About the club

History, ethics, and what membership gets you.

History

The ANUMC was formed on the 29th of September 1967 from a merger of the ANU Bushwalking, Rockclimbing and Canoe Clubs. The ANUMC is Canberra’s largest and most active outdoor club, running hundreds of activities each year.

Club trips are not commercially guided tours. Trip leaders are club members who volunteer their time to organise the trip, and participants are responsible for their own safety and enjoyment.

Benefits for members

Card image Climbing Gym

Bloc Haus

  • $17 casual entry at all BlocHaus gyms.
  • 20% off 3-month, 6-month & 12-month paid-in-full memberships.
 Card image Climbing Gym

Mountain Strong

  • Participants on organised club trips receive a 20–30% discount on entry and shoe hire.

Location: 8 Ipswich St, Fyshwick

Phone:(02) 6162 1661

 Card image Retail

Mont Adventure Shop

  • 15% off all stock, excluding sale items.

Location: 11 Lonsdale St, Braddon

Phone:(02) 6257 3883

 Card image Retail

Paddy Pallin

  • 20% off most stock — they will match prices from other stores for the same or similar items.
 Card image Retail

Rhythm Snow Sports

  • 15% off the vast majority of products.

Location: 8 Sharp St, Cooma NSW

Phone:(02) 6452 2303

 Card image Retail

Climbing Anchors

A discount code is available for members for the online store.

History and Hall of Fame

Established in 1999, the ANUMC Hall of Fame recognises outstanding personal contributions to the Club each year. The trophy is represented by a wood-handled ice axe originally from the club’s gear store, believed to have been used on club expeditions to New Zealand and Nepal in the 1970s — recipients’ names are engraved on the handle.

