Why are people still climbing Uluru?

[@Jamie_Johnson]

No one owns mountains, and no one should be ever be prevented from climbing a mountain.

[@lachlanyoung1386]

My most recent trip to Uluru, where I had the privilege of participating in a cultural tour with a traditional custodian of the region, I learnt the real reason why they don't want people to climb Uluru. Uluru (as the rock as a whole) is not a scared place, if it was they would close the area. Sacred areas around Kata Tjuta have been closed due to cultural reasons, despite walks going through these areas in the past. Uluru has some sacred sites (e.g: the main waterhole), but the climb itself, or the top of the rock is not sacred. Stories of indigenous people climbing Uluru exist pre colonisation, again highlighting that it is not a sacred area The reason why the indigenous people request people don't climb is based in a cultural maxim that if somebody is harmed on their land, as a result of the traditional custodians fault, they believe one of their own will be hurt too. Thus, if somebody climbs the rock, and they hurt themselves on the climb, they think that one of their own will experience a similar injury because they did not stop the climber from climbing. The tour guide I had said that they don't mind people standing on the rock, or going halfway up etc, but they are anxious when they see people climbing all the way up. Therefore, the guide said, it is up to the individual to decide whether they respect this maxim or not. I have never climbed the rock, despite visiting twice, but I think the next time I go I will. It is my belief that the maxim is crazy. I do not believe in any other dreamtime stories of the indigenous people, but that still means they can hold this view. In my mind, if I don't believe in the rainbow serpent stories, then it is reasonable not to believe in the Uluru maxim. I am not against people holding these views, but that doesn't mean I can't reject them based on my views/rationality. I guess it is similar to the way I reject certain religious values of other cultures in my personal atheism I am posting this to better educate the viewers of this video to make a more informed decision on whether they wish to climb the rock. But why don't they outline this argument at the park or in the media you may ask. Because it's hard to put on brochures, thus, it is easier to sell not climbing as a cultural/sacred thing, which is the source of this anti-climbing dogma.

[@josephwinder6878]

Don't care

[@brucegordon5312]

The Australian aboriginals are said to be totemic, not animistic. Animism is the belief that trees and rocks, etc have a spirit. The aboriginal man said that the rock should not be climbed but failed to give a reason why....some people could interpret the reason as simply being resentment towards whites.

[@Bruce15485]

Yep ! Pay back !

[@Chris.Davies]

It's a rock. Climbing it, like climbing any rock, is up to the people who visit it.

[@blackdwarfrecords]

srsly tho take the chains out, get up it the right way or get tf down

[@joebyrne98]

This is a natural rock formation. The natives have chosen to make it a sacred spot. There is a big difference between this rock and a man made structure like Stonehenge.

[@Xzyel.]

​@Amelia Brown The rock is a place of spiritual worship and rituals forbidden to outsiders, I imagine one is not allowed to climb the Kaaba or any christian churches.

[@Jamie_Johnson]

No one has the right to stop another from climbing a mountain

[@kelgs13]

As a tourist I here officially claim this rock a sacred must climb for all tourist that are capable. We tourist will not tolerate people who do not wish to climb it as they are now disrespecting our sacred tourist rock by just looking at it.

[@toastedknight3308]

Kel GS That might just be the worst sentence structure I have ever seen.

[@KatjaKlahr]

I must be said though that standing on top of Uluru is by far the most amazing nature experiance there is in Australia.

[@rajviajar7474]

Born ...... 😞

[@jpr3665]

Go surf a wave

[@DuckDonald44]

Agreed

[@MrStevecro]

I purposely didn't climb in 2008 but did in August 2014 after weighing up all arguments and coming to a conclusion conscience was content with. It is a rock, a wonderful natural wonder and I treated it with the respect and care I do whenever I hike or climb mountains. IMO it is wrong in the extreme and divisive for any group to claim ownership

[@jinchey]

It isn't when they have a 50-120,000 year history there

[@somedude9528]

+MrSteve Except when it's a religious monument. By you're logic, I can go and climb the most sacred church of all, just because I didn't damage it. I still climbed the most sacred church of all. It's still bad.

