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Under the radar - but needing a rescue? Rosea

Access T CliffCare

8-Feb-2012
2:25:11 PM

Hi,

Thought this might be an interesting topic to ruminate on and promote some lively debate whilst also informing the climbing community of a recent accident.

I was speaking to the Grampians Head Ranger last week re Rosea and re-opening timelines, work that needs to be done by them, by us etc etc (more on this on another thread) when besides mentioning the accident at the Watchtower, he told me of a rescue that took place the week before at Rosea. It being a currently closed area and all. This happened after hours and he didn’t really have too many more details from the SES except that it was a broken ankle. I did explain, and he is aware of this, that the information re Rosea and its current closure has been distributed to the climbing community. But of course, there will always be a small minority who choose to do their own thing and go ‘under the radar’. Which,being a small minority, for most of the time, stays under the radar. Except of course when you need/or want a rescue. Dave did ask me to reiterate to the climbing community, ‘ the respecting of closed areas’. Which I am doing now.

So climbers – thoughts?

Cheers,
Tracey

Eduardo Slabofvic

8-Feb-2012
2:44:03 PM

Is being a "Head Ranger" anything like being a "Head Waiter"?

Access T CliffCare

8-Feb-2012
2:49:49 PM

On 8/02/2012 Eduardo Slabofvic. wrote:
>Is being a "Head Ranger" anything like being a "Head Waiter"?
Only if I write head ranger with capitals

Climboholic

8-Feb-2012
3:14:13 PM

The nerve on that person; asking for a rescue for a BROKEN ANKLE! Tst, tst, tst.

If you're going to climbed in a banned area and hurt yourself, then harden up and walk out Joe Simpson style!

widewetandslippery

8-Feb-2012
4:12:32 PM

I agree.

And I am not going to make any mardi gras/head ranger jokes

Organ Pipe

8-Feb-2012
4:33:39 PM

The climbing community and the Chockstone community have an overlap sure, but no where close to total coverage.

Of all the climbers I tie in with regularly, only 1 of them checks Chocky more than once a year - and that's me!

Unless there was a sign at the start of the walk in, I wouldn't assume the climbers knew the area was closed.

ZERO

8-Feb-2012
4:42:08 PM

On 8/02/2012 Organ Pipe wrote:
>Unless there was a sign at the start of the walk in, I wouldn't assume
>the climbers knew the area was closed.

Unless someone has thrown the "Closed" sign into nearby shrubbery you would be guaranteed to be impaled on its post if you did not see it. PV do not rely on Chockstone, as they are also aiming at bushwalkers, and their signage is placed visibly at access points.
No excuses really.

Anyhow, wasn't the softie broken ankle guy just in there playing shenanigans with his good lady wife???

Wendy

8-Feb-2012
5:24:57 PM

On 8/02/2012 Organ Pipe wrote:
>The climbing community and the Chockstone community have an overlap sure,
>but no where close to total coverage.
>
>Of all the climbers I tie in with regularly, only 1 of them checks Chocky
>more than once a year - and that's me!
>
>Unless there was a sign at the start of the walk in, I wouldn't assume
>the climbers knew the area was closed.

There's a bloody great big gate over the road with a sign on it. There's a PV website with closure details. A tourist info centre. There's a VCC website with details. Not to mention that every climber in Australia would have heard about Grampians fires/floods and closures and anyone wondering could have spent 2 seconds trying to find out.

If you're going to go commando to a crag, calling for a rescue is just dumb. Accept you were an idiot for getting hurt doing something illegal, suck it up and get yourself out of there.

However, I'm not sure it's clear the rescue was for a climber? I don't remember hearing anything from ARG and from the info provided, it could have been any numpty on a gentle stroll.

Kieranl

8-Feb-2012
8:48:20 PM

ARG doesn't get called to Grampians until it gets dark. More seriously, it doesn't have the resources to react to all callouts in the Grampians so generally get called by Police S&R when required.

shortman

8-Feb-2012
9:36:51 PM

On 8/02/2012 Kieranl wrote:
>ARG doesn't get called to Grampians until it gets dark. More seriously,
>it doesn't have the resources to react to all callouts in the Grampians
>so generally get called by Police S&R when required.

We should get ya a bat car.

patto

8-Feb-2012
10:28:13 PM

I broke my scapula 70m off the deck at Mt Difficult just recently.

I feel like I did the wrong thing as I didn't get "rescued" and have a thread on chockstone about it.

Eduardo Slabofvic

8-Feb-2012
11:46:02 PM

On 8/02/2012 widewetandslippery wrote:
>I agree.
>
>And I am not going to make any mardi gras/head ranger jokes

What do you get from the Drink Waiter?

Climboholic

9-Feb-2012
10:05:29 AM

On 8/02/2012 shortman wrote:
>On 8/02/2012 Kieranl wrote:
>>ARG doesn't get called to Grampians until it gets dark. More seriously,
>>it doesn't have the resources to react to all callouts in the Grampians
>>so generally get called by Police S&R when required.
>
>We should get ya a bat car.

Thumbs Up Climboholic likes this post.

*Post edit: Farkn HTML!*

There are 13 messages in this topic.