Good Day! MCSA Member
In this bulletin:
1) MCSA ANNUAL DINNER: 23 SEPTEMBER 2017
Magaliesberg Section will be hosting the Dinner, please save the date. More details will follow.
2) MCSA NATIONAL MEET: CHIMANIMANI, ZIMBABWE 25 September – 3 October 2017
Presented by the Magaliesberg Section MCSA, in conjunction with the Mountain Club of Zimbabwe.
Chimanimani is a mountainous area situated in the eastern highlands of Zimbabwe. The region is distinguished by large quartzite peaks, carved from a rifted quartzite block, the highest reaching to 2,440 metres and stretching for some 50 kilometres, forming the border with Mozambique. It is one of Zimbabwe’s wildest and finest mountain wilderness areas and a very popular hiking destination. The nature is unspoiled and at its best, with breath-taking and picturesque landscapes as you explore the area. There are mountains to climb, valleys and gorges to hike, rock paintings and waterfalls to feast your eyes on, and natural pools to swim in. Add to it forests, some unique plant species and wild animals, and it becomes a nature lover’s paradise.
Chimanimani is known as Zimbabwe’s best kept secret, but it needn’t be this way! Come join us on this meet for the truly adventurous by exploring its challenging overnight hiking trails and spectacular climbs, by doing caving, potholing or kayaking, or just enjoy its peace and tranquillity in a relaxed manner by taking leisurely day hikes. This meet has got some activities for all tastes!
General Provisional Programme:
Day 1 Arrival at Base Camp, Chimanimani Area.
Day 2 Briefing and Welcoming Braai (Late Afternoon).
Day 3, 4, 5 1, 2 & 3-Day Hiking, Climbing and Bouldering.
Day 6 Rest and Recreation; Caving / Potholing, Kayaking, and Dinner.
Day 7, 8, 9 1, 2 & 3-Day Hiking, Climbing and Bouldering.
Day 10 Visit to Chirinda Forest and Farewell Function at Base Camp.
Day 11 Departure and Own Itinerary.
Bonus Event: MCSA Annual Dinner 2017 presented by the Magaliesberg Section! On your way up to Zimbabwe, join the MCSA Annual Dinner on 23 September 2017 in Pretoria during which the Magaliesberg Section will celebrate its 50th Birthday.
Booking and more details for the Chimanimani meet and annual dinner will be made known at a later stage.
General Enquiries: Etienne Step. Telephone +27 72 242 0864 Email: estep@lantic.net
Interested parties are requested to send an email to Etienne, giving provisional personal contact details, type of activity interested in, accommodation preferences (i.e. dormitory accommodation, lodges / chalets or camping), mode of transport (i.e. by road or fly-in to Harare), etc., so that provisional planning can be made based on the provided information.
Download the info: 2017-national-meet-document-1.pdf and 2017-national-meet-document-2.pdf
3) START: IMS PHOTO CONTEST 2017
Kicking off as a side event of the International Mountain Summit, the IMS Photo Contest has become the greatest contest of mountain photography worldwide. In its seventh edition, photographers compete for seven awards plus the title: Mountain Photo of the Year. With six different categories, we expanded the possibilities to submit mountain photos once again. This year’s prize money will be a total of over €18,000.
“Over the past six years, more than 12,000 photographers from all continents have been competing with each other to win an award in one of the categories of the IMS Photo Contest. This great commitment inspired us to develop the IMS Photo Contest into an event of its own. That is why we built up a new platform and continuously enhance the performance of the new website. We want to encourage photographic performances, photo culture and start over with a refreshing design and convenient functionality of the new website” so said the Contest President Markus Gaiser and Vice President Alex Ploner on the launch of the seventh edition of the IMS Photo Contest.
The category Mountain Nature. Mountains may appear immutable. But their interplay with nature creates ever new perspectives and captivating sights.
The category Mountain Action is looking for the best shots of people performing mountain activities.
The category Mountain Water may highlight the beauty (or the beast) of the fascinating pair mountain / water but also how it is used by mankind, from water reservoirs to energy production.
