CORKER

Can you still climb up onto AYERS ROCK...?????

Scossie

Only if you want to deeply offend the Anangu people who are the traditional land owners of Uluru.
It is a very sacred site to these people, and they prefer that you choose to respect their law and culture by not climbing it.

Unfortunately, many ignorant people with no respect still do climb Uluru, even though they are guests on Anangu land.

Storini

One of the more interesting stories I've read recently regarding Uluru/Ayer's Rock is what might be called the "curse of the stolen rocks". Basically, many tourists visiting the rock have picked up bits of the stone and taken them home as souvenirs. Months or years later, they encounter misfortune of one kind or another, and come to associate this with their theft of the material. They then return the stolen items by post to the authorities there, in the hope of ending the bad luck. There is a large file of letters at the local park headquarters, together with packages of rocks returned.

One press article here => http://www.eniar.org/news/lat.html

It may sound like an M.R. James' ghost story, but the evidence of people's distress is clearly there. Be warned...

JohnAndNetta

You really don't need to climb Ayers Rock - the base tour is really enjoyable and interesting, (and you won't offend).

My husband still decided to opt for the climb, and he was rather dissappointed. He also thought that the climb down was quite dangerous. I however, really enjoyed myself.

Side tracking a bit - there is a wonderful evening dinner that you can arrange when you stay at Ayers Rock. Its called the 'sounds of silence' dinner, and has won a few tourist awards. Its a sort of silver service buffet in the middle of the sand dunes, followed by some time with a visiting astronomer armed with very powerful telescopes. I did this with hubbie on a Xmas night 2001, when there was no moon (i.e no light pollution). It was amazing. I'm not really into astronomy but I was absolutely gobsmacked to see the rings around Saturn so clearly.

Might not be everyones cup of tea, but I thought this was a superb and very unusual evening.

Netta

Perthforme

They pull quite a few people off the rock each week with heart attacks :scared:
I think its one of the less must see things in Aus. I know lots of people like it but i didn't
The olgas kata tjuta were better as they were fresh on the eye.

tiredwithtwins

hiya,
its yonks since i was there....went a few steps up, but felt it too high/hard a climb. on walking round the base, i felt how spiritual it was, so i was glad i didnt do it!!

...and there were too many scary memorial plaques on the base of the climb for young people who had died after falling off it!!!

those night time supper thingies are excellent - about 15 of us had a similar supper (altho it wasnt quite as posh as silver service!!).....a deeply powerful experience to sit around a bbq, listening to traditional aboriginal music while our guide told us stories......makes the hairs on my arms tingle just thinking abuot it!!!

as to whether you can still climb it, im pretty sure you can

Perthforme

LOL We watched a traditional aboriginal music show that was that good the guy , we were told had been to LONDON to perform

CORKER

So It's a yes then.. I know it's not quite PC but you can still do it then..???

zx10r_aus

I know what you meen. I climbed it back in 1991, it's a long way to the top then you get to the top and you take 30 or so pictures for all the tourists up there.
I found the Olgas a lot more interesting, and their were less people. You don't realy think that they are that big untill you actualy walk through them and see the size of each rock face.

xgkick

Hi, I climbed it last year and it was well worth it, fantastic views. You've got to go early though (we went up at 6am) as they close it when the temperatures get too high. They also close the walk around the Olgas if it's too hot, so best to do that in the early morning aswell.

Anastasia Beaverhausen

You can still climb Uluru, but go to the visitors centre first and find out why the Anangu tribe dont want you to climb. If you are going to trample on something they find sacred, then at least try to understand their reasons.

Another rather chilling thing about the climb (TWT mentioned it earlier) is the plaques to all those that have died while doing the climb.

The base walk is brilliant, and much more informative about the history of the area and the Anangu tribe. The climb is just that, you go up, look around, then come down. Its bloody steep too!!

Kata Juta (olgas) and Kings Canyon are fantastic though. Kings canyon was the best for me. You can climb down into a ravine, with a lagoon at the bottom that is so still it reflects everthing above it perfectly. I have a great picture that looks like I am perched on the edge of a crater, when in fact I am 2 foot from the water

Storini

If you want something to climb, do the Sydney Harbour Bridge climb => http://www.bridgeclimb.com/ ; it's reasonably challenging I believe.

CORKER

NO THAT'S NOT ON MY LIST..

Homer

The way i look at it is if you have anything in your life that is very spiritual and sacrid to you would you want hundreds of people walking over it taking bits of it home with them, i know i would not and personally i think people should be stopped from climbing it altogether,go and look at it at sunset and sunrise and you will be very happy with no reason to walk up It and offend people

welshpom

Yes, weather permitting.

We did it a couple of months back.

http://www.hartill.net/RedCentre/Pages/IMG_4621.html

Warning! - it's a very steep climb and the chains don't go all the way.