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Chockstone Forum - Crag & Route Beta

Crag & Route Beta

 Page 4 of 8. Messages 1 to 20 | 21 to 40 | 41 to 60 | 61 to 80 | 81 to 100 | 101 to 120 | 121 to 140 | 141 to 143
Area Location Sub Location Crag Links
VIC Grampians (General) (General) (General) [ Grampians Guide | Images ] 

Author
Grampians road and campground closures
kieranl
24-Mar-2011
9:11:33 AM
Red Rock Road is fine but gates on Red Rock Road are closed again. Doesn't appear to be any reason why this road is still closed as apart from removal of the 1 small tree that was partly blocking the road near Muline Creek the road has been in the same state for the past few weeks.I guess it's just administrative convenience.
f_abe
24-Mar-2011
9:12:20 AM
I know of someone who went to emu rock & muline on Saturday...apparantly the road was fine though there was a half @rsed gate at the start of red rock road warning you of the dangers (like a 3 inch deep rut on the side of the roa and other life threatening hazards like that etc).

JamesMc
24-Mar-2011
6:39:14 PM
Presumably the Mt Fox area can still be accessed from the Henty Hwy via Anderson Rd?

JamesMc
kieranl
24-Mar-2011
9:16:54 PM
I haven't checked out the Anderson's Rd approach as I don't like using it - it's getting eroded at the gate where it joins Red Rock Road.
There is a gate on the Buandik Rd too. Strangely there is no sign on the Henty Highway turnoff telling people that the roads ahead are closed - well I haven't seen one the last couple of times I've been there. People might get a bit miffed if they drive in a few km then find their way blocked by gates.
ZERO
25-Mar-2011
8:50:07 AM
The roads are closed for several reasons, one being they are waiting insurance assessment.
Heard that someone was fined $250 for driving around a "half arsed" gate at Abrupt, and Plod could have fined all passengers as well.
Also spoke to RACV tow truck about big bikkies to get your car out should you get bogged or break down on a closed road.
Points to ponder when budgeting your next trip to the Gramps.
PV have slightly higher priorities than inconveniencing climbers.

rodw
25-Mar-2011
8:56:11 AM
On 24/03/2011 kieranl wrote:
>. People might get a bit miffed if they drive in a few km then find their way blocked
>by gates.

Thats the norm in NSW Nat Parks :)
Access T CliffCare
25-Mar-2011
1:33:50 PM
As has been mentioned, there are a variety of reasons as to why these roads aren't open yet. Do I know every reason for each and every road closure - no - and besides it being a difficult task to find that out, I wouldn't waste the time of PV staff to get an itemised reason for every single closure.
Yep - they do need to do risk assessments - like it or not, they are required to do so after these kind of events. Insurance assessments - absolutely. In order to get any money to repair the damage (and there is no way any of this work could be done on the normal budget), the Head Ranger was telling me that they are required to take photos of every single damaged area. No photo, no form = no money. Which in the bigger picture would mean closed areas. And just because there is a 3 inch rut ( I assume jokingly referred to, by a previous poster) this isn't always to do with safety but often to do what will happen to that 3 inch rut should the public (and I don't just mean the smaller percentage of visitors that are climbers) all start driving on that road. In order to maintain roads, they are graded regularly.
Maybe some of you with heavy duty 4wd don't mind a hugely rutted road either in driving on it or even the fact that it is there in the first place - as long as there is a way to the cliff, it's all good. That's not sustainable, and PV in the end will not have the budget to repair and maintain it and so then you have a crappy road that possibly only a select few can or will drive on. Or - more closures, longer closures.
All of this extra work is still being done by the same staff who are doing all the normal jobs they are required to do to keep the park running. There are so many roads and track and gates in the Grampians that are in a bad state - visually so, but yet people still drive on them around them, knowing that what they are doing is certainly damaging it even further. And so to repair this, valuble time again is being added to the repair process. And this is not just climbers. Its the hundreds of people that access the area. And then this whole process starts all over again.
Don't get me wrong, I think its frustrating too. And yes, there are elements of 'nanny state' influence on certain issues. But to think it's just one thing and easy peasy - just say its open and its done.
Maybe this is just a general rant from me - I suppose I hope that sometimes the much bigger picture is taken into account, that people self regulate themselves. Just because other people are doing it, does that mean you should? It's already damaged - why bother looking after it. Or " its 'their' job to fix it". And I know for a fact that the amount of people that are actually willing to physically help out as opposed to those who don't is vastly unbalanced. I suppose if you do decide to access these areas, you do need to really feel comfortable with that decision - that you are not contributing any further damage or impact. That you accept the consequences and also I would imagine, that broadcasting the word for more people to visit might not be the best choice. I haven't visited each and every site that is closed and certainly can't say with any real knowledge how bad any damage may be

Having said all of that (and I think feeling better for it :) it is important for people to have a voice. I sometimes think that there are people who give themselves one easy reason as to why things aren't getting done and so justifies themself feeling angry about it. Verbalising it hopefully allows them to see other elements of the story in response.
Although the opening for much of the Vic Range area roads is targetted for Easter, I am awaiting on a response to the progress of it and some other areas, so will fill you in hopefully in the next day or so.

