Graant Benett was riding his bike last week on one of his usual training rides when he was knocked down by a turning car. He had nasty injuries including major brain damage and he sadly he passed away a few days later in hospital. He was 63 years old.
Graant Benett, or “Benge” as he was known by bushwalkers (or “Benj” by climbers) was not one of my closest friends but he was one of my oldest. I had known him since I was four years old. We both grew up in Springwood, and for a while his family and mine were neighbours. When we moved, my parents were still friendly with his parents but I did not encounter Graant again till I started bushwalking with the Springwood Bushwalking Club. Benge was in the party on my first two canyon trips (Danae Brook and Claustral Canyon – both done in high water – and very memorable trips) and a number of early bushwalks. He was a lot more experienced and capable in the bush than I was and I learnt a lot from him.
Even in those early days, Benge was a character. Members of the Bushwalking Club referred to him as a tenacious walker. A useful person to have a on a trip in case you got into difficulties. His sense of humour, his resourcefulness and his stamina would get your through thick and thin. I had already encountered this on the Danae Brook trip. None of the three of us in the party had done the canyon before. We had problems with high water and jammed ropes. We spent an unplanned night in the canyon. I can remember huddling together for warmth, using garbage bags as sleeping bags and having to repeatedly get up and do exercises to warm up. But we survived OK and made it out the next day.
I can remember in this early days Benge showing some of his photos of Federation Peak in Tasmania. I did not know that there were mountains like that in Australia. I was deeply impressed! I think it was those photos that inspired my interest in visiting Tasmania for walks.
When I moved away from Springwood, for university and work – I lost touch with Benge. But in the 90’s, when I started doing some midweek indoor climbing I found he was a stalwart of the climbing gym. Climbing gyms are social places – after all you spend half the time standing around belaying -and so you talk to people nearby. I often talked to Benge. We talked about canyons, climbs and cycling.
It was not too long after that I was invited to join him on some crazy mountain bike trips. Anyone that has been on a “Benge Mountain Bike Trip” will know what I mean by “crazy”. They were often to remote places with wild descents and then often a lot of bike carrying to get out. They were often to places where we would have not been given permission to ride had we asked the land managers. We went anyway. These rides were adventures. Sometimes they went late into the night. OK – one of the rides, was one I suggested to a very remote canyon. After a few of these we learnt to pack a little extra gear…. and it did prove useful when at night after a long ride, we gave up trying to walk up a river (with high water) – holding our bikes over our heads, trying not to slip over….. and so had another unplanned night. But the little extra we had packed included billies, noodles, tea, thermals…. (as well as the garbage bag sleeping bag) – so we had a relatively good night. And then the next day – a huge hill to ride up and then another 20 km back to the cars.
At the pub after an epic mountain bike ride. Me, Benge and Andrew McAuley.
Except for indoor climbing, I never rock climbed outdoors with Benge. But I was well aware of all the stories that he told or others told of his climbing adventures. His epic descent after running short of water on the Nose of El Capitan, an accident near Echo Crack, completing a long pitch with no protection – the climb was too difficult for him to stop and place gear and lots more stories that are best told around a camp fire or a with a beer or two in the pub.
Beng had a good sense of humour that was not always appreciated. I can remember him on a canyon trip throwing rocks into a pool to wet some of the girls. But he only tried these sorts of jokes on people he knew well and on those he knew could fight back (and often did!). Some of his friends thought that he eventually might “grow up” and settle down. But that was not Benge’s way. He was active. Very active. Climbing, canyoning, bushwalking, sea kayaking, cycling – including racing road bikes to a very competitive level, mountain biking, skiing. He lived a very full life. After he retired, he kept up all his activities, perhaps with renewed vigour. Again, like his climbing, for all these activities there are many, many stories.
Benge will be missed by all his friends and his many acquaintances. Over all the years, the total number of trips I have been on with Benge would not be that many – perhaps as few as twenty – but all those trips were amongst the most memorable trips I have done. Rest in Peace Benge.
I was so very shocked when I was told if Graants passing at my gym. UTS Uni at Broadway. Graant and I struck up a genuine friendship in the gym. We clicked as I’m an ex competitive cyclist and we both adored Cadel Evans. Im going to miss Graant so much in the gym.
Rip my dear friend
I have few friends and Benj is one of them. No one will tell stories at our camp fires anymore. It is always a surprise when he turn up to many of our trips or dinners or NYE gathering. He will not do that anymore but I will remember him always.
Rest in Peace Benj
you could be annoying ‘benge’ but you will be sorely missed.
Gordon.
My two Benj stories: I once called him an old fart (ok, I may have done this more than once…) and he responded, “When you can walk longer, ride faster, climb harder, and kayak further than me, then you can call me an old fart.” Sadly, with only just over two decades between us, I realised I’d be unlikely to ever do any of that. He’d’ve kept going to 90 and I’ve already slowed down at 40!
Also, quick memory: I once got hit by a falling rock onto my wrist at point perp. There were 3 of us doing the climb, and 2 had already gone up.Evidentially one of my friends panicked prematurely and went to the area at the lighthouse to get help. I didn’t know Benj well at the time, and didn’t even know he, or anyone, was where we were. Both of us got a shock when I was topping out just as he popped his head over the wall having been told I was injured. In very Benj fashion, he just made some comment about “oh, it’s you. And you’re fine.” And disappeared off into the scrub. Took me a while to work out he was there as a rescuer.
David Forbes put together a slide show for the funeral service. He has made it available online on Vimeo
He also recorded the audio of the eulogies made during the service. You can hear them here on Soundcloud.
Bravo Dave,
You have expressed the essence of Benge so well.
I was privileged to have known him for 49 years and to share so much with him.
When you lose a family member, or a true mate, a bit of yourself dies with them.
Graant/Benge/Snap will not only live on in our memories, but also in the improved lives of his World Vision sponsored kids and his organ recipients.
Nice work Dave.
Benge to us will always be remembered for his good humour and his innate ability to have a crack at anyone and anything around him. A gentleman and friend to many. One time in the seventies while between accommodation, Benge asked if he could stay with us for a week. That ‘week’ turned into six months and we were all the richer for having his company for that time. Never to be forgotten.
shocked to hear of Graants accident . Knew him through my job as a train driver in Sydney . One of my first sign ons I was told the Rock Dr was my driver for the shift . Rock Dr ? I asked and was answered very nicely , he had done geology .
GRAANT was a very private man never entering into usual mealroom discussions , which were a lot of rubbish anyway .
A very fit man taken way too soon . Was so surprised to see so many of his cycling mates at his funeral and also very disappointed at the lack of his former rail mates .
RIP GRAANT BENNET
Great photos, seems out of character from how we knew Graant at the Railway, first met him in 1985, as Sally said, known as “The Rock Doctor”. We got on fairly well together, both of us had raced motorcycles, my racing was in the mid 60s, on to the mid 80s, Graant’s was in the early 70s, for a short period. Some years later I found out he was racing pushbikes, again we had similar interests, I’d raced pushbikes from the start of 1961, to the end of 1964, with the old Botany & St George clubs. Graant occasionally turned up at work, with obvious signs he’d been on & off (the hard way) a pushbike, bandages etc, quite visibly limping or stooped over. It was sad to hear of his passing but seeing the blog & photos, has show another side to him that few of us at the Railway, never saw! Unfortunately I missed the funeral, we were in Sydney at the time, thinking the funeral would be there, never knew of his Mountains past, only found out on the day of the funeral, it was at Leura, about 5 minutes drive from where we live at Katoomba!