Due to the recent major bushfire, the Hillwood Crags have been closed by the landowner until further notice. There are many trees and logs still smouldering, many damaged trees that may fall down at any moment, and some routes that have rockfall due to fracturing by the heat. The fire has burnt most of the vegetation in the vicinity of the cliffs. The main gully at Matto Grosso is mostly unaffected except for the northern end near Jugs R Us and Raiden Pump Wall. The fire went along the base of the Chessboard. Rock Of Ages is unaffected and so are Hidden Towers and Citadels. Cave Rock area was totally torched. The landowner requests that climbers respect the closure of the cliffs for safety reasons. He estimates a month before it re-opens. The landowner said that some climbers from Hobart showed up on the weekend, ignored the road closure signs, were rude to fire officers and police and said `we've driven all this way and we're going climbing. Apparently one got hit by a falling branch and was taken off in an ambulance, and another broke holds off the cliff trying to climb a fire damaged route. Their irresponsible behaviour has spoilt the reputation of the climbing community in the eyes of the landowner, a good reputation that has taken many years to build.

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3 Comments

  1. John Fischer

    Not that it matters now, but a little more history may be helpful. What REALLY happened- Two friends of mine(one from hobart, another from canada) were climbing at hillwood and noticed that it was on fire so called the Fire Dept. GOOD JOB! Then the next day, when the fire was mostly out, they went in to get their draws off and gear out. Now what happens is a bit weird. Other climbers from the east coast arrived, and some visitors from Quebeck, and they decided to leave straight away because it was unstable. Now at some point a non-climbing girlfriend from Canada(who was also at Hillwood) freaked out and called an ambulance. No one was injured. On the drive out of Hillwood one car was pulled over and the cop was a little bit excited. Along the lines of the "I dont want to have to rescue you bunch of idiot climbers" rant. Perhaps they didnt properly genuflect and he took his wounded ego to the landowner. <YAWN>

    This was not some D-head climbers from Hobart. In fact, the only climber from Hobart who was at Hillwood was the person who called in the fire! I guess its pointless now since the landowner's disposition is the only relavent issue, but maybe he should be thanking the "d-head" climber from Hobart who might have helped stop a bigger fire by being there and calling it in.

    1. Gerry Narkowicz AUTHOR

      Just passing on verbatim what the landowner told me.

  2. Dennis Kearnes

    Does anybody know how the fire started?