous to be listed here, but comprehensive descriptions are available on thecrag.com website.
Please contact Robert or Brian (details below) if you would like to join in.

The Dawn Wall - special CCA screening
2018-10-29 19:00 - 21:00 | Dendy Cinemas, Level 2, North Quarter, Canberra Centre 148 Bunda Street, Canberra, ACT, Australia
CCA has arranged a special screening of The Dawn Wall movie for its members and their family and friends. This special screening is scheduled for the day before the official public screening.
The Dawn Wall
Images from the Dawn Wall, January 2015, shot by Bligh Gillies of Corey Rich Productions in Yosemite National Park, California.
In January 2015, American rock climbers Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson captivated the world with their effort to climb the Dawn Wall of El Capitan, a seemingly impossible 3,000-foot rock face in Yosemite National Park, California. The pair lived on the sheer vertical cliff for weeks, igniting a frenzy of global media attention.
But for Tommy Caldwell, the Dawn Wall was much more than just a climb. It was the culmination of a lifetime defined by overcoming obstacles. At the age of 22, the climbing prodigy was taken hostage by rebels in Kyrgyzstan. Shortly after, he lost his index finger in an accident but resolved to come back stronger. When his marriage fell apart, he escaped the pain by fixating on the extraordinary goal of free climbing the Dawn Wall. Blurring the line between dedication and obsession, Caldwell and his partner Jorgeson spend six years meticulously plotting and practising their route. On the final attempt, with the world watching, Caldwell is faced with a moment of truth. Should he abandon his partner to fulfil his ultimate dream, or risk his own success for the sake of their friendship?
Images from the Dawn Wall, January 2015, shot by Bligh Gillies of Corey Rich Productions in Yosemite National Park, California.
More than just a climbing movie, The Dawn Wall is an epic and inspirational story that will take you into the hearts and minds of the protagonists and is to be enjoyed by all.

Winner of The Audience Award at South By Southwest
Accepted into the Melbourne International Film Festival
Described by Variety Magazine as “A must-see”
100% on Rotten Tomatoes!

Pitch 15, rated 5.14d, of the Dawn Wall of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park gave Kevin Jorgeson the most difficulty during his and Tommy Caldwell’s historic first free ascent of the Dawn Wall (VI 5.14d) on January 14, 2015.
Tickets
Tickets are limited, so you will need to book and pay in advance.
Prices are

$20 CCA members
$22 students
$25 family and friends of CCA members

Booking process

Email the booking officer, Brian Mattick (see details below) with the number and type (member, student or family/friend) of tickets you need.
Pay via direct deposit to the CCA bank account:

Bank: Serviceone Credit Union
BSB: 801009
Account: 1064291
Please put your full name in the reference box on your bank’s online payment form. This will show up on the CCA bank statements and we can identify who has paid.
You can purchase as many tickets as you like. First in, best dressed.
We will sell tickets on the night if we have any spare seats – but you are taking a big risk of missing out as we predict that tickets will sell fast!
Images from the Dawn Wall, January 2015, shot by Brett Lowell of Big UP Productions in Yosemite National Park, California.
Trailer
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Climbing day at The Cloisters, Orroral Ridge
2018-10-07 09:00 - 16:00 | Orroral Ridge, Orroral Ridge, ACT, Australia
The Cloisters is a jumble of granite boulders on the Orroral Ridge, in Namadji National Park, ACT. There are good climbs at all grades (see descriptions below), and most of the day’s activities will take place around The Hello Boulder (pictured above) and Simple Simon Slabs, where there are some excellent, moderately-graded crack and wall / slab climbs.
Meeting time and location
Meet at the carpark on the Orroral Ridge at 9am (see map at the bottom of this page). To get to the carpark, drive up Apollo Road to the Honeysuckle Creek Tracking Station then turn onto the gravel road near the shelter/toilets and follow this to the end, about 4 km uphill.
The air temperature on Orroral Ridge will be cold, so be prepared!
Participation
This event is open to all CCA members and to non-members who join CCA ($20 for one year or $50 for three years) at the start of the day. All participants will also need to sign a CCA Activity Waiver (PDF 75KB) before climbing.

