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Vic Ranges - Another Steep Price Increase 15-Jan-2004 At 1:24:55 PM Heath

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I'm new into chockstone, but not new at Vic Ranges, as a lot of people would know my background there.

Talking to one of the staff members recently they let slip and interesting fact....insurance premiums for the gym have actually decreased since approximately mid last year becuase of the choice of provider. This obviously wouldn't relate to a price fall (no-ones that stupid!), but at the same time is not the reason for the price hike.

The banning of large calibre handguns in Australia has had an effect on Vic Ranges, but to how much I am not sure. The majority of income to VR through the range is from unlicensed shooters coming down, being supervised by staff and simply having a go. When I left, there were 'have a go' packages rangeing from $49 to $79. The MAJORITY of users chose the $49 package (as you can imagine, $50 for 15 minutes of firing guns is a lot, at least in my book). I do believe that income from 'have a go' shooters will have decreased due to negative publicity (rightly so) about handguns. HOWEVER, I don't think that it would have decreased to a large degree, as all guns for the $49 package are still legal. Having said this, I haven't seen the accounts and these are only my opinions.

Staff at VR (when I left at the end of Feb 03) we paid $16.50 for casual superviser, $15.80 for setter/maintenance and $14.90 for the plebs. Setting was not regular at all, and boulder setting was done by a paid staff member with volunteers assisting.

What I see now is a hell of a lot of new holds, boulder routes being changed (not sure by whom), and some new routes going up (yeah that's right....I'm in a harness now!), but not enough. I know that the new bouldering wall is a cubic design (3m x 3m approx, two flat walls and two overhangs (30 degs i think)) and is being made off site, professionally.

anyhow...i've crapped on enough. You decide...I'm just the messenger. I'm going to make sure the staff are aware of the current feelings of their regulars, but from my experience with VR, it won't make a shard of difference.