Chockstone Forum

      Sponsored By
      ROCK
   HARDWARE

Chockstone Photography

Australian Landscape Prints

Chockstone Forum - General Discussion

General Climbing Discussion

Topic Date User

Grampians Access 2019 8-Mar-2019 At 2:06:40 PM Tori_GMAC

Message

On 8-Mar-2019 Access T CliffCare wrote:
>GRAMPIANS/GARIWERD UPDATE
>Posted on March 8, 2019
>
>Following a number of recent reports of rangers asking climbers to leave
>climbing areas in the Grampians/Gariwerd, more confusion has occurred around
>where people can and can’t climb.
>
>The maps and information supplied by Parks Victoria (PV) note the old
>and new SPAs. It also contains eight focus sites contained within one particular
>SPA which is marked in blue where, as noted by PV, signs will be erected
>and enforcement activity will occur.
>
>PV has said that in the coming months it will be working with stakeholders
>and the climbing community to review these areas. However, for many in
>the climbing community this messaging is ambiguous and many have taken
>it to mean that for now climbing is only banned in those eight areas, and
>the other areas will be up for review following a collaborative consultation
>process.
>
>Climbers have respected the initial bans but with the recent ranger activity
>in other areas, this has further confused the situation.
>
>Official clarification on the situation has not yet been provided, so
>at this point of time we can only reiterate what we have noted previously:
>
>
>
>Please respect all bans that have been put in place by PV. If you hear
>of anyone who is planning to climb in any of these areas, please inform
>them of the ban.
>
>The working group is committed to collaborating with land managers and
>other stakeholders to ensure a fair and transparent process.
>
>We have submitted a formal request to PV seeking clarification on closures
>and process.
>
>
>INTERACTIONS WITH RANGERS
>
>Rangers have reportedly been telling climbers to vacate crags across the
>Grampians/Gariwerd that are inside SPAs. If you do meet rangers either
>at the crags, campgrounds or car parks, please be courteous but inquisitive
>about the climbing bans. Ask them what they personally think of the bans
>and what actions they have been told by management to perform. Be a good
>spokesperson for climbers and let them know how much you enjoy the Grampians/Gariwerd.
>
>An authorised officer of PV can only ask for your name or ask you to leave
>if they have ‘reasonable grounds’ to believe that you’re doing something
>wrong.
>
>WHAT YOU CAN DO
>
>Given that penalties could be imposed, it’s important to be calm and polite
>when speaking to an authorised officer.
>
>Ask them:
>
> Who they are by politely asking them to produce identification.
> To see a map of the banned areas.
> About the legal position.
> About alternative climbing locations that you can go to.
>If you’re asked for your name and address or asked to leave, ask what
>their grounds are for doing so.
>
>
>We have limited information about exactly why these areas have been banned
>so any information is important. IMPORTANT – Please send any info about
>interactions with rangers to VCC Cliffcare cliffcare@vicclimb.org.au.
>
>
>GRAMPIANS ACCESS WORKING GROUP

Well, I just got off the phone with Rhonda McNeil - Area Chief Ranger for the Grampians National Park.

We had a polite conversation regarding access issues. She confirmed that all new SPA's are off-limits to recreational climbers, but that LTO's will be able to continue their climbing activities as per normal.

I have been working at Summerday Valley all week, and there is no signage to indicate that Summerday Valley or the Hollow Mountain area is off-limits. I said that given the Labour Day long weekend, there will surely be many visiting climbers/boulderers to the area, blissfully unaware of the closures. I specifically asked her whether or not there would be any enforcement this weekend, if climbers inside SPA exclusion zones in the Hollow Mountain area are likely to be confronted by rangers.

She didn't answer directly, but she did say that ALL the [compliance] efforts by Parks Victoria in the Grampians will be directed towards the 8 sites initially closed in the Victoria Range.

I mentioned that the communication between PV and the climbing community could be better, and that there is a lot of angst and confusion amongst the community, I questioned her on whether or not the SPA zones will be re-opened to climbers in the future, and she did indicate that this would possibly occur, as the new management plan is drafted. There will be a 'reference group' that will determine how climbing should proceed in the Grampians - can bolts be used, can bouldering continue, etc etc etc. She has a meeting in Melbourne next week to determine the 'terms of reference' for this 'reference group'.

She said that her hope, and the hope of some other people [assuming within PV] is that there will be a place for climbing in the Grampians.

So, the conversation ended on a somewhat positive note; but the sour taste of force-fed SPA's still persists . . .