Tonight in Natimuk, at the annual ‘GoatFest’ is a town-hall style meeting following the short films. It will be an opportunity for climbers to ask questions of Cliffcare and the GAWG, and find out what has been going on behind the scenes regarding the Grampians climbing bans (and we don’t doubt that a lot as been happening behind the scenes).
Continue reading GoatFest Townhall & ACAV AnnouncementCategory Archives: Updates
Art Sites One Day, Quarry Sites the Next
Today marks another chapter from the Slowest Release of Information Award nominee Parks Victoria. We finally have an idea as to why some of the 8 focus areas were closed to climbing earlier this year. Up to now we have been second guessing the reasons – environmental, cultural? Oddly this information has not been released in any official way, but comes in the form of photo captions on Parks Victoria’s website about Grampians climbing. This page has been somewhat controversial in recent times with a “bolt in art” photo being falsely blamed on rock climbers. Read about that debacle here. After that photo was removed, and an apology issued, the photo has been replaced and new captions added.
Letter from the Minister – Facts and Fictions
Climbers this week have finally begun to receive replies to letters sent to the Victorian Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change Lily D’Ambrosio MP. Once again, climbers are red-hot targets of a statistical smear campaign.
Continue reading Letter from the Minister – Facts and Fictions
Parks Vic Frame Climbers – Get Caught Out
On Thursday afternoon, Parks Victoria updated their website about Grampians Rockclimbing. Some of the additional information consisted of several misleading photos from the Buandik area showing safety bolts with one clearly labeled “Bolt in Rock Art”.
Continue reading Parks Vic Frame Climbers – Get Caught Out
Summerday and Hollow Mountain Update
Most climbers will know that Summerday Valley is the most visited climbing area in the Grampians, and has been for several decades. It offers beginner grades, incredibly easy access via Parks Victoria walking tracks, solid trad protection, simple to arrange top-rope setups and a plethora of wall angles to guarantee shade or sun depending on the season.
Continue reading Summerday and Hollow Mountain Update
Question to Victorian Parliament
Supported by Emma Kealy MP, we have collected a handwritten petition of 557 signatures in under one week.
Emma Kealy MP has submitted our requests to Lily D’Ambrosio in Parliament on Wednesday 20th March via a formal question. The handwritten petition with 557 signatories will be submitted to the Victorian Legislative Assembly this coming week to give weight to our cause (petitions submitted to the parliament this way must be handwritten).
Continue reading Question to Victorian Parliament
Letter from Simon Talbot
Note: This is a collaborative post, and not just the work of one Author
VCC Cliffcare has finally received an “official” email statement from Simon Talbot, COO of Parks Victoria. The full statement is at the bottom of this page. This statement largely mirrors several anonymous Parks Victoria emails send to organisations and recreational climbers in the last week. We will break it down paragraph by paragraph… ALL Emphasis (bold text) has been added.
Continue reading Letter from Simon Talbot
Online Petition Breaks the (Climbing) Internet
A climbing community petition launched at midday on Sunday is well on track to break 10,000 digital signatures by the end of the day today (18 March 2019). Created by the Grampians Access Working Group to generate support, it has succeeded in broadcasting these Grampians access issues to a truly global audience. Any climber on Facebook would think there is simply nothing else newsworthy in the world as our feeds show share after share of the same link. This is a powerful message of support to overturn the draconian SPA region bans put in place through much of the Grampians. If you haven’t signed and shared please do so now.
Continue reading Online Petition Breaks the (Climbing) Internet
Parks Vic Responds to Climbers Concerns About Enforcement
Following up on the Labour Day Long Weekend, we have received an email from Parks Victoria answering several questions that many climbers have been asking. We hope this email puts to rest many of the wilder conspiracy theories thrown about in the last week. It is important reading.
Continue reading Parks Vic Responds to Climbers Concerns About Enforcement
Signs Are Up and the Message is Not Good
We finally have physical confirmation of “no climbing” signs having been installed in the Grampians. A group of visiting North Queensland climbers went to The Tower crag in the Victoria Range today and were confronted with a large sign at the carpark.
Continue reading Signs Are Up and the Message is Not Good
Save Grampians Climbing 