Comments on: Why I didn’t climb Uluru

By: rose_m

rose_m — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 03:35:32 +0000

Thanks everyone for your comments. mssphd – you make some good points. Yep – it’s no more dangerous than a lot of the world’s great climbs; however, I don’t think a lot of people realise how strenuous it is. Speaking personally I have a deep-seated fear of scree (slidy! Scary!) and that’s one of the reasons I decided not to climb. Pee-wise, I think it differs from a lot of hikes as it’s bare rock up there and nothing to soak up your waste (including faeces).
Yeah, it’s interesting that Anangu looking after the rock don’t forbid the climb, and say they’d prefer you’d make your own decision not to visit the top. So what’s driving the government proposal to close the climb?

By: mssphd

mssphd — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 18:58:10 +0000

While the Anangu (or at least some of them) don’t want people to climb Uluru, it’s the government of Australia that actually has the final say. The government has to take many issues into account. To close the rock to climbers would hurt tourism so some extent. Obviously climbing Uluru is not the only reason why people go to the Red Center. The comments made by the author here are somewhat laughable.
1. Yes it is dangerous. So is climbing the Grand Canyon, Mt Everest, the Matterhorn, etc. It is not the Australian government’s responsibility to stop people from taking risks. This is a travel forum where people talk about far more dangerous escapades than climbing Uluru.
2. It is not bad for the rock. The winds in cnetral Australia are eroding the rock not the footsteps. People shouldn’t pee on the rock. However last I checked local wildlife also pee in places where they drink. Again people pee all over the world when hiking so what’s the big deal.
If Australia and the Australian people want to close off climbing then fine but lets not come up with lame explanations.

By: nomad91

nomad91 — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 13:21:25 +0000

I visited Uluru on a school trip last year. We couldn’t climb it due to the winds that day, which I was really disappointed about. I was really looking forward to that part of the trip, and the walk around the base was kind of fun for the first little bit, but got old quickly, and there was no real reward at the end, like standing on the top would hold. All the Aboriginals in the area we spoke to said they didn’t really mind if we climbed or not, it was the white park rangers that said it was disrespectful. So I would go back and climb it any day. Also, what they don’t tell you, is that the vast majority of people who have died ‘climbing’ it, died afterwards on the ground, often from a heart attack from the strain of the climb, or they were someone with a previous condition. So if you’re fit and healthy and up for it, the only problem I see with it is the erosion caused by the feet.

By: s_jane15

s_jane15 — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 11:33:32 +0000

I was there in 2007 & I chose to climb it. I didnt feel like i was disrespecting the traditional owners at all as there were many others climbing it at the same time, but i can understand why people would choose not to climb it. I was with a large group of people, some of whom chose to climb & others didnt. It is a difficult climb with little there to support you, but its worth it in the end. Im extremely glad i did climb it as the view from the top just cant be described, it is literally breath-taking and i believe just doing the walk(which i did aswell) doesnt quite do it justice.

By: respectfultraveller

respectfultraveller — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 11:32:32 +0000

As a traveller from Australia, I believe travellers should not be banned by government from choice of climbing Uluru. The traditional caretakers are by no means unanimous about requesting travellers not to climb. Many benefits for them,ie. work, increased welfare for the community, and improved understanding by others of their culture, flow from the numbers of travellers attracted to the area, many encouraged by the climb.The damage to the rock is so minimal, the danger of falling is only for the reckless, there are toilets at the base and no need to relieve oneself whilst climbing, only very unfit people are likely to need rescuing (and other climbers could easily carry anyone down without rescue equipment). Many people would not travel to Uluru if not allowed the option of climbing, an experience I had some years ago,(an awe inspiring experience I might add). The negative consequences for the indigenous people, the area, and the country would far outweigh the negatives for Uluru and some of its traditional caretakers. I would not climb again should I return, but could not be party to denying others the tremendous experience.

By: amandaoneill

amandaoneill — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 09:47:49 +0000

I agree with the posts so far. I would climb it if the traditional owners of the land agreed. It is a common courtesy in travel that you respect the wishes of the local people. The magic of Uluru is all around it, you don’t need to get to the top to experience it.

By: marielle90

marielle90 — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 09:38:12 +0000

I was there almost two years ago and decided not to climb it, most importantly out of respect for the Anangu, but also because it was extremely windy that day and the climb had been closed during the morning – it was simply too dangerous to climb that day. Nonetheless some of my mates did decide to climb it. They argued that Uluru, being a sacred place to the Aboriginals, can be compared to, for example, a catholic church and that, since Aboriginals are allowed to enter ‘our’ sacred places, that gave them the right to enter their ‘church’ too. I disagreed, but many people do see this as a justification.

By: tessabaden

tessabaden — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 09:12:43 +0000

I was able to climb when I travelled Aus, and although it was spectacular, we should respect the wishes of the Anangu and leave well alone. Many forget that a walk through the Olga’s is breathtaking and far less damaging.

By: pskully

pskully — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 07:45:03 +0000

Given the fact that the “owners” of the rock ask that visitors don’t climb it, I wouldn’t. It seems as though there’s plenty to enjoy of Uluru without going to the top of it.