Rock climbers fear iconic sites could be locked up amid cultural heritage probes

Rock climbers fear they could be locked out of one of the world’s most treasured sites for good as ongoing cultural heritage probes leave a “dark cloud” over the future of an iconic Victorian range.

Rock climbers fear they could be locked out of some of the world’s most treasured climbing sites for good. Picture: Jason Edwards

Rock climbers fear they could be locked out of some of the world’s most treasured climbing sites for good, as cultural heritage assessments leave a “dark cloud” over the future of one of Australia’s most iconic mountain ranges.

Mt Arapiles is currently being subject to investigations by western Victoria’s Barengi Gadjin Land Council who are assessing Indigenous history in the area.

The ongoing work, which has stretched over three years, prompted Parks Victoria to pre-emptively shut off large swathes of both rock face and the surrounding state park in 2020.

But rock climbers, bushwalkers and local businesses have slammed the years-long process, saying the bans are locking up key natural sites that people come from all over the world to visit.

Longtime climbers like president of the Australian Climbing Association Victoria Mike Tomkins are calling on local the Aboriginal group and Parks Victoria to roll back the curtain on the “secretive” process and restrict bans to specific sites based on evidence of rock art.

“The outcome of these assessments and what they’re going to do with them is very much anticipated but also feared,” he said.

“These surveys were completed years ago. They’re just leaving climbers to sweat over it.”

Free climber Tom Perkins swings out on Feeling the Ceiling, a grade 21 climb near the summit of Mount Arapiles at first light. Picture: Jason Edwards

Mr Tomkins said rock climbers feared Mt Arapiles could face the same sweeping bans as the Grampians, where he said 79 per cent of climbs are now off limits.

“There are people in most countries of the world who dream about coming here to climb and if that was to be banned to the degree that the Grampians have been banned, it would be tragic,” he said.

Parks Victoria announced the Grampians climbing bans in 2019, claiming climbers were causing environmental and cultural damage, including leaving chalk on the rock and putting climbing bolts in rock walls.

Rock climber Tom Perkins, who described Mt Arapiles like Bells Beach for surfers, said the climbing style at world-renowned spot was “all about not leaving a trace in the rock”.

“It’s probably the most respectful way that you can actually go climbing with the land,” he said.

Mr Perkins said the ongoing threat of closures had put “a dark cloud” over the sport and had left climbers who respect the land feeling “vilified”.

Climbers risk hefty fines for entering cultural heritage sites.

People travel from all over the world to climb these structures. Picture: Jason Edwards

Premier Jacinta Allan last year backed the widespread bans at the Grampians, covering 500sq km, saying they were necessary to protect Indigenous cultural sites.

Local publican Bill Lovell said the climbing closures were an “ongoing stress”.

The Natimuk Hotel owner said he feared he would have to shut his doors if similar bans were introduced, noting 50 per cent of his patrons were rock climbers, bushwalkers and tourists.

Mr Lovell said business owners in the area had tried to organise several meetings with the local Indigenous group but that they had only agreed to one sit down over three years.

“We’ve tried,” he said.

“No one seems to want to speak.”

It comes as the continued closure of beloved NSW summit the Wollumbin Mt Warning hiking trail – permanently shut due to the wishes of Indigenous groups in 2022 – strips the local economy of millions of dollars each year, according to new estimates.

Keen rock climbers camping in the area over the Easter weekend. Picture: Jason Edwards

Local Barengi Gadjin elder Ron Marks said it was time to “sit down and work it out” with Victoria’s rock climbing community.

He said most climbers were respectful but that there was “one per cent of the community that were mucking it up for them”.

“People have got to learn about our cultural. But we’ve got to look at climbing management because if you are closing down sites, tourism is going to fail,” he said.

Western Victoria MP Bev McArthur said the Victorian government was overseeing “the slow demise” of the state’s parks.

“National and State parks are for the people,” she said.

“Let public access protect them, not unruly authoritarian legislation.”

Bev McArthur, Western Victoria MP, says the government is overseeing the demise of the state’s parks. Picture: Andy Rogers

The Barengi Gadjin Land Council refused to comment.

A Parks Victoria spokesman said a small number of sites in the Mount Arapiles-Tooan State Park had been closed off due to Aboriginal cultural values rediscovered there in recent years, amounting to further ongoing assessments.

“We are working with the climbing community to enable more access for climbing where appropriate,” he said.

“There are more than 100 rock climbing areas open to visitors at the Grampians (Gariwerd) National Park – including the world-renowned Taipan Wall – and we continue to assess more potential rock climbing sites over the coming months.”

It is understood that the wider community will be engaged before decisions to ban further key rock climbing sites.