2024Terry Murphy
2023Ashley Barnes
2022Steve Hare
2021Steve LadeFor his extensive service to the club over many years, Steve Lade was recognised with The Axe in 2021. This service commenced around 2007, and included roles in the management of the club as well as leading many ski and bushwalking trips over a number of years, notably an unusually wet traverse of the Larapinta Trail. Steve has also dabbled in other club activities such as cycle touring, rogaining, rock climbing and adventure racing. Contributions to the Epic magazine with various articles and recipes have also been a regular feature of his involvement in the club. On his return from a stint working overseas, he immediately commenced leading bushwalking and XC skiing trips for the club, including traverses of stunning Tasmanian ranges such as the Du Cane and Eastern Arthurs (with an ascent of Federation Peak). His contributions have introduced many beginners to the joys of the Australian bush and exposed many members to various landscapes particularly through the Australian Alps.
2020Ivan Dovana
2019James BailieFor his distinguished service and contribution to the Club: 5 years on the Exec (with 2 years of Presidents, 2 years of Secretary and a year of General Officer — all of them high-quality work). He has also served on the committee as gear store officer and climbing officer. He has led numerous trips over the years ranging from beginner to advanced level across different types of activities, organized courses for members and shared his administrative knowledge and climbing skills. He organised the iconic Cocktails on Castle for 5 consecutive years. He was part of the successful Kyrgyzstan expedition and recently led his very own mountaineering expedition to Peru, which has inspired many other junior mountaineers. He has a solid understanding of the workings of the club and a multi-discipline representation. In general he is a very responsible, understanding, trustworthy and reliable person in the club. James will continue on the exec in 2020 as vice president.
2018Josh BaxIn the 5+ years at the club Josh has contributed a huge amount as canyoning officer, website officer and trip leader. Well versed in canyoning, climbing, bushwalking, mountaineering and skiing he organised a huge number of trips including the high profile extravaganzas. Josh has a particular focus on beginners, taking the time to run a number of training sessions to introduce new members to abseilling and bushwalking. Additionally, his management of the club IT system streamlined gear hire and improved equipment accounting. Josh is a fixture in the club and even proposed to his fiancée An Ran on the 2018 Cocktails on the Castle.
2017Mel StamellMel has been active in the club and leading trips across a range of activities for 10 years. She has served on the committee in a number of different activity office roles and been a GSO for several years. Mel promotes participation in a number of activities and is a fun and good humoured person to have on any trip! Mel also played a lead role in organising the fantastic ANUMC 50th anniversary celebrations in October 2017.
2016Mark EustonMark has made many often unseen but very valuable contributions over many years including inspiration to others; running trips of all sorts; running rope nerd workshops; general skill transfer to other club members especially regarding rope work; carrying the party tent on several occasions; making the club look good by winning rogaines; making awesome video clips; initiating and supporting visions (others would say silly ideas) such as snow kayaking and building a snow sauna; being the faff police ensuring that faffing in the club is reduced to a minimum; providing first hand (powder) snow condition reports; and generally being an awesome companion in the outdoors.
2015Nic FoxFor, among other things, committing ‘full-time job’ time in building the new webpage. For his contributions at the wall, being wall officer, offering guidance to people there and the huge amount of effort in maintaining the wall and setting new routes he has put in. Also, that’s not even mentioning his contributions to the website which he has been mainly developing on his own this year. For being so helpful with almost anything — website, climbing wall, boat shed working bees (he doesn’t even kayak!) and helping out with social events.
2014Gabriela ScheufeleFor the years of work she has put into keeping the club’s canyoning scene alive and thriving, training new canyoners and canyoning leaders, organising rescue courses and running trips almost every weekend of the season, all while helping to keep the club’s gear in order. She has been incredibly dedicated to the gear store, and has taken on the additional role of canyoning officer (and Mountaineering Officer) with a commitment to training and safety that has not often been replicated in other roles.
2013Lauren BartschThis incredibly motivated lady first joined the club around 2008. She came with a love for hiking and an obsession with pink, and soon grabbed onto every activity in the club to become one of our most skilled members. In addition to this, she demonstrated an almost super-human level of motivation on the committee: she’s edited The Epic, been the social officer and Vice President, and one of the club’s longest serving Presidents with three successful years at the helm. There is no denying the legacy that Lauren will leave in the club: a greater emphasis on training and competition funding within the club, as well as the hugely popular Bluies Weekend, the Coast weekend, and the brief annual foray into resort skiing where the club hires an entire bus to go to Thredbo.