Climbing routes at The Cloisters

Introductory Climbing Day – Booroomba Rocks
2018-09-23 09:00 - 16:00 | Booroomba Rocks, Booroomba Rocks, Namadgi National Park, ACT, Australia
Our popular introductory climbing day at Booroomba Rocks, Namadgi National Park, is a great way for newer CCA members who are first-time climbers at Booroomba to enjoy the delights of the classic trad climbs at the Booroomba crag. It is also a great opportunity for indoor climbers to experience the joys of outdoor and trad climbing.
You will be led up a selection of classic Booroomba crag routes (grades will depend on climbers) by experienced CCA members. Participants of any experience are welcome; the numbers who can participate will depend on how many CCA leaders we have. We aim for a ratio of one leader/guide for a maximum of two participants, so it’s first in – best dressed!!
You will need to join CCA on the day if you are not a member ($20 for one year or $50 for three years), and all participants will need to sign the CCA Activity Waiver (PDF 75KB) before attending.
Please register your interest with the coordinator, Zac Zaharias (see details below).
We will meet at the Booroomba Rocks car park at 9am for introductions and to organise climbing parties.
Booroomba Rocks image gallery Booroomba Rocks climbing guide
Booroomba Rocks – North Buttress

CCA Annual General Meeting / guest speaker Damien Gildea
2018-09-19 19:45 - 21:30 | Room HB3, Hedley Bull Centre, The Australian National University, Fellows Road, Acton, ACT, 2601
We will have a short meeting for the election of CCA office bearers for 2018/2019 and a rundown of the CCA’s recent activities plus general climbing news and points of interest, followed by our guest speaker presentation.
CCA members and non-members are welcome.
Guest speaker: Australian mountaineer and Antarctic explorer, Damien Gildea
Damien Gildea is an Australian mountaineer and Antarctic explorer who has climbed extensively in Antarctica, Nepal, Tibet, Pakistan, Bolivia, Alaska, New Zealand and elsewhere. Tonight he will talk about the history of climbing in Antarctica and give an overview of the various mountain areas.
Damien has led eight expeditions to the high mountains of Antarctica and two ski expedition to the South Pole. In 2006, the United States Geological Survey named the Gildea Glacier, on the Vinson Massif, in recognition of Damien’s exploration and mapping in the Sentinel Range.
Damien has been the Antarctic correspondent for the American Alpine Journal since 1999 and, in addition to Mountaineering in Antarctica: Climbing in the Frozen South (2010), he published The Antarctic Mountaineering Chronology (1998). When not on expeditions he lives in Goulburn, NSW.
Copies of Mountaineering in Antarctica: Climbing in the Frozen South will be available for sale at the meeting, at a special CCA members’ price of $30.

CCA General Meeting / guest speaker Duncan Brown
2018-07-18 19:45 - 21:30 | Room HB3, Hedley Bull Centre, The Australian National University, Fellows Road, Acton, ACT, 2601
Come and hear a rundown of the CCA’s recent activities plus general climbing news and points of interest, followed by our guest speaker presentation.
CCA members and non-members are welcome.
Guest speaker: professional rock climber, personal trainer and sports coach, Duncan Brown – “Obsession”

Determination becomes obsession, and then it becomes all that matters.
Duncan will share how obsession, sometimes with things proud and grand, and sometimes with things comically trivial, has shaped his climbing and his life over the years and led him to become the climber he is today – still as obsessed as the day he started.
Duncan is a personal trainer and sports coach. He has over a decade of experience coaching swimming, gymnastics, trampoline and rock climbing, as well as being a professional rock climber. He currently lives in Canberra, Australia, and conducts personal training, group classes and private climbing coaching in the world class bouldering and training facilities at BlocHaus Bouldering Gym in Canberra. He is the founder of Athlete By Choice, a locally-grown company which provides coaching and training programs for climbing and other outdoor sports.
Duncan is also the training writer for Vertical Life Magazine and has written training and climbing articles for many publications both in Australia and around the world.

CCA General Meeting / guest speaker Zac Zaharias
2018-05-16 20:00 - 22:00 | Room HB3, Hedley Bull Centre, The Australian National University, Fellows Road, Acton, ACT, 2601
Come and hear a rundown of the CCA’s recent activities plus general climbing news and points of interest, followed by our guest speaker presentation.
CCA members and non-members are welcome.
Guest speaker: CCA President, Zac Zaharias
Zac recently returned from his third expedition to Mera Peak (6,476m) in Nepal and crossing the Amphu Lapcha Pass. He and his team had a successful trip with 5 of the 8 team members reaching the summit, and all team members reaching 6,200m. Mera Peak, while technically easy climbing, is very high and has one of the most amazing vistas from the summit where you can see five 8,000 metre peaks.
