Right to Climb

In April I was interviewed by Sam Duncan from Australian Geographic Magazine. We spent a little over half an hour talking about the coming ban on climbing Ayers Rock. A small portion of our discussion ended up in Sam's article " The end of the Climb " that appeared in the July-August print edition but it's now available on line . An edited transcript of our interview appears below an extract from the article. From The end of the Climb  THE DECISION TO END the climb has met with a divided response. The views of the people I meet out here are split 50:50. Marc Hendrickx, a former NT surveyor (ed actually former NTGS mapping Geologist) , is the most prominent voice opposing the ban. He says evidence shows traditional owners in the past have climbed and had no issues with others climbing and that is critical information Parks Australia has misrepresented. Since the creation of Ayers Rock-Mount Olga National Park in 1958, more than 7 million visitors have “experi...

Outsiders 28/7/2019 featured a discussion about our iconic Climb led by Rowan Dean, Rita Panahi and James Morrow, with me and Dr Anthony Dillon. Some Facebook clips below... PODCAST HERE. Marc Hendrickx on climbing Uluru: It’s such a shame that this is being closed. It’s not only the physical nature of the climb itself, it’s the extraordinary, majestic views of the desert. https://www.facebook.com/SkyNewsAustralia/videos/1232954036883066/ Marc Hendrickx on climbing Uluru: Parks Australia claims 37 people have died since 1958, but seven million people have climbed the rock. The risks of dying on the rock are no different to flying a plane to get there. https://www.facebook.com/SkyNewsAustralia/videos/2449665498647171/ Dr Anthony Dillon on Uluru: I wouldn’t be surprised if in a few years’ time it’s no longer sacred and it’s seen as beneficial, if not profitable, to open the rock again.  https://www.facebook.com/SkyNewsAustralia/videos/2782976781716703/ Dr Anthony Dillon ...

This series of posts showcase the contents of the Last Logbook on Ayers Rock. Part 9: Cover and pages 151-170. Last July when I climbed the Rock with my daughters I left a blank 192 exercise book in a container at the summit memorial. The front cover looked like this: The text on the cover reads: Signing the summit logbook has been an important cultural institution at Ayers Rock since the 1890s. Sadly, since the late 1980s Park Management have denied Australians and International visitors the opportunity to record their achievement. The first climbers to leave a note marking their achievement were Allan Breadon and W Oliver on March 4, 1897: “We added a few stones to the pile and left two wax vesta boxes (tins) with names and date thereon.” Glass coffee jars held the names of climbers between 1932 and the 1950s. In September 1950 the jars held the names of about 70 climbers. Formal log books, termed the “Achievers’ book”, replaced the assorted collection of jars and tins lodge...

Tradition belies excuses for the Uluru Climbing Ban Eric Löbbecke's wonderful cartoon a fitting abstract for my Opinion Piece published in The Australian Newspaper 3 May 2019. Text below. Tradition belies excuses for the Uluru Climbing Ban It’s about six months until the government agency Parks Australia locks the gate on one of the world’s most iconic experiences of the natural world – the Climb up Uluru-Ayers Rock. The ban on climbing will put an end to a 30,000 year old tradition and will endanger the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park’s World Heritage listing, as the awe-inspiring summit views listed in the 1987 nomination will no longer be accessible. The ban is possible thanks to a decade’s long campaign by Parks Australia, which handles the commonwealth’s national parks, to simplify management of the Park and reduce its risks. This has involved locking visitors out of many places that were previously open, maligning the Climb and ignoring its rich history. Tens of thousan...

Interview with Andrew Bolt, Bolt Report 2 May 2019. With just 6 months to go till those nonsensical bans are enforced, it was great to discuss the facts with Andrew Bolt.  Video: https://weeklytimesnow.com.au/news/national/author-challenges-uluru-climb-ban/video/3bc1c481d3b50d257dbaf788a4a76ef7 Podcast: http://more.skynews.com.au/podcasts/the-bolt-report-podcast/

This series of posts showcase the contents of the Last Logbook on Ayers Rock. Part 5: Cover and pages 71-90. Last July when I climbed the Rock with my daughters I left a blank 192 exercise book in a tupperware container at the summit memorial. The front cover looked like this: The text on the cover reads: Signing the summit logbook has been an important cultural institution at Ayers Rock since the 1890s. Sadly, since the late 1980s Park Management have denied Australians and International visitors the opportunity to record their achievement. The first climbers to leave a note marking their achievement were Allan Breadon and W Oliver on March 4, 1897: “We added a few stones to the pile and left two wax vesta boxes (tins) with names and date thereon.” Glass coffee jars held the names of climbers between 1932 and the 1950s. In September 1950 the jars held the names of about 70 climbers. Formal log books, termed the “Achievers’ book”, replaced the assorted collection of jars and tins ...

It’s about 200 days to go until one of the world’s most iconic, exhilarating, awe-inspiring experiences of the Natural World, the climb up Ayers Rock is banned. With the ban sadly Australia will become perhaps the only nation on earth to outlaw awe and wonder. Visitors to our National Parks should be free to use established public spaces and walking trails without being fettered by irrational religious beliefs or petty bureaucratic restrictions and regulations that serve no useful purpose other than to make life easier for underworked Park officials. There is still time to make a difference and ensure the life-affirming experience of climbing Ayers Rock is available to future generations. Overall about 60% of Park visitors have done the climb. We need to ensure future generations also have this wonderful opportunity to engage with the natural world and see those summit views that are protected by a United Nations World Heritage Listing. It’s somewhat ironic that the ban on climbing...

This series of posts showcase the contents of the Last Logbook on Ayers Rock. Part 4: Cover and pages 51-70. Last July when I climbed the Rock with my daughters I left a blank 192 exercise book in a tupperware container at the summit memorial. The front cover looked like this: The text on the cover reads: Signing the summit logbook has been an important cultural institution at Ayers Rock since the 1890s. Sadly, since the late 1980s Park Management have denied Australians and International visitors the opportunity to record their achievement. The first climbers to leave a note marking their achievement were Allan Breadon and W Oliver on March 4, 1897: “We added a few stones to the pile and left two wax vesta boxes (tins) with names and date thereon.” Glass coffee jars held the names of climbers between 1932 and the 1950s. In September 1950 the jars held the names of about 70 climbers. Formal log books, termed the “Achievers’ book”, replaced the assorted collection of jars and tins ...