Vandalism on Lindeman Pass

[Geebung]

Hi all,

Been a while since I've been on here, but I was thoroughly shocked by the awful vandalism I saw on the Lindeman Pass today. I walked the section between Sublime Point and Leura Falls, and saw dozens of these awful fluoro pink arrows spray-painted on the rocks and trees. This section of track is mostly in quite good condition, and most of the arrows are in places where the track is perfectly obvious - e.g. following below a cliff-line where there is literally no-where else you could possibly walk. The worst section was just on the western side of Leura Falls where the track is more indistinct, although the forest is quite open and it would be very hard to get lost. The pink paint is new since I last walked the track about a year ago.

In all other respects it was a glorious day, but devastating to see such a beautiful place desecrated in this way.

[puredingo]

Deadset disgusting.

[johnw]

This makes my blood boil, it's an utter disgrace. The Lindeman Pass is known for being unmarked/unmaintained and relatively challenging. If you don't have the skills to deal with that then don't go there. There are plenty of well marked and easier tracks in the same area. I would not have thought some halfwit would be down there doing this. What sort of mentality could possibly think this desecration and environmental damage was a good idea?

[GPSGuided]

Do any of these sign posters ever come to this or other forums and explain why they do it?

[Geebung]

Has anyone walked the eastern part of Lindeman Pass recently? Or down Gladstone Pass? I was feeling sick last night thinking that these areas have likely been damaged too...

[LachlanB]

I was down the eastern end of Lindemans Pass earlier this month, and went up Gladstone Pass. Can't remember any spray on markings in Gladstone Pass itself, but I'm pretty sure there were some around the junction of the two.

[Geebung]

I have just spoken to a friend who said there was quite a bit of pink paint splashed around on Wentworth Pass too, particularly at the end below Wentworth Falls. What a disgrace.

[GPSGuided]

Again, this is not done by traditional vandals and graffiti perpetrators. These were done clearly by 'bushwalkers' of some sort. Questions are, who are they? Do they not know this is despised? Who are they trying to serve and achieve?

[MrFaulty]

I have never been on these tracks but think someone needs to bring thius to the attention of NPWS, and also maybe get down there with some graffiti remover and clean it up (I know it wont be the same and we shouldn't have to but if n ot the pink will be there for a long long time)

[Geebung]

These were done clearly by 'bushwalkers' of some sort. Questions are, who are they?

It looks like it was done for an event or group walk/run of some kind. I'm not aware of any events that go through that part of the Jamison Valley, and the major ones all have infinitely more sophisticated (and less permanent!) means of trail identification. It's very hard to imagine who would have thought it was a good idea...

I have never been on these tracks but think someone needs to bring this to the attention of NPWS

I've been in touch with NPWS and logged it with the local ranger and area manager. I will wait for their response, but have indicated that I'd be willing to help with the clean up if required and should be able to recruit some other volunteers.

[davidf]

Whats troubling to me is firstly its been done and secondly removing that requires nasty stuff. I can help but the suff that would remove that paint is not nice. Pm me for a msds if you what for npws.

[WarrenH]

Perhaps check to see if there was a Duke of Edinburgh troupe in the area at that time. The only stuff like that, that I've seen in the past was done by a young DoE troup that I had been following and eventually caught up with in the Blue Mountains, many years ago.

Some gooses did something similar in flouro green paint in the Budawangs, several years back, which I was told was also done by a DoE troupe.

Warren.

[GPSGuided]

DoE outdoor events at the bronze/silver levels are now typically led by a few community groups, typically with pretty young group leaders. These leaders typically are pretty decent and know and teach bush care skills. Otherwise I agree, markings like these are helpful when taking a larger and straggling group, thus the suspicion.

[puredingo]

Agree with David. The stuff needed for that degree of graffiti is harsh, toxic and not the sort of product you want anywhere near a pristine bushland. But even with a chemical clean I believe there would still be left a ghosting...that sandstone is pretty porous stuff.
I reckon either a thorough gurney or even a grit blast would be called for.

[davidf]

Dingo, i, ve pm, d geebung and happy to help but getting that stuff off a tree? An axe? There isn, t a solution. This is a thoughtless action

[andrewa]

Erk. Looks horrible.

Maybe some greeny/brown spray paint over the top might be make it less obvious, and negate the nasty chemicals required to clean it off?

Just trying to think laterally....

A

[polas]

is it permanent or maybe water based and will get washed by rain? I cannot believe anyone would be so stupid to use permanent paint to make a track for an event.

[GPSGuided]

There are others around in the greater blue mountains, seen then in white and yellow, usually quite discrete. These are huge in comparison.

[Geebung]

So the plot thickens...
I went down from Inspiration Point today and around to Dash's Cave. As LachlanB pointed out, there is more paint around the junction of Gladstone Pass and the Lindeman Pass.