2012Alana WilkesAlana has been a member of the club since 2008 and has been the club’s outstanding Secretary since 2009. Alana started out as a bushwalker, but has since mastered the art of rolling a kayak, conquered the climbing wall (and the Castle), and donned skis on many occasions. Alana has made an enthusiastic contribution across all club activities, has been tireless in her promotion of the club to new members and encouraging beginners. She has shown regular and longstanding leadership of weekly activities and club trips. She has exhibited inexhaustible patience and good humour and has many years of stellar service on our committee. Most of all, she has completed all of these activities with her ever present cheerful smile.
2011Dave BolandDave has been a long-time member of the ANUMC, with interests in a range of activities (e.g. climbing, skiing), but with a big focus on white-water kayaking. Dave was on the club’s committee as one of the club’s kayaking officers for several years and continues to run a huge range of trips and skills sessions, as well as looking after the club’s whitewater kayaking gear at the boat shed and coordinating working bees.
2010Nic BendeliNic has made a long contribution to the development of bushwalking, canyoning, cross-country skiing, and kayaking within the ANUMC. Nic has been one of the club’s most outstanding trip leaders and has passed on his knowledge and skill to many who went on to themselves become the regular trip leaders in the club. He has served on the committee as the Canyoning Officer and Cross-Country Skiing Officer, and is always willing to lend a hand at slide nights and other club functions.
2009Andrew CollinsAndrew joined the club in 1983, as a keen climber and mountaineer. Andrew has made a real contribution to kayaking, particularly organising beginner skills sessions, pushing the club towards sea kayaking as a separate activity and as a long time leader of beginner trips, with focus on developing beginners.
2008David PriceDave joined the ANUMC in 2001 and became especially active in 2005, soon becoming a driving force in the Club’s climbing fraternity. As Climbing Wall Officer (2006–2007) and Rock Climbing Officer (2008) he introduced new measures to support emerging climbing trip leaders and increase the amount of climbing trips being run. The ANUMC is, however, most grateful to Dave as the saviour of the ANUMC website. Fundamentally dependent upon the Internet for the coordination of trips, the administration of the Club and communication with its members, the ANUMC averted the disastrous prospect in first semester of losing the entire website thanks to Dave’s foresight and monumental personal effort. Along with his team of volunteers, he oversaw the construction of a new club website in a very short time frame and has continued to manage and maintain the website.
2007Sam Keech MarxRenowned for her persistent shoulder injuries (and winning the Bandaid Award in 2005 and 2006) Sam’s contributions to the ANUMC since joining in 1999 included serving on the Committee/Executive as General Officer (2002), Secretary (2003–04 and 2006), Bushwalking Officer (2005–06) and President (2006–07). Sam also served on the ANU Sport and Recreation Council from 2002–2006. She also led numerous trips each year, including 3 Huge Days Out and is often heavily involved in organising other major ANUMC events, including the 40th Anniversary celebration in 2007.
2006Sam MargerisonSam ‘Moneybags’ Margerison joined the ANUMC in 1998 and subsequently served as Database Officer (2000–04) and Gearstore Officer (2000 and intermittently since then) before discovering his true calling as Treasurer. For two years (2005–06), Sam managed the ANUMC’s finances with the highest level of integrity. His foresight and dedication placed the ANUMC on a solid financial footing while maximising the use of available funds for the benefit of all members. Sam was always a willing and reliable volunteer at Club events such as social nights, BBQs and O-Week stalls, and in this way he quietly kept the club running. An active trip leader, Sam continued to serve as Treasurer (2007–09) and was further recognised in 2007 with Life Membership of the ANUMC.
2005Bron DaviesBron contributed significantly to the Club since joining in 2002. She served on the Committee for over three years as Social Officer (2003), Bushwalking Officer (2003–04) and Epic Editor (2004–05) and led several trips each year including bushwalking and rock climbing trips. In 2004 and 2005 she led Cocktails on The Castle and in 2002 helped manage media arrangements for the Club’s Kiandra to Kosciuszko fundraising bushwalk for the SnowyHydro Southcare Helicopter and was heavily involved in the planning and coordination of the fundraiser. Bron continued to serve as Epic Editor in 2006 and 2008.
2004Matt MayMatt is a gear store legend. Having joined the ANUMC in 2000 he promptly volunteered as Gear Store Officer. With amazing dedication, for the next five years he could be found behind the gear store counter on an almost weekly basis cheerfully helping members hire and return gear. He also led numerous bushwalking and skiing trips, showing a commendable tolerance for the inexperienced and plain stupid. In addition to this exemplary commitment (especially during the ski season) he also served as Epic Editor (2001), XC Skiing Officer (2002) and President (2003). As President, Matt was well respected and took the role seriously, taking an interest in every aspect of the running of the Club and attending every social event and BBQ. Matt continued to serve as Gear Store Officer until 2008 (an incredible nine years) and was further recognised with Life Membership of the ANUMC in 2007.
