THE Right To Climb action group has reopened the iconic Mt Warning in Northern NSW to public access and will celebrate the reopening at the Mt Warning Hotel, Uki, this Sunday (January 25th).
Officially, the mountain won’t be reopened until July 2027, but local people who have for the past five years deeply resented the closure of the mountain to the public, are going up and down the mountain regardless of official opening dates.
The extremely popular climb was ‘temporarily’ closed during the Covid plandemic in 2020, but extended numerous times, for almost five years, allegedly to protect the site’s Indigenous heritage, which had never been an issue until then.
But the defeat of The Voice must have spoken to the local indigenous people who, despite raising “cultural objections” to public access, have not raised a stink over the determination of other local people to reclaim the mountain.
Local woman Lisha Gee began ignoring the climbing ban last year and even tipped off media who turned up in force to catch her coming back from a sunrise hike.
“I’ve walked the mountain four times last year and waved to the trail cams. My car is quite obviously there for about five to six hours doing the lyre bird trail. Just do it.”
Right to Climb president Mark Hendrickx said a group recently went up with the intention of basking in the cool light of the first full moon of the year, but true to form, the ‘cloud catcher’ had other plans, and the group had a cold and wet time, waiting and hoping for the thick cloud to lift.
“And as the cloud finally started to clear, about an hour before sunrise, we were rewarded with some spectacular colours coming over the horizon.
“As always, it was good to meet other rebels who refuse to be locked out of nature by an illegitimate closure based on groundless claims of ‘ownership’, and/or baseless ‘safety’ concerns (the track is in exceptional condition).”
Rachel Merton, a member of the current NSW Legislative Council Select Inquiry on Access Restrictions to Public Land and Waterways says she is very pleased to see the long overdue announcement by the Minns government that Mt Warning will finally reopen to the public.
“The closure of the track over five years ago by NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service on shonky safety claims – followed by contested cultural claims – remains a disingenuous decision where the interests of the NSW public were quite frankly put last.
“So while the Government’s announcement is welcome news more can be done now. Why wait for a further 18 months before the reopening?
“Let’s get the Mt Warning track opened in 2026 as a priority, and let’s guarantee ongoing access to all the public. I will be raising these recommendations when our committee resumes its hearings in the new year.”
