An experienced rock climber has died after falling from the controversial Mount Arapiles in Western Victoria, Australia. 69-year-old Lee Lee Heah from New Zealand was nearing the summit when she fell about 26ft / 8m from the challenging Esmiko Nell section.
Hearing the fall, nearby climber Zorba Parer free-climbed around 260ft / 80m to her position without a harness or safety equipment. Despite his best efforts, Parer was unable to rescue Heah, who’d sustained fatal injuries in the fall.
“I could see a body wedged in the crack, which didn’t look good, it looked like she had fallen directly on the ledge,” he told ABC Wimmera.
“I scrambled up and checked on her, there was no pulse.”
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Ascending Arapiles has become a controversial topic over the past month after the local government announced a ban on climbing the 460ft / 140m peak and more than half the hiking and climbing routes in the surrounding Mount Arapiles-Toaan State Park.
Under new proposals, visitors could soon be fined up to $229,233 / £176,427 for climbing on Arapiles, after a lengthy Aboriginal cultural study found it to be of historical importance.
Explaining their decision, Parks Victoria, the department responsible for Arapiles’ upkeep argued that the area is home to large numbers of ancient artefacts, wildlife and rock paintings.
“Archaeological surveys have confirmed the Dyurrite Cultural Landscape is a place rich with cultural heritage,” Parks Victoria said in a statement.
“The environmental surveys revealed threatened plants including the Skeleton Fork Fern (Psilotum nudum) and the Western Pellitory (Parietaria australis). These species are threatened in Victoria and are predominantly dependent on cliff and rock outcrops for their habitat.”
A renowned spot for Australian climbing, Arapiles attracts upwards of 70,000 visitors each year.
Angered by the ban, irate climbers have condemned the move as a ‘wipeout’ for Australian climbing, with more than 200 protesting at a recent rally and thousands more signing a petition sent to the Victorian government.
Although plans are still in the public feedback stage, lawmakers have ruled out any change to the proposed climbing and hiking bans.
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