Junction of Gladstone Pass and Lindeman Pass

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Junction of Gladstone Pass and Lindeman Pass

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There was also more near Dash's Cave, and I suspect it continues all the way from there around to Leura Falls.

Near Dash's Cave

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So then I headed back towards Valley of the Waters and interestingly there was no paint whatsoever on Roberts Pass. However as soon as I met the Vera Falls track I started to see pink dots everywhere. These are more subtle I guess, but on well-formed tracks are completely unnecessary. I walked the length of Wentworth Pass and probably saw about a hundred of them. Sometimes five or more at a time. It is completely bizarre. The arrows are obviously to mark a route, but I can't understand why anyone would put so much paint along an obvious track.

Wentworth Pass

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Wentworth Pass

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Wentworth Pass

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Wentworth Pass - if you look closely you can see five pink blobs of paint in this photo

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[Geebung]

is it permanent or maybe water based and will get washed by rain? I cannot believe anyone would be so stupid to use permanent paint to make a track for an event.

I also tested this by scrubbing one of the arrows with some water in the vain hope that it would wash off easily, but no such luck

[puredingo]

No hope. That graffiti will be there long after any of us forum members take our last stride into the wilderness.
You really need to remove some layer of the substrate before it will become a successful restoration.

[LachlanB]

Argh, I'd really begun to think that I might have been imagining things around Gladstone Pass.
I hope that these haven't made their way down and around Vera and Hippocrene Falls as well. If they have, I'll be really upset; it's such a nice area down there, and the existing tape markers were perfectly adequate.

What chemicals would you have to use to get rid of them?

[Flutter]

Yesterday I walked from Roberts pass to Gladstone gully and back. Didn't see any fluoro arrows. Sounds like some young people doing their big adventure, but with no idea. Hopefully the arrows on trees will wear off after a while when the bark sheds. Different matter on rocks.

[GPSGuided]

Given they won't come off easily, maybe the alternate solution is to cover those fluoro pink with another spray of bush colours and try to disguise them. A task for a bush artist?


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[johnw]

I hope that these haven't made their way down and around Vera and Hippocrene Falls as well. If they have, I'll be really upset; it's such a nice area down there, and the existing tape markers were perfectly adequate.

The same thoughts crossed my mind the other day, that's a favourite circuit for me also. Whoever has done this appears to have some knowledge of the area, which makes their actions even more incomprehensible.

[LachlanB]

It's almost a shame to have to bump this subject again.
Thankfully, the dots appear to just be confined to the Wentworth Pass. I went down the Hippocrene Falls track a few days ago, and thankfully didn't spot any on it. Didn't go around to Vera Falls, so there could be some around it. But if they're not on the Hippocrene Falls track, I doubt they'll be on the Vera Falls track.

But spotting one of the dots halfway up Slack's Staircase did have me stunned. It's not like you can go anywhere else other than up or down the ladders!

[Pterodactyl]

......

It looks like it was done for an event or group walk/run of some kind. I'm not aware of any events that go through that part of the Jamison Valley, and the major ones all have infinitely more sophisticated (and less permanent!) means of trail identification. It's very hard to imagine who would have thought it was a good idea...

......

I agree. Some running clubs send out front runners that leave marks very similar to those pictured. The pack then follows. I have to say not generally seen in that kind of bushland.

[ribuck]

Given they won't come off easily, maybe the alternate solution is to cover those fluoro pink with another spray of bush colours and try to disguise them.

Hmm, I don't really like this idea, for several reasons.

Firstly, it puts more paint into the bush. Secondly, it never really looks convincing. It still looks un-natural. Third, in time the outer layer will wear off first, giving the pink another turn in the spotlight.

The only good solution is for people not to paint the rocks in the first place. Given that they have, I think the best solution is to scrape off the pink paint. In a couple of years the moss and lichen will re-colonise the scraped areas and it will look natural again. I've heard it said that one can speed this process by painting the scraped area with live yogurt, but I don't know whether that really works.

[DarrenM]

In terms of the rock surface, a skilled effort with a pressure cleaner may be the best approach, but you have to be very careful not to scour the rock too closely. Very similar to using a spray gun and paint.

A battery operated pressure cleaner should be strong enough and once again in the right hands could strip the paint. If done correctly it will clean the rock face which will temporarily take the natural lichen etc off but over time will return to its natural state.

If anyone needs help (obviously through NPWS etc) I'm happy to hike in carrying the required equipment once sourced and help remove the paint.

[Lotsafreshair]

Wow. Just plain wrong. I'd be happy to help with any cleanup too if still keen or an option.

BTW, did anyone else notice that Lindeman Pass is not marked as a track on the Katoomba 1:25k, dated 2015? For a punter, they've got no way of knowing that this track is 'much less' of a track than say, the Federal Pass... they're marked the same.