Future of rock climbing at stake at Grampians, Australia

As reported in 2019 and in 2020, countless crags in Australia's premier rock climbing area the Grampians are at risk of closure. Parks Victoria, the government body that manages the Grampians National Park, is currently reviewing its 2003 management plan and, with the stated aim of “conserving Gariwerd's landscape for future generations' and protecting Aboriginal cultural heritage, it has proposed permanent or semi-permanent bans that would affect almost 80% of the existing rock climbs (circa 6800 routes and world-class crags such as Taipan Wall) and the almost total ban of all the bouldering areas - Wheel of Life and Ammaggama are just two of the world famous boulders that would become indefinitely off-limits.

Right from the outset the Australian Climbing Association Victoria (ACAV), the association that represents the interests of climbers in the state of Victoria, recognised that the issues are complex, but it stated clearly that the measures, if adopted, "will absolutely decimate climbing in the Grampians."

The plan has seen various amendments during the last two years but now the project is about to enter its decisive phase. Submissions regarding the draft management plan close this Sunday, 24 January 2021 and ACAV is appealing to all climbers for help. A 22-page document detailing concerns and including recommendations has been prepared, as has a word document that can easily be signed and sent to Parks Victoria. "Please act now and take the time to have your say on the future of climbing" writes ACAV. It is worth noting that a petition, launched by the Grampians Access Working Group, has so far attracted over 30,000 signatures.

- Click here to download the form..
- Click here to sign the online petition

Further info: savegrampiansclimbing.org