Right to Climb

Climb for Science: in Gosse's footsteps Before it's banned, your chance to walk on the side of logic and reason!  Saturday July 14 to Friday 20 July 2018. Simply climb the rock sometime between July 14 and 20 and post a photo of yourself on social media at the summit cairn in your Climb for Science gear.  Hey, given the rarity of the climb actually being open these days if you get up anytime between now and "B-day" please also post a photo. Celebrating the 145th anniversaries of the assent of Ayers Rock by William Gosse and cameleer Kamran. Climb for Science will honour scientific exploration and research in central Australia with a celebratory climb up Ayers Rock/Uluru. The climb will be banned due to ignorance and petty bureaucracy on October 26 2019. Some of the expeditions...

Climbing legends #12 Series of posts celebrating climbers of Ayers Rock. #12 Traditional Owners Since 1991 Parks Australia and the Park Board have pushed the message that the Traditional Owners don't climb Ayers Rock. As we have shown this message is demonstrably false . Below is a short list of Traditional Owners who have climbed the Rock. This is only a small fraction of what would include a cast of thousands stretching back into the Upper Pleistocene, when humans first arrived in the region. The list is derived from references by prospectors, anthropologists, rangers and tourists. Many non-Anangu Aboriginal people have also climbed as tourists over the years. The current group of Traditional Owners (Pitjantjatjara, Yankunytjatjara and Ngaanyatjarra language speakers - collectively known as the Anangu) likely arrived at our arkosic inselberg some 4000 years ago. This is based on the inclusion of the Dingo in Anangu creation mythology. Dingoes arrived with seafarers to Austr...

There are many ways to experience the climb from a slow stop start walk to soak in the views to a sprint. For those interested in speed here are the current top ten times UP and DOWN on Strava (11/7/2018). UP DOWN Fastest women: UP: Pavlina 21:55 set 26/6/2018 DOWN: Susan Nixon 19:46 set 17/6/2018

Right to Climb Top Ten Since 1 November last year we have posted over 70 articles about the Climb. These have demonstrated: The " We never Climb "/"We don't Climb" message is fake news. Cultural concerns about climbing are only a recent invention and were not held by past Traditional Owners who knew more about Aboriginal Laws than the current Board.  The Board has broken a promise made by past Traditional Owners . The ban on climbing is immoral and illegal Visitor statistics are unable to justify the ban. The climb is a low risk activity for fit and healthy people who stick to the marked trail . Parks Australia have failed in their duty to protect park heritage The views are worth the effort. Stories about the climb are inspirational Other natural places are under threat . Thanks for reading and make sure you spread the message. The case for the proposed ban continues to unravel. Not sure what will be left of it in 473 days time, other than r...

17th death on the Rock ABC report that a 76 year old Japanese man collapsed on the steep part of the climb and despite first aid, was not able to be revived. The elderly Japanese man likely died as a result of heart complications, probably brought on by existing (perhaps unknown) medical conditions and over exerting himself. He appears to have died revelling in the opportunity life provides. RIP Brother of the Rock.  Our thoughts with his family and the first attenders who did their best to treat him. It's sad, but life goes on, and so should the climb. His death marks the 17th death ON the Rock since 26 May 1962 when 16 year old school boy Brian Strieff, on a school excursion with Carey Grammar, wondered off the main path in heavy fog on the way down and fell to his death. ABC's report indicate it is the 37th death, but these figures from Parks Australia have not been substantiated. It seems that many of the deaths Parks Australia claim to have occurred ON the Rock occurr...

Ayers Rock and Statistical Legerdemain Now on Quadrant Online ! Ayers Rock and Statistical Legerdemain To justify its seizure of a marvel that belongs to all Australians, not just Aborigines, Parks Australia said that a mere 20% of visitors attempting the climb would indicate public support for closing it down. Obtained via an FOI request, those vaunted numbers have been twisted into sheer nonsense. How the 20% was arrived at! Based on our earlier article  the 20% myth . legerdemain ˌlɛdʒədɪˈmeɪn/ noun: skilful use of one's hands when performing conjuring tricks.