Fortress/Mount Thackeray

[jjoske]

Has anyone been to the Fortress/Mount Thackeray recently and could advise on the water situation?

[LizM]

I haven't been recently, but live west. Given the rain we have had I would say you are find, but call the ranger to be sure. I have never had a problem getting water below the fortress by the first rock hang / campsite. Mt Thackery has always been a teensy bit trickier, but its road accessible, so more chance a ranger has been past. Make sure speak to a ranger and not the Park Vics people at the Visitors Centre . They are pretty useless and last time I was there for a day walk with a friend didnt think to tell me / didnt know that the trail we were discussing was closed! And there have been other bits of poor advice I have had from the staff there over the years. Always speak to the ranger.

[paidal_chalne_vala]

I am under the impression that everything except the ice cream shop in
Halls Gap and the Pinnacles
look out has been closed to all human visitation because of a rare plant/ insect / frog has been discovered there and they 're all Aboriginal sacred sites as well . Plus all visitors must be funnelled onto the user pays Grampians Glamping tramping soft boy thingy money spinning trail.
( SIC).
The fact that amazing places such as The Chimney Pots and the Taipan wall are now closed for good from all visitors , rock climbers , hike in campers and bushwalkers tells you about both a dearth of
parks management funding and a " shut it down and forget it /it is all too hard / don't upset the frogs/ rare beetles or Indigenous people"
policy that is now in place.

Cynical sarcasm aside the number of roads in the greater Grampians area that are still closed due to October 2022 flood damage is considerable.

[als]

Taipan wall is open

[CraigVIC]

These last two posts are both extreme versions of what is happening at Gariwerd. Taipan has reopened but with changes and restrictions that respect the wishes of the TO. The park remains open to off-track day walkers.

The only change for bushwalkers is that you must complete your walk in a day and stay out of specific exclusions (such as climbing the c.pots). I find it a little sad that everyone has shrugged their shoulders and said, well they won't catch me. There is no reason we need to be lumped in with car based campers and a permit system for walking overnight could easily be managed, after all, the gpt has raised at least half a million dollars so far.

[Baeng72]

These last two posts are both extreme versions of what is happening at Gariwerd. Taipan has reopened but with changes and restrictions that respect the wishes of the TO. The park remains open to off-track day walkers.

The only change for bushwalkers is that you must complete your walk in a day and stay out of specific exclusions (such as climbing the c.pots). I find it a little sad that everyone has shrugged their shoulders and said, well they won't catch me. There is no reason we need to be lumped in with car based campers and a permit system for walking overnight could easily be managed, after all, the gpt has raised at least half a million dollars so far.

Hi, can you explain "you must complete your walk in a day"? Taken literally, that means no walk longer than 24 hours, but probably means no camping or overnighting in the Grampians outside GPT campsites.
I don't mind staying out of exclusion zones.
The last sentence is a non-sequitur. What does a permit system for walking overnight, have to do with the amount of money the GPT has raised?
If Parks want to stop all dispersed camping at the Grampians, so be it. The amount of money the the GPT are neither a reason for or against.
We've already been lumped with car based campers from what I've read. Illegal fireplaces and rubbish left after camping - no bushwalkers.

Bugger. I'm wading in on political crap again. Time for another self-imposed timeout.
If I survive winter snow camping. See you in Spring.

[CraigVIC]

My point with the money raised is that reviewing trip intentions and issuing permits costs resources.