All serious Australian climbers stop what they are doing three times each day to face toward Arapiles and genuflect. Those who have made the pilgrimage to central-west Victoria are accorded special respect and are given the title Haji.

With more than 2,000 climbs, Arapiles has the highest concentration of high-quality climbing in the country - and some of the best routes anywhere on the planet. For a moment in climbing history, it boasted the hardest route in the world: Punks in the Gym (31).

Don't expect to see lots of bolts, but the natural protection is exceptional on routes that range up to 120-metre-tall (longer on the traverses) multipitch classics.

LOCATION: Araps is just outside Natimuk, near Horsham in western Victoria. It is about three hours drive from Melbourne and about 11 hours from Sydney.