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Crag & Route Beta

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Hillwood Possible Closure 19-Oct-2017 At 4:22:03 PM Tastrad

Message

The climbing community is facing possible closure of Hillwood, unless the landowner can be appeased regarding his fears of litigation. `It's getting out of hand', was his words when I visited him last week. Twelve carloads a weekend, busloads of schoolkids on excursions during the week and commercial groups, plus blocking his gate, and fukwits bringing dogs in there....has him very worried about litigation and generally pissing him off. He suggested the easiest way would be to shut it down and rip the anchors out. Pretty popular for a place that Damo reckons half the routes suck donkey dicks.

I have built a good relationship of trust with the landowners over the past 20 years, and I am doing all I can to ensure access to the cliff. Because of this, please do not try to contact him and complicate matters. I think we'll get there but he needs to consult his solicitor first.

I have sent him a copy of the civil liability act of 2002, which makes it virtually impossible for anyone doing dangerous `at own risk' activities on private property, to sue a landowner. In addition, I have suggested his solicitor draw up a legal waiver, which every single climber would have to sign to gain access to Hillwood. Hopefully a one-off signing would be sufficient, and could be downloadable from my website and I could collect them for him. I have suggested that without the waiver there would be no admittance and they would officially be trespassers..a sign would be posted on the gate to that effect. It might not come to that, but be prepared for the possibiity of signing a waiver, and donating some cash to pay the farmer's legal fees.

In the mean-time, don't block the gate, don't bring dogs, don't fall off and axe yourself, be on your best behaviour, don't fuk it up for everyone, and if your visiting for the first time, it is still a requirement to ring me on 0490 830 922.

Any suggestions on how to deal with this matter?
Thankyou