[@theepics6037]

@@999rob9 Yup, the problem is though, countless people urinate and defecate on the rock due to lack of facilities above.

[@terrythekittie]

I climbed Uluru (formerly Ayers Rock) in the early 70's with school mates and it was a great adventure, but now the time has come and if the traditional owners don't want people scrambling all over it then fair enough. As a kid I couldn't see it then, but now as an adult you can see the majesty of the rock as a cathedral for indigenous peoples. Australians don't climb all over the Australian war memorial, but they stand at its perimeter in remembrance, likewise all Aussies, indigenous and non-indigenous, and people from all over the world can stand anywhere at the perimeter of Uluru, or fly around it and respect and admire its spiritual power.

[@r.b.4611]

Ayer's rock is a natural wonder that belongs to us all, that the aboriginals just happened to find. A war memorial was built by man to commemorate certain other men, and is constructed out of non-rare resources. Totally different.

[@cricket1772]

It’s just a rock

[@josephwinder6878]

Why not, it's part of the planet. Belongs to all. I can't wait to climb it. And I will whenever I wish.!

[@runtr8389]

the rock was here before the first Australians and it will be here after there are no Australians , the rock doesn't care. Why would you go there if you cant climb it , lets not take advise form the poms , they still haven't kleened up the nuke tests

[@euphony5552]

First of all is, rocks can't care. Second of all, you country just got invaded and they are wreaking you belief, will you want that?

[@euphony5552]

The aboriginals don't want that, would you?

[@gaston.831]

Let me piss and walk over ya dead nanny’s grave , she’s in the ground so does it matter

[@notinthefbi3868]

"im a Australian i should be able to go where i want" out side of military compounds or classified areas there is no reason to stop someone born and grown in Australia from going somewhere in Australia

[@Jamie_Johnson]

These climb shaming comments are all from accounts with numbers at the end. Bots.

[@MassiTorrente]

So you respect military, but don’t respect spirituality….. mmm ok mate

[@notinthefbi3868]

​@@MassiTorrente To answer your question yes, the cave men who did not evolve over 60,000 years do not deserve respect. They are inferior to the military in every way possible.

[@kartoffelbrey9817]

Free Ayers Rock! Climb it! Greetings from Germany!

[@clayjohnson1337]

its called uluru and has been for years

[@kartoffelbrey9817]

@@clayjohnson1337Ayers Rock

[@davehog100]

As long as it doesn't damage the rock, what's the problem? It's a challenge and people like challenges.

[@luina78]

+davehog100 it' a sacred place, even locals don't climb on it, it's forbiden, it does damage the rock ! and it's causing erosion and big environmental impact

[@stevom5678]

+luina78 Oh bullshit...Erosion Its been around for millions of years..People walking on it is going to create and cause erosion problems. What a bullshit alarmist comment Forbidden, really.......yeah I don't think so....Any tourists who want to visist, you're more than welcome, don't listen to this rubbish

[@bigperm3830]

You are dumb

[@somedude9528]

+davehog100 It's a religious monument. By you're logic, I can go and climb a church, just because I won't damage it.

[@moe5020]

@@somedude9528 No because a church is property that someone actually owns therefore they have the right regulate that. Also thats a flawed analogy because i'm pretty sure climbing churches isn't really something thats looked down on.

[@driagers]

Surely people should be comparing Uluru to something like Giant's Causeway. You know, a piece of nature and not a relic of human history, like the Stonehenge is. Oh, I should add that you can walk on Giant's Causeway. People wanting the closure of Uluru to the general public are losing the plot. What a joke.

[@Postghost]

Culture is tradition, and tradition is inherited irrationality from a redundant mindset that some random person from the past just happened to decide...if there's no empirical objective reasoning behind it, it should be disregarded... Sure protect it from people destroying it, there's already an existing path on the rock, it would be logical to just enforce very strict rules in order to preserve nature - but don't stop people from climbing it just because some spirits would get angry.

[@thederpinator6636]

Postghost exactly

[@yumeko1993]

Many religious peeps don't wanna understand that.

