What you are about to read is a tale of deception and bluster. An email trail between land managers secretly planning the removal of rock-climbers from most of the Grampians crags, whilst the very same climbers appear oblivious to what is coming. Wool pulled over their eyes they profess the desire for consultation whilst the plans for their execution have already been drawn up.

This is a guest post by Mike Rockell, a climbing lifer who left New Zealand and moved to Melbourne 4 years ago. His history with Victorian climbing goes back a lot earlier than that though, with his first trip to Arapiles in 1984. Mike is still climbing grade 26 at age 60. The Grampians, with it’s amazing rock and pre-historic beauty, have been his most recent climbing inspiration. Having seen significant climbing closures in New Zealand, Mike has now became part of the interim committee of the ACAV, following and working closely on the Grampians access issues.

1975. It was a big year. The Vietnam War ended, Sony introduced Betamax video, Muhammad Ali beat Joe Fraser, Microsoft was launched and Whitlam got dismissed and replaced by Fraser. It was also the year that rock climbers discovered Summer Day Valley in the Grampians.  For 44 years since it has been the core of climbing in the region, a place many people were first introduced to the sport by friends, clubs and guides. This climbing history has now literally been torn up as rangers removed PV signage about rock-climbing from the area over the weekend. This included informative panels explaining the history and benefits of climbing.

The possibility of Arapiles climbing bans have suddenly lurched forward much faster than expected – with the announcement overnight of a heritage study to start at Arapiles by Spring this year – according to an ABC Wimmera News article. The article references the “alleged damage to heritage sites and rock faces” in the Grampians as the reason for urgency.

Many climbers have voiced concern about the future of climbing at Arapiles after seeing the dramas unfolding in the Grampians. Could similar bans happen at Arapiles? Is it all connected? Yes and yes. Let’s explain.

Dear Minister D’Ambrosio,

We write this public letter in reply to your response to David Limbrick’s question to parliament about the Grampians rock-climbing bans. It is plain to see from your response that you need to be better informed about the issues. After waiting five weeks for your reply it contained the same recycled “talking points” that Parks Victoria came up with in February 2019 (which we have from FOI requests).

Taipan Wall is now in PV sights, million $ cultural management plans proposed and despite two high level meetings there is still no reversal of bans – even for commercial guides. It’s been a big week for Grampians rockclimbing so let’s get straight into it!

Grampians Festival Canned

It was not totally unexpected, but it sure was disappointing to read this week of the cancellation of the Grampians Bouldering Festival for 2019. This was one of the only outdoor festivals for Australian climbers, and was a great opportunity to demonstrate and educate the next generation of boulderers best practice environmental principles. The goodwill between PV and boulderers seems to have all but evaporated. In a heart felt editorial the team behind the two previously successful festivals explained the reasons why this years was not to be:

We keep banging on about the sheer scale of these bans and the significance to the international climbing community. It has taken a bit of time for us to realize just how harsh they are when compared to other famous cases of climbing bans. They are of a magnitude never before seen in Australia and easily outrank similar bans enacted worldwide at such places as Moon Hill (China), Whanganui Bay (NZ), Monument Valley (USA) and Crazy Horse Chiang Mai (Thailand). All those previously listed areas are on private land where our right to access is easily overturned. The most famous restriction of climbing on public land has to be the bouldering mecca of Heuco Tanks (Texas USA). Climbing is not banned there, but it does have severe restrictions attached, including a quota system. To put it into perspective, Hueco’s parks management still allows 25,000 climbers a year into a 4 square kilometer park – whilst Parks Victoria has banned climbing outright in an area of over 500 square kilometers!