Keiran - in response to the lack of signage in some areas - This has been mentioned to PV and also by other stakeholders and they were in agreeance that it was not the best situation.

Cheers,

Tracey
One Day Hero
25-Mar-2011
9:44:55 PM
Yes, but why must they do their "insurance assessments" during the ideal redpointing weather? Couldn't they just turn a blind eye whilst the tickage conditions are on, and then do all their bullshit admin work when its freezing drizzley in July? Honestly, no consideration!

shiltz
3-Apr-2011
2:16:38 PM
Any updates in the lead up to Easter?
Access T CliffCare
3-Apr-2011
8:45:14 PM
On 3/04/2011 shiltz wrote:
>Any updates in the lead up to Easter?
In Vietnam at the mo - haven't received any email updates as yet to my enquiries. Probably won't make any phone calls :) but will be back on 10th so will certainly chase things up then if haven't heard back
kieranl
3-Apr-2011
9:38:08 PM
If the article in Saturday's Age is any indication everything that is currently closed will still be closed. Mind you, they may have just been quoting verbatim from the "recent" Update (changed the date again, it's now 25/03 but information hasn't changed since January).
It would be nice if Parks would provide some information about what is happening, it doesn't have to be much, some rough idea of what their priorities are, what they've currently done, what might be holding up some areas from opening.
Maybe Buandik will be open for Easter as anticipated but I don't believe it. It would be strange to be reported in an article this close to Easter and not promote areas that will be opened.
* post-edit * Fired off a query to Parks for clarification.
ZERO
4-Apr-2011
10:49:25 AM
most recent that I have heard is that Buandik and other areas will remain closed for the time being. As in Tracey's statement, they are still waiting for insurance assessment on most issues, and have no coin for general works.
also, if they repair it from their own budget they cannot claim insurance retrospectively.
You will have to bide your time, most of the rock is not going anywhere in a hurry.
kieranl
4-Apr-2011
11:08:31 AM
It's good that the Prom has scored a few million from the government for repairing it's infrastructure but it makes me wonder why the Gramps can't get something.

Miguel75
4-Apr-2011
11:14:11 AM
On 3/04/2011 Access t wrote:
>In Vietnam at the mo - haven't received any email updates as yet to my
>enquiries. Probably won't make any phone calls :)

Slacker!! :) Hope you guys are having a ball and getting plenty of climbing in.

Here's the latest PV update from 25/03, though as Kieran mentioned, while the date changes the info seems unchanged:

http://www.parkweb.vic.gov.au/resources/mresources/2011-03-25-Recovery-Note-Grampians-National-Park.pdf

climbingjac
4-Apr-2011
12:00:23 PM
On 25/03/2011 One Day Hero wrote:
>Yes, but why must they do their "insurance assessments" during the ideal
>redpointing weather? Couldn't they just turn a blind eye whilst the tickage
>conditions are on, and then do all their bullshit admin work when its freezing
>drizzley in July? Honestly, no consideration!

Hehehe gotta admit, love this one, ODH
kieranl
4-Apr-2011
2:05:24 PM
Response from Prue Daley of Parks Vic

"Thank you for your email regarding the roads on the western side of the Grampians National Park. The roads that you are referring to were damaged by the rain events over spring and summer. We closed this area in January as there are culvert and bridge problems and significant surface damage to the roads. Even though some of these roads may look fine, we have been advised by engineers that these roads will quickly deteriorate further if there is traffic on them, especially after rain.

Unfortunately this area will not be open for Easter as we had planned. We currently have insurance assessors working in the park and they will be providing Parks Victoria with a report which will then allow us to place a insurance claim to repair the infrastructure within the Park. Unfortunately this process has taken much longer than we hoped, but like everybody else we have been waiting as the assessors have been flat out working in other flood effected areas in Victoria and Queensland. Parks Victoria has also placed a funding bid into government for the infrastructure that is not insured. We have completed all our planning and have crews and contractors ready to go for when we receive the funding.

I understand your frustration with the updates but we have not been able to open anything else in the flood effected areas. The reason that I resent the updates with new dates was because the others dated for February were confusing visitors as they were believing they were not receiving the most updated information."

Miguel75
4-Apr-2011
2:17:22 PM
Thanks Kieranl

JamesMc
4-Apr-2011
6:50:48 PM
Insurance IS an issue. Roads are insured, just like your car or your house. That means there are insurance contracts, excesses to pay etc. Insurance will cover a road that has been damaged in an "event" like a flood, but not from wear and tear caused by traffic on an already damaged road.

Having said that, it's a shame they don't open sections of undamaged road for access where there is no thorougfare due to road damage further on. For example, there is minimal damage to the road from Wartook to Zumsteins apart for a section of about one square metre that has washed away right near Zumsteins. It would be good to at least be able to drive to Asses Ears Road.

JamesMc

Miguel75
4-Apr-2011
7:41:41 PM
Secretly I'm glad there are closures as my mate was all keen to go aid Passport to Insanity this weekend....

Publicly I'm sad it's closed and I can't go aid Passport to Insanity this weekend!
ZERO
5-Apr-2011
9:21:55 AM
And if someone had an accident due to that ONE SQUARE METRE ????
Anyhow, that road is managed by VicRoads and totally out of the control of PV.

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