[@GuyHarrison-nm1xt]

They band it. What a joke. No body ownership been here for millions of years

[@BristolPeterUK]

Let me be provocative. It is culturally offensive that every day tens of thousands of people visit the Walmat at the bottom of my garden. It is built on the site of a tumulus where my forebears could have worshipped and been buried. Our house has been there for centuries, my ancestors woke to a seventeen mile vista and the sounds of birds. There is a huge environmental impact from all those cars (and bikes). The land belongs to my ancestors just as much as any land belongs to anyone, it shaped our beliefs and we are also culturally attached to it. What is the difference between my situation and this? I think it is essentially racism, guilt, and power politics. When the cameras show up I am Caucasian so my views have no Rousseauesk “noble savage” factor. I am also told that I live in a society which looks for the good of all above the feelings of a small clan. And no one feels guilty any more that their Saxon and Norman ancestors ousted my Celtic ones in exactly the same way as Europeans ousted the native Australians. What gives the feelings of few the right to oust the feelings of the many in any given situation? It applies just as much to where YOU shop as which hills tourists climb. If you oppose people climbing this rock, think carefully about what lives you tread on and destroy as you go about your life.

[@KCRskidder]

I dont understand why people think they are entitled to climb Uluru, It is NOT your right to climb, it is sacred. disgusting.

[@miadiamond1973]

I went to Uluru last year with my school and we only walked around the base of the rock. We were told stories about Uluru and how sacred it is and I don’t understand why people think it is ok to walk on it it’s so rude and disrespectful. There is a reason they make it hard for people to actually climb up the rock. Just admire it from the bottom cause it’s even more beautiful from there

[@Jamie_Johnson]

No one owns mountains, and no one should be ever be prevented from climbing a mountain.

[@yumeko1993]

I don't find it disrespectful. It's just like saying walking on motherearth itself is disrespectful.

[@adventuresbyanthony1165]

I visited Uluru early last month and did not even consider climbing. However what I don't understand is the park puts up all these signs asking you not to climb, yet they still open the gate for climbers, they still have the rope-thing for climbers... If they were actually serious about people not climbing they would remove anything to suggest that it can be climbed.

[@Jamie_Johnson]

No one owns mountains, and no one should be ever be prevented from climbing a mountain.

[@supermansteve6832]

As soon as they permanently closed this to not be able to climb. Tourism is going to totally disappear.

[@goransvraka3171]

Why can't we climb it? If it is truly eroding it from all the climbing then yeah do research to back it up. Otherwise Now I really want to climb it!

[@IHLWonk]

People are not allowed to climb all of over the rocks at Stonehenge though?

[@cabooseabs6864]

Stonehenge was something built by man. Uluru is a naturally formed structure.

[@brianbates7866]

Its a bit ridiculous, Croagh Patrick in Ireland it considered sacred too yet tons of people climb that every year and no one complains or cares

[@000Virtual]

I would climb the rock. It is just a walk worth doing.

[@bataviamertes]

the ancient people probobally climbed and peed on it to so who cares!

[@somedude9528]

+jim mertes They didn't. That's what tourists from the U.S and China do. Besides, it is a religious monument. It's like climbing a sacred church.

[@nancybrown470]

Look, enjoy, cherish and respect. There are other places to climb.

[@ch33psk8]

Soon be "shutting down " many other sacred sites.. Mt Warning N.S.W, Mt Coolum QLD, Hungry Jacks and the local bottleO' :0)

[@IHLWonk]

I think it should be closes, as we hear in the video, it creates rock erosion; and people piss up there, I really don't want Uluru to slowly loose it's shape where people walk.

[@375GTB]

FAHRT!

[@yumeko1993]

Any estimates for how much time and waking rate will it take to make any significant change to it's visible shape?

[@bataviamertes]

its like Christmas without presents!

[@kursedmilk]

So is it cool if I go and climb someone's house even if it says no trespassing

[@paulrollings6573]

I climbed Uluru in January 1994. We went up in the early hours while it was still dark and watched the sun rise. It was an incredible experience and it’s a shame no one will be able to do it again. Personally I think it’s wrong that they discourage people climbing it.

[@rajviajar7474]

Climb this rock then shame in you. Think of yourself as a disgrace to humanity.

[@slace1000]

Piss of you sposemack shit head.

