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Crag & Route Beta

Area	Location	Sub Location	Crag	Links
VIC Grampians	(General)	(General)	(General)	[ Grampians Guide \| Images ]

Topic Date User

Weirs Creek access. 7-Oct-2018 At 3:13:10 PM Access T CliffCare

Message

On 7-Oct-2018 jacksonclimbs wrote:
>Thanks for the detailed response.
>
>Just for clarity - we're talking about the main gate that is right on
>Red Rock road correct? - not the second gate down that track that would
>just get you a bit closer to Weir's Creek - just to eliminate any confusion.
>I double checked the official road closure map and it looks like that entire
>track is closed.
>
>The main gate on Red Rock Road has been open every time I've been down
>the Vic range in the last 18 months I've been living in Vic and visiting
>the Grampians. There would have been no need to go around the gate. For
>international climbers who pick up the guide book and drive down there
>- they would just drive right on in - not being aware that the road is
>closed - no signage etc. Expecting people to not drive down tracks when
>a gate is open and there is no signage to say it's not permitted, only
>PDFs published on PV web-sites etc. - that's optimistic. Some climbers
>are extra-conscientious, and will check on access issues prior to going
>to a crag, but many will just pick up the guide book and go - at many international
>crags I have been to, closures are clearly marked at the location.
>
>If Matthew's track becomes the proxy track for these sites, it's just
>going to lead to more tracks running the 300-400m between that track and
>the Emu Foot Track - i.e. more impact, particularly until these tracks
>become well defined and climbers just walk uphill randomly. Seems counter-productive?

Hi Jackson,

Yes, talking about that gate but the whole track is closed to vehicle traffic. I would agree that signage and a closed gate would help inform some people. With regards to a gate being closed though, there have been numerous situations where people open the gate, so therefore it is open and people go through or if closed, they drive around it. Or as in the case noted above, access the track from a different location. I can't remember if there was signage there when it originally closed but again removal of signs has also been the case other times. From what I have been told though, a new gate and bollards are now in place.
There are certainly improvements in the way things could be done be it communications,education etc. This is from both sides.
This particular situation is a bit more complex than just the concern of land managers over whether more tracks will be created. And just a small part of a much bigger conversation what we will be needing to work through.
That TRACK is closed to vehicle traffic.For all reading, please respect the closures.