The category Mountain Mobile Many people who spend their leisure time in the mountains don’t want to take their heavy weight camera equipment with them, using their smartphones instead.
The category Mountain Faces tell stories of people in the mountains. The faces of people who live among rocks and fight against natural forces – from climbers and mountaineers to those living in the mountains.
The category Team Spirit is looking for photos, which represent the importance of team spirit in the mountain.
The members of this year’s Jury include, among others, Ray Demski, international photographer with focus on action and adventure photography. Also part of the international Jury is Ulla Lohmann, a German photojournalist and documentary filmmaker with a BSc degree in Natural Resource Management who works freelance for clients.
Deadline for submissions: 31st August 2017. The Award Ceremony takes place on Saturday, 14 October 2017 at the IMS Photo Night at the International Mountain Summit (IMS) in Brixen/Bressanone, South Tyrol (Italy). Full article and more information: imsphotocontest.com
4.1) UIAA: COHESION POLICY IN MOUNTAIN AREAS
Representatives from the UIAA and some its member federations recently took part in the Cohesion Policy in Mountain Areas conference, held in Brussels on 7 June. The subject of the conference centred around the question: ‘How to increase the contribution from mountains and benefits for mountain territories? theuiaa.org/
4.2) ON THE FRONT LINE OF CLIMBING RISK MANAGEMENT
The UIAA Safety Commission recently convened in Woerden, the Netherlands. Hosted by the NKBV (Royal Dutch Mountaineering and Climbing Club). The three-day annual meeting united UIAA Safety Commission members from national federations, representatives from manufacturers holding the UIAA Safety Label, together with delegates from UIAA accredited laboratories. theuiaa.org
5) FACEBOOK AND WEB PAGES
National Facebook page: facebook.com/Mountain-Club-of-South-Africa
Links for all the sections’ web pages are on the national web page.
6) SECTION NEWS
There is no section news.
7) SNIPPETS
7.1) CABI (Centre for Agriculture and Biosciences International).
A message from Arne Witt (CABI): If interested in applying for a job as an invasion biologist with CABI in Nairobi, Kenya, please see link below (Senior Scientist Invasive Species Kenya). www.cabi.org
7.2) Summits On Nanga Parbat To Start Summer Climbing Season.
The summer climbing season in Pakistan is barely underway and there is already stunning news from Nanga Parbat. Exweb is reporting that eight climbers have already summited that mountain this week. theadventureblog.blogspot.co.za
7.3) Video: Miles Daisher Sets New World Record With 63 Base Jumps In A Day.
Last week, on June 21, the summer solstice occurred here in North America. That marks the longest day of the year, and to celebrate, BASE jumper Miles Daisher set a new world record, making 63 unassisted jumps in a 24-hour period. The biggest challenge in his quest? Climbing out 62 times, racking up some serious vertical over the course of the day. theadventureblog.blogspot.co.za/
7.4) Video: Climbing El Cap With Alex Honnold Using Google Maps
Most of us will never get the chance to climb an iconic rock face like El Capitan, let alone do it with world-class climbers Lynn Hill, Tommy Caldwell, or Alex Honnold. theadventureblog.blogspot.co.za
8) SUBMITTING NEWSWORTHY ITEMS
Newsworthy items for inclusion in MCSA National News can be sent to the Editor, Bridget Carrick at bridget.carrick7@gmail.com
Quote: “This state of merging into infinity is a sensation I have frequently experienced on big mountains, and it always seems to accentuate the existential problems of man. Why are we here? Where do we come from? Where are we going? I have not discovered any answers, and if you discount religion, there are no answers, only that the state of being active within life activates the fundamental questions of Life. Up there, I didn’t question what I was doing, why I was there. The climbing, the concentration, the struggle to push myself forward, those were the answers. I was my own answer; the question was cancelled out”
“explore – discover – connect – protect”
“verken – ontdek – ontmoet – bewaar”
“phonononga – fumanisa – qhagamshela – khusela”
