Binghi 152 - The Armidale School

BIKING IN THE BLUE MOUNTAINS
In the December holidays a group of TAS boys travelled to Katoomba in the Blue Mountains for a five day mountain bike camp.
"After indulging in a delicious lunch we headed to the mountains to get a quick ride in before dark. The first ride was a mixture
of rocky single-track and fast fire roads that pumped us up and set the scene for the week to come.
The next day we rose at a leisurely hour to be driven to the Jenolan caves. Here, we started the famous six foot track, which
included an almost 1km drop in elevation to a crazy swing bridge over a raging river. The rest of the riding included the epic
views, exhilarating tracks and punctures the mountains are known for. There were, of course, many stacks but no ambulance
was required. The highlight was a bloody mouth…that appeared on one knee.
We were also able to go indoor climbing and check out town. Dan O’Dell joined us each day to ride and speak from the Bible
at night. Food was a feature on mountain bike camp and we were treated to delicious meals thanks to Miss Owen and the
Newton and Sole families. Thanks also to Mr Newton for the vibe and organisation."
Ben Brunckhorst
NATIONAL KAYAKING CHAMPS
On a strong and wild Nymboida river, almost at maximum flow, four TAS boys, Nick Allen (seen above), Alex Cres-Meldrum,
Tiernan May and Chris Bohlsen, competed in the National Kayaking Championships. Every boy won a medal.
Nick and Alex began by competing in the Australian Wild Water championships, winning a gold in the teams and individual gold,
silver and bronze.
The boys continued their winning streak in the Schools Championship with Nick and Alex winning a silver medal, and Chris and
Tiernan a bronze. As a team Alex, Nick and Tiernan won gold in the K1 teams event.
Finally, the boys competed in the Open Nationals competition which included Will Forsythe, a TAS old boy and currently ranked
as the No 1 kayaker in the country. Nick and Alex won another silver but then the the competition had to be cut short as the
Nymboida river threatened to flood. The competition was a massive success showcasing the best of TAS canoeing.
4 Binghi 152 Term 1, 2011