A pictorial response to arguments against climbing Ayers Rock

It's too dangerous

Group of women aged 19-70 climb Ayers Rock as part of the 1957 Petticoat Safari. This was prior to the chains being installed. Since the 1950s over 6,000,000 people of all ages have climbed the rock. In that time there have been a reported 36 deaths mainly heart attacks to older men, not acclimatised to the heat of central Australia. If you are fit and healthy and stick to the marked path climbing Ayers Rock is an exhilarating adventure but a decidedly low risk activity.

Here's Arthur Groom's take on the climbing options: extract from I saw a strange land

Various writers have described Ayers Rock as difficult of ascent, when in reality it is a trained mountaineer's job on the east-south-east corner, a rough and steep scramble up at least two places on its southern side, and nothing else but a strenuous and spectacular uphill walk on its western side.

It’s a Sacred Site, climbing is disrespectful

Climb has no cultural interest according to Traditional Owner! We are welcome to it! No disrespect is being shown by tourists climbing the rock.

Climbing Uluru goes against the wishes of the Anangu people

Tiger Tjalkalyirri, Anangu Man, Traditional Owner and keeper of the rock, and his assistant Tamalji photographed at the cairn by Arthur Groom, 1947. Tiger acted as an early guide for visitors to Ayers Rock in the 1940s. It seems he had no qualms about escorting Groom and others to the summit. It appears the notion that the climb is against the wishes of the Anangu is a fairly recent phenomenon.
“Tiger arrived and flopped straight into a pool to cool off. 'My legs get properly tight!' he grumbled, and thumped his cramped thighs. Tamalji run about too much like big euro!' “ from I saw a strange land, 1950.

Prior to the handback of the Rock in 1985 the Central Land Council and Pintjantjatjara Council acknowledged the importance of tourism operations at Ayers Rock. There was no mention the climb (which was not a registered sacred site at the time) was against the wishes of the locals, instead locals were "working tirelessly to assure the people of Australia that tourist operations at the park would continue as usual". It seems this promise by the Anangu is now being broken.

It’s not imperative in gaining an understanding of Aboriginal culture

Many Aboriginal stories at Uluru involve features found on the summit and the familiarity of the locals with the summit is well documented. The image above shows an Anangu Man on Uluru's Summit sitting on the legs of the murdered Kunia Woman, as photographed by Charles Mountford 1940. For the full story see Ayers Rock It’s people, their beliefs and their art by Charles Mountford 1965. These features are imperative in gaining an appreciation of Aboriginal Culture at Uluru. They deserve to be celebrated and shared with visitors not subject to a draconian ban. These important stories were happily shared with Charles Mountford in the 1940s but it seems with the ban they are destined to be forgotten.

The views are not worth it, it's just the desert.

Photo Credit Lauren Savage. And for some, the Mona Lisa is just a painting! It takes great knowledge to appreciate the subtle beauty of the Australian desert. Sadly some visitors do not know what they are looking at. Perhaps an interpretive sign at the summit would help visitors better appreciate the geomorphology and geology. The views are absolutely amazing!

BOMBSHELL DOCUMENT LEAK - WCG MEETING MINUTES 2011-2024

WCG MEETING MINUTES 2011-2024 We have been given access to minutes of meetings of the Wollumbin Consultative Group between 2011 and 2024. On the basis of the minutes it is clear the time for an independent public inquiry into management of Mt Warning National Park and the entire NSW Parks estate is long overdue. Documents are made available as a matter of deep public interest in current management practices in our National Parks. What is happening at Mt Warning will be occurring in other Parks across NSW as NPWS continue to push for and develop handback and lease agreements of our public parks. In our view these plans are divisive: they prevent public involvement in managing public land, they will add considerable cost to managing our parks, and they will result in further irrational bans and limits on public access. NPWS: "Custodians are looking at ways to progress handback at the June meeting. We envisage it will take 10-15 years for handback across the whole state."...

NSW NATIONAL PARKS HANDBACKS - PROCESS HAS STARTED

NSW NATIONAL PARKS HANDBACKS - PROCESS HAS STARTED: Welcome to the new Apartheid People also said that Aboriginal knowledge holders need to have a role in determining the appropriate activities that can be carried out on Country/in parks. People called for equal or majority Aboriginal representation on any joint management governing body, with a view also put forward that the governing body should consist of Aboriginal people only. A view was also put forward that the land should be restored to how it was at the point of first contact – pre colonisation. This view went to the extreme of saying Healthy Country means the removal all things that were not present in 1788, including all buildings, introduced species and other infrastructure. NPWS' busy bureaucrats are in process of negotiating handover of our National Parks to private interests. The plan will potentially see every National Park in the state handed over to as yet unknown Aboriginal groups then leased...

Mt Warning closure - 4 years of lies and misinformation

Mt Warning closure - 4 years of lies and misinformation March 30 (Easter Saturday) marks the 4-year anniversary of the "temporary" closure of the Mt Warning summit track. Some thoughts and rambled musings below. I spoke with Ben Fordham about the anniversary on the Ben Fordham Breakfast show on 2GB. Ben's response a classic: "If you want to climb, just climb it!" Link to that interview HERE . 4 year anniversary of bureaucratic madness We know the exact date of the closure thanks to bushwalker: Tertia Starr Maynard, who posted a photo of a note left on her windscreen by NPWS rangers to the reopen Facebook page . It was dated and read “NPWS advises Wollumbin National Park is closing from today due to covid19. Gate is not locked but please close behind you as you exit. Thanks NPWS.” Photo by T Maynard - the last walkers out. In the 4 years since, after other parks were reopened, Mt Warning remained closed and the reason for the temporary closure morphed to in...

Right to Climb

Search This Blog