2003Annabel BattersbyAnnabel joined the ANUMC in 1999 and began leading trips soon after. In addition to numerous bushwalking, canyoning, rock climbing and snow shoeing trips, Annabel was particularly active in coordinating and leading training activities aimed at the less experienced members of the Club and prospective trip leaders. As Treasurer (2003), she obtained competition funding and Women in Sport funding for the club for the first time and co-ordinated three Women in Sport training weekends. To make it easier for trip leaders to run trips she designed the online trip-submission system implemented by Pietro Abate and Oliver Story in 2004. Annabel also played a leading role in coordinating many large and complex events such as Huge Days Out, Blue Mountains Extravaganza and Cocktails at The Castle. She served as Social Officer (2000), Epic Editor (2003), Gear Store Officer (2004), and was heavily involved in the planning and coordination of the 2002 Kiandra to Kosciuszko fundraiser. Annabel subsequently served as President in 2005 and was awarded the Peter McCullagh Award by the ANUSRA for services to the Mountaineering Club in June 2006.
2002John McGrathSince joining the ANUMC in 1998 John served four years on the Executive/Committee as Social Officer (1999–2000), XC Skiing Officer (1999–2000), Epic Editor (2001) and Bushwalking Officer (2002). Always keen to go further, faster, harder, John is famous for his epic bushwalking, canyoning and skiing trips and his efforts to enhance the public profile of the Club. John first attracted positive media coverage for the ANUMC in 2000 when he completed the Australian Alps Walking Track. He did so again in 2002 when, following the tragic death of an ANUMC member in a fatal car accident on a Club trip, he conceived, coordinated and led a fundraising walk from Kiandra to Kosciuszko in 46 hrs that raised almost $20,000 for the SnowyHydro Southcare Helicopter rescue service. John subsequently ran dawn paddling all year round from 2003–2005.
2001Mika KontiainenMika joined the ANUMC in 1996 and served for four years on the Executive/Committee as Bushwalking Officer (1998–2000), Trip Convenor (1999–2000) and Vice President (2000). He also served as Acting President for periods in 1999 and 2000. He was actively involved in ghost editing The Epic, wrote the ANUMC Trip Leaders Guide, helped introduce EPIRBs to the Club and each year as Bushwalking Officer coordinated numerous training activities including the Leadership Weekend, bushcraft and search and rescue training. A prolific trip leader, by 2001 he had led 75 ANUMC trips, including 40 in the last two years. In 2005 Mika reached an unprecedented milestone of 100 trips led for the Club and was awarded Life Membership of the ANUMC.
2000Duncan McIntyreDuncan joined the ANUMC in 1993 and served for seven years on the Executive/Committee as President (1997), Vice-President (1999), Treasurer (2000), Bushwalking Officer (1994–96) and Epic Editor (1995–98). An active trip leader, Duncan helped lead the ANUMC’s first Cocktails on The Castle trip in 1994, first Midwinter Feast in 1995 and first Leadership Weekend in 1998. In 1998 he helped coordinate the production of the ANUMC Granite Guide and wrote the indispensable pocket guide, “As much Bushlore as will fit on two pages.” In 2000 the SRA awarded Duncan the Peter McCullagh Award for “Outstanding participation and long-term administrative services to the ANUMC.” Duncan was subsequently elected onto the ANU Sports Council in 2000, served as its Vice-President in 2002 and President from 2003–2005. He was made a Life Member of the SRA in 2006.
1999Will KeoghThe inaugural Hall of Fame was awarded to Will Keogh. Aside from several years as XC skiing officer, Will’s contributions to the Club included serving for four years on the Executive as Treasurer (1999), Vice-President (1996–97), and President (1998). As the Club’s first web page editor he played a leading role in establishing an ANUMC web presence in 1996 and managing it for sometime thereafter. An active trip leader, Will also helped coordinate numerous first aid courses for the Club. In 2000 the ANU Sports and Recreation Association (SRA) recognised Will’s contribution to the Club and awarded him the Peter McCullagh Award for “Outstanding participation and long-term administrative services to the ANUMC.”

Club ethics

The ANUMC acknowledges the Traditional Owners of this land, Ngunnawal and Ngambri peoples — mountaineering and related activities have a colonial history, and there is a lot of unlearning of previously harmful practices to be done. We hope to contribute to a world where First Nations voices are heard and platformed, and we extend solidarity to our BIPOC members — mistakes will be made, but a commitment to improvement is essential.

Read the club’s full ethics statement, including reporting channels, our ‘leave no trace’ approach, and policy on Aboriginal sacred and significant sites.

Epic Articles

Epic is the club’s newsletter archive, going back to 2016:

Club Handbook

The full ANUMC Club Handbook — covering committee procedures, activity-specific guidance and more — is maintained as a shared club document: ANUMC Club Handbook.