HILLWOOD ROCK CLIMBING
photographers DOUG GRUBERT, CRAIG SEARLE and ROB FEARN
An area of land on the Tamar River known colloquially as the Hillwood Volcano is a rock-climbing mecca. When it closed to the public in 2018, many thought that this unique place would never see rock climbers scrambling up its cliffs again. They had not counted on a wonderful partnership between the various stakeholders that has enabled the site to re-open in a much improved state.
Hillwood is a farming hamlet on the eastern shore of the Tamar River, about halfway between George Town and Launceston. The last census listed the population of Hillwood at fewer than 600, and perhaps its best known feature was a berry farm. But locals and rock climbers know that there is something else very special situated in this farming community.
In the middle of Hillwood, and lying entirely on a working farm, sits an outcrop of rock that has long been valued by the rock climbing community. Composed of columnar basalt, this igneous rock formed from volcanic activity when molten rock cooled slowly in such a way that it formed distinctive, vertical, hexagonal columns. Millions of years of erosion and weathering have seen the Hillwood outcrops of this distinctive rock now tilted at various angles (some now near horizontal) and the rock, and hence the climbing, is different to that found elsewhere in the north of the state.
Well-known Tasmanian climbers Bob McMahon and Gerry Narkowicz bolted the first sport climb at Hillwood in August 1998, and for the next 20 years the local landowner allowed rock climbers and other visitors to come onto the private property to pursue their passion. As well as the climbing cliffs, several caves and majestic views over the Tamar River made it a regular destination for tourists and locals alike.
But then, in 2018, the issue of liability raised its ugly head. As well, some visitors were exploiting the area and issues such as overnight camping, toileting in the bush, parking on the road and across gates, littering and damage to fences, left the property owner with no option but to close the site.
The closure was a body blow to the rock climbers of Tasmania. The Hillwood site is recognised as one of the premier sport climbing destinations in the state and its easy access and proximity to Launceston made it a place that was visited by hundreds if not thousands every year.
And so the Hillwood Volcano returned to being part of the working farm, sitting quietly amongst the paddocks and gum trees.
Enter George Town Council.
Recognising the importance of the site as a sport climbing location, the council was eager to see Hillwood re-opened. They had just launched a mountain bike park at Mt George and plans were well underway to extend this network to a second location at the Tippogoree Hills. George Town Council was eager to promote its municipality as a hub for adventure sports. Skydiving and scuba diving ventures had started, so it was a logical step to add rock climbing to the list.
In 2022, the council initiated discussions with the land owner and the Climbing Club of Tasmania. The lengthy and complex process which ensued took about two years and involved many people and much time and effort, but the result was well and truly worth it. While the site remains private property, George Town Council has now leased the area from the landowner. Construction of a car parking area away from the main road and placement of a toilet on site soon followed. Fencing was erected so that climbers could walk all over the site without venturing onto the working farm. A set of protocols and rules was agreed upon to ensure the site was cared for and the land owner’s concerns addressed.
The climbing fraternity welcomed the new arrangements and set about getting the site ready to receive its first visitors for five years. Several well-attended working bees, organised by Crag Care Tasmania, cleared tracks, created new ones, removed weeds and conducted tree maintenance. (Crag Care is a community of volunteer rock climbers looking after Tasmanian climbing areas through conservation, advocacy and information).
I was given a walking tour of the Hillwood site by Crag Steward Doug Grubert. As well as being the first port of call for climbers who wish to report any issues at Hillwood, Grubert has spent many hours track clearing, and also regularly climbs at Hillwood with his son Will. His passion was evident as he proudly showed me the work that had been done and catalogued the many hours of volunteer labour that have been contributed so far.
The various sections of the site have names, such as The Far Side, Crash Test Dummies Wall and Falcon Crag. Within each section the many routes are also named, with the honour of naming going to the first person to climb that route. Names such as Ethel the Cow, It’s Life Jim, Chicken of Despair and One Perfect Day show the quirky sense of humour of climbers.
The Falcon Crag cliff face is frequented by peregrine falcons and the climbers avoid this wall from September to December so that the birds can nest and raise their chicks in peace.
I was impressed on many levels with what I saw. The infrastructure provided by George Town Council immediately sends a message when you arrive that this is a place that has had some money and time spent on it, is cared for and is valued. Good signage, erected by the council in conjunction with the climbing club, outlines how climbers and other visitors should behave while on site. Signs at path intersections keep climbers to designated tracks and avoids people creating their own pathways.
The rocks themselves are amazing. It would need someone with more than my secondary school geology to fully explain it, but geologically it is a fascinating place. Columnar basalt is spectacular, and the various cliffs and rocks, tilted at all angles, are stunning.
Hillwood is a sport climbing site, which means that each of the 150-plus climbing routes contains U-bolts anchored into the rock which the climbers clip onto for safety. Prior to re-opening, the Climbing Club of Tasmania spent about $5,000 replacing most of the existing bolts, with a number of people putting in weeks of work retro-bolting the routes to modern standards.
Rock climbing routes are graded according to difficulty and Hillwood has routes from grade 8 (quite easy) to grade 29 (extremely difficult) so catering for just about all ability levels. On the day I visited, I saw young people through to middle aged couples climbing on various sections of the site.
Hillwood is known internationally. Doug Grubert, who lives 10 minutes from the crag, explained that in the previous 12 months he had personally spoken to visiting climbers from 13 countries.
At the time of writing, Hillwood has been re-opened for just over a year and so far the new arrangements are working extremely well. Eager not to lose access again, the rock climbers have embraced the new systems, and the Climbing Club of Tasmania and Crag Care Tasmania in particular have done much to publicise the new rules and broadcast the message to all climbers.
The Hillwood story should serve as a case study, a template, of best practice for how cooperation between local government, property owners and sporting groups can lead to great outcomes, and shows how positive it can be when people work together with a common purpose and good will.
Craig Searle is an eighth-generation Tasmanian who proudly hails from convict stock. A teacher for 31 years, he retired in 2011, having spent the last part of his career as an outdoor education specialist. He has a passion for wilderness, remote places and lighthouses and has spent two winters on Maatsuyker Island. He lives in Scottsdale with Debbie, his wife and partner in a lifetime of adventures.