Right to Climb

Help save this wonderful bushwalk! Access to the spectacular views from the summit of one of the biggest ancient shield volcanoes in the southern hemisphere - Mt Warning in northern NSW - is under threat. The summit is visited by over 100000 keen bushwalkers annually. Many walk up to catch the sunrise - the summit is the first place to catch the sun's rays each day in eastern Australia. The views over the caldera complex, subtropical forests and to the coast are outstanding. The walking track to the summit of Mt Warning was established in 1909. It has not been well maintained by NSW NPWS over recent years and NPWS are now using safety, environment and culture as excuses to close the summit track.  Similar to the unjustified reasons used to ban public access at Ayers Rock, those excuses do not stack up. The safety excuses are rubbish. NPWS claim the the summit chain is unsafe but it's not actually required to complete the walk and it could be easily repaired or upgraded for a sm...

 Delightful story about climbing Mt Warning from the Sydney Mail 19 October 1938. The last section of the climb is marked by a short chain. This was installed in the 1980s. The description of the last section from the 1938 report suggests it's not actually required.... but they were made of more hearty material back then! (follow the link above to read at Trove). From below this last stage looks appallingly steep, but the roots of the mallee and the twisted stems of the grass-trees make the climbing as easy as a spiral staircase, and the two or three hundred yards are passed almost before one realises it. 

Interesting turn of phrase in this article from 1929 describing the opening of OUR Mt Warning National Park.  "a comfortable walk" What was described as a comfortable walk in 1929 has now become the following ...  "If you do climb this track it requires extreme caution. It’s long, steep, difficult and dangerous in places. It shouldn’t be attempted in poor weather or when high winds or thunderstorms are forecast. If you choose to tackle this challenging track, take extreme care. The 8.8km return walk takes at least 5hrs and is long and steep, with a very strenuous 100m vertical rock scramble to reach the summit. The high, exposed summit can attract wild weather and the track shouldn’t be attempted in poor conditions, especially during thunderstorms. In winter, it’s important to start before midday to avoid a dangerous descent in the dark." How soft have we become! Account of the opening below....

We have been warning for some time that access to the summit of Mt Warning with its remarkable world class views of the surrounding ancient volcanic landscape and coastal views, is under threat of closure. The recent ïnformation note provided by NSW NPWS (see below) does nothing to alleviate our fears, and it is likely a long term ban on the walk may arise in early 2021. Note the walk is conveniently closed at present due to covid (because walking in the fresh air, outdoors will kill you apparently).  The ïnformation note contains all those familiar themes that gave rise to the ban on the Ayers Rock climb: " It's not safe, it's sacred to a few determined to push their animist beliefs on others and apparently, according to dodgy surveys, no one wants to climb it anyway " (yet over 100000 did each year when it was open). In other words ... Bullshit.  There are maintenance issues with the trail, but rather than ban it why not consider a small fee (say $5-$10 per climber)...

Seems the contagion of banning experiences of the Natural World due to irrational beliefs is spreading in Australia. Following the ban on climbing Ayers Rock (despite clear evidence that past owners who were born at the rock had no problems with it) and on rock climbing in the Grampians,  ABC report a ban on climbing the summit of Mt Gillen that provides wonderful views over Alice Springs. This is another magical experience of central Australia now taken from the public. Why bother going there? The ban is completely irrational and it is an absolute travesty that it has been allowed to occur without any consultation of the people it will affect.  If anyone knows anything more about the photo below from NT Archives please get in touch. It seems that once again there is more to the story than has been reported by unsceptical reporters... From a reliable source in Alice Springs....  "The attached photos taken in 1926 came into the hands of the Adelaide House volunteers a coup...