UKC

Climbing Access under threat in the Grampians

© Tom, UKC News Editor

The popular Australian climbing destination of the GRAMPIANS National Park/Gariwerd is under threat as a ban on eight major areas has been announced. The Gallery, Billywing Buttress, Billimina Area, Gondwanalandm Millenium, Cave of Man Hands, Little Hands Cave, and Manja Area are all currently banned, affecting over 3000 climbs in the area.

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Taipan Wall, Grampians, Australia
© Tom, UKC News Editor

Parks Victoria, who are implementing the ban on these designated Special Protection Areas, explained to Australian climbing magazine Vertical Life Mag that Aboriginal Victoria accused the organisation of failing to sufficiently protect the land, which is home to sites of both cultural and historical importance. According to a document published by Parks Victoria, climbers have overstepped the mark in recent years by placing bolts near to Aboriginal rock art and biodiversity in the area is under threat due to increased numbers of climbers.

However, this latest move to close off certain climbing destinations has been undertaken before any liaison with climbers. Parks Victoria aims to install signs warning climbers of bans at affected sites this month.

Vertical Life Mag commented on their site:

'These bans are unprecedented, and as a user group we are going to need to respond in an organised and forceful fashion. There's no doubt that climbing can happen in the park in a culturally respectful and environmentally responsible fashion without wholesale bans.

'We would ask that all climbers respect these bans absolutely while we come up with a response to their implementation.' You can view the latest maps from Victoria Parks here.

A petition was launched to save the Grampians from the climbing ban, which currently stands at nearly 18,000 signatories. Editor of Vertical Life Mag, Simon Madden, told UKC:

'Unfortunately whilst we do have some updates from Land Managers the situation is still not clear, nor is the path forward. We are hoping that the petition will highlight the importance of the Gramps not just to Australian climbers but its significance for the global climbing community.'

Keep up to date with news on the situation on verticallifemag.com.au

In other global access news, President Trump recently signed the public lands bill, writing critical protections for wilderness climbing in the US into law for the first time. Access Fund members submitted nearly 10,000 letters to Congress in support and played a key role in passing this historic public lands package.


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