‘What are they going to do, chase someone up?’ Victorian rock climbers scorn ban on Mount Arapiles Indigenous sites

State park contains rock art dating back at least 3,000 years and tens of thousands of artefacts

• Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast

Rock climbers are openly discussing flouting Victoria’s voluntary bans on routes near Mount Arapiles despite a plea from the state government to respect the area’s Indigenous heritage.

The area in the state’s west is regarded as among Australia’s premier rock climbing destinations. It also contains millennia-old rock art, among other significant Indigenous sites.