Mount Arapiles Mount Arapiles

Mount Arapiles in Tooan State Park is widely regarded as Australia's best rock climbing area.

Mount Arapiles is a spectacular feature, rising sharply from the Wimmera plains to form part of the Mount Arapiles, Tooan State Park.

More than 2000 routes have been developed on the many cliffs, crags and pinnacles, presenting variety and challenge to climbers of all levels of experience.

Drive, walk, cycle or climb to the summit of the dramatic quartz and sandstone landmark that is Mount Arapiles, and take in soaring views of the surrounding Wimmera Plain.

Aboriginal Traditional Owners
Parks Victoria acknowledges the Aboriginal Traditional Owners of Victoria - including its parks and reserves. Through their cultural traditions, Aboriginal people maintain their connection to their ancestral lands and waters.

Climb that rock
Rising 230 metres, Mount Arapiles is widely regarded as Australia's best rock climbing area. There are over 2,000 different climbs on offer on its many cliffs, crags and pinnacles. Instruction in rock climbing is available locally.

Reaching the summit
To reach the summit, choose between two short but steep walking tracks from Centenary Park at the base or drive along Lookout Road, which winds its way up to a car park near the summit, where a short track leads to the scenic lookout.

Near the top of Lookout Road, a side road to the right leads to the Bluff picnic area and more great views. The vehicle track that circles Arapiles is suitable for cycling and driving and is a good walk in wildflower season, although all but the eastern end of the track is closed to vehicles during winter.

Home to rare species
Most of the Arapiles plateau is covered by low, open forest of box, buloke and white cypress pine. Below the plateau, yellow gum woodland is found. Throughout the park, wildflowers bloom in spring. About 500 species of native plants are found in the park, including several rare or endangered species such as rock wattle and skeleton fork-fern.

Mount Arapiles is home to a variety of animals and 109 bird species have been recorded in the area, including the peregrine falcon, rainbow bee-eater, Gilbert whistler and southern scrub robin. See kangaroos grazing the lower slopes and the possums that come out at night to forage in the tree canopies. In summer look for shingle-back lizards and eastern brown snakes soaking up the warm sun.

Camping round the rock
The main picnic area and the only location where camping is permitted is Centenary Park, near the base of the cliffs. There are fireplaces, picnic tables, water and toilets, but no showers, plus more picnic areas at the car park summit and at The Bluff.

Content: Visit Victoria

Mt Arapiles, Natimuk
What can I say about Arapiles that hasn't already been said a thousand times before? Very little I fear! Many a would-be writer has waxed lyrical about the magic of Victoria's climbing Mecca, the premier destination, possibly the very the heart and soul of traditional climbing in Australia.

Too much? Okay, so we all know it's the bee's knee's, that it fills the dreams of climbers world wide, inspires many a new comer to take up the sharp end, and causes Melbournians to get up at ungodly hours of the morning to make the mad 4 hour rush to The Pines campground, just so they can be at the front of the queue on the Bard. chockstone.org

The Herald Sun Digital Edition: 2019
ROCK CLIMBERS BRACE FOR BAN
An indigenous heritage crackdown threatens to devastate rock climbing in the sport's Australian heartland.

For decades Mt Arapiles in western Victoria has been the focus of climbing in Australia, its thousands of routes above the Wimmera plains gaining a global following.

But local indigenous groups will soon begin a heritage survey of the area, which will almost certainly show a strong historical connection that could trigger restrictions.

The survey will follow Parks Victoria imposing cultural heritage bans across large areas of the nearby Grampians National Park, closing an estimated 500sq km to climbing, sparking chaos in the industry and undermining adventure tourism.

Barengi Gadjin Land Council chief executive Michael Stewart said it would be up to the traditional owners to determine what to do if it was established people climbed in culturally sensitive areas.

"If the particular activity is running at that site, the Aboriginal Heritage Act is pretty prescriptive about what can and can't happen at a site,"he said.

"And if an activity is harming a site, then anyone undertaking that activity and anyone that allows that activity is generally seen to be in breach of the Act."

Climbers at the Grampians have been told that penalties of up to $1.6 million can apply to groups that fail to protect indigenous heritage, such as rock art. The legislation also appears to leave open the prospect of multiple penalties for multiple offences.

Climbers believe Parks Victoria's potential exposure to the fines is driving the Grampians bans. Mr Stewart said the Mt Arapiles survey was sparked by the Grampians bans and would help inform management decisions.

Mt Arapiles, 330km northwest of Melbourne, has an extensive indigenous history covering large parts of the mountain and nearby Mitre Rock, with local Aborigines referring to birthing trees, canoe trees, middens, gathering areas, caves and crags.

Climber John Fischer, who came to Natimuk and Arapiles via the US, said climbers constantly engaged with indigenous groups and were alive to the history.

"Arapiles is the heart of traditional climbing in Australia,"he said. "If we lose Natimuk, we lose the chance to connect to country, place and respect indigenous culture.''

THE WEEKEND AUSTRALIAN

Mount Arapiles

Rising from the surrounding Wimmera Plains, Mount Arapiles, or "Djurite"is part of the Mount Arapiles - Tooan State Park located approximately 30 klms west of Horsham. The Park is a world renowned rock climbing area and features a wide diversity of Australian native plants and animals. The Mount was named by Major Thomas Mitchell back in 1826, after a hill in Spain near a famous Napoleonic battle site.

Climbers face $300k fines in heritage ban

The Victorian government is threatening fines of up to $300,000 for people who disturb a cultural heritage site at one of Australian rock climbing's nurseries.

The interim protection order at a site at Mt Arapiles is the first of its kind, and includes massive financial penalties for those who ignore it.

The order relates to an area at Taylors Rock or Declaration Crag, just south of Mt Arapiles in Victoria's west, containing more than 50 Aboriginal rock art motifs - though they cannot be seen with the naked eye.

The decision is the first interim protection order under the Aboriginal Heritage Act, which is being used as a blunt instrument to dramatically restrict rock climbing in some of the best areas in the world.

Taylors Rock has been the training ground for tens of thousands of climbers. But Mt Arapiles is under threat as a destination because of the drive to protect cultural heritage . A lot of the rock art is so old it cannot be seen without special equipment. This has frustrated climbers who have been blamed for damaging things that can't be seen. They fear that Parks Victoria will ban them from Mt Arapiles.

The Barengi Gadjin Land Council Aboriginal Corporation , which represents the traditional owners, was originally eager to protect climbing at Mt Arapiles. But further cultural heritage assessments in the area are expected to further restrict the sport.

This article is from the June 20, 2020 issue of The Herald Sun Digital Edition.
To subscribe, visit heraldsun.com.au

❊ Address ❊

 ⊜  Mount Arapiles Arapiles  View Map
 ✆ Telephone: Parks Victoria on 13 1963

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❊ Web Links ❊

➼ Mount Arapiles 

➼ www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Arapiles






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