[@Zenrising_YTCM_President]

The question should be reframed. Aboriginals did NOT create this rock and it was NOT created for them. Nature is for all to experience and enjoy. The question should be "Is climbing Uluru damaging to the rock?" If no, climbing should be allowed as no culture should be able to impose their beliefs onto another. If yes, then there should be research into how and how much and then perhaps climbing should be banned ONLY if it is deemed to be causing damage to the environment. No one should be allowed to enshroud a millions of years-old natural wonder with their thousands of years-old beliefs and say "We found it first therefore our beliefs apply to all." I say it again - nature is there for all, and as long as it is respected and left the way we find it, no culture has the right to force their beliefs on the rest of the world.

[@sippingthattea6161]

Jesus Christ ...it’s a place where Aboriginals stayed, it is their land. People shouldn’t climb it. It’s wrong, it’s disrespectful. Some people had taken some things from this place and were cursed. It’s true, this place is very special.

[@shannonstark8873]

Fully agree with Charmsy Star

[@t.c7454]

Yeah but it disrespects the culture it’s like visiting a church ya not gonna climb it

[@LuckyFish3000]

Jesus Christ please climb it so we can watch you fall. You’re disrespectful, ancestors don’t play.

[@jinchey]

So it's okay for me to take a dump on a church altar before helping myself to some snacks from the tabernacle? Didn't think so.

[@lucindawhitehouse8234]

I opted not to climb it in the late 90s - it is sacred to someone and if they, as the original custodians of that land, say it is disrespectful then I will respect that. I don't want some stranger to come into my backyard and start messing with it. Just because it isn't sacred to YOU doesn't mean it's not sacred to someone else. I didn't visit Stonehenge and have a sook because I couldn't touch it, I looked at it and was impressed by it without feeling the need to mess with it.

[@Jamie_Johnson]

These climb shaming comments are all from accounts with numbers at the end. Bots.

[@omniexistus]

That's you. Don't impose your beliefs on others.

[@bruceblake9942]

I climbed Uluru in the 1970's, before there was any concern expressed. My feeling, as an Aussie, is that the traditional owners should allow anyone who wishes to do so, to climb on the existing, and only route available. This limits the so called wear and the so called desecration to a minute portion (

[@LuckyFish3000]

Bruce Blake it’s not your land Bruce. The truth is you’re not even Australian

[@isis2523]

Yess it is his land and he is Australian you racist

[@domocracydestroyer8219]

@@LuckyFish3000 the aboriginals did not originate from Australia, they came from Africa and crossed Asia to get here so like the aboriginals, Bruce has the same right to be here as the Aboriginals do!

[@mattiamorelli4364]

Don t climb ULURU.... Respect Anangu culture!!!

[@davehog100]

This is a 300 million year old rock I don't think a few climbing boots are going to hurt it.

[@tashkay5389]

Not true. If enough people climb it, that will erode it.

[@mamalifantaztik216]

+Tash Kay I agree.

[@Engineer9736]

davehog100 That path is already quite eroded beyond 'repair'. Nothing to win on that anymore.

[@BenAllanable]

mate use your brain... has it been being climbed for 300million years? less than 100.... and yet there is still an indentation from peoples shoes...?

[@Melbs3062]

davehog100 Lol the earth has been here for billions of years yet were hurting it lol...that was stupid. you're stupid hahaha

[@kearress7350]

The Anangu people do NOT OWN Uluru. Instead, the people belong to the land! Not only in Australia though, but in the rest of the world as well. The fact we have forgotten that turned us into the biggest parasites on Earth...

[@mamalifantaztik216]

No climbing I support.But ,is it possible to build a walking bridge around the Ululu so people can walk around and view it from different angles ?Build it about 50 yards from the rock.This way it will prevent people from touching or ruining the rock.I think the native people should press hard for the amendment to pass protecting the rock.

[@AraJade]

Yes!!!

[@xDefender11]

Mamali Fantaztik hell no

[@StrawberryCream78]

Maybe uluru is the big asteroid which killed the dinosauries

[@thederpinator6636]

Melicia ...no

[@cool2584]

It is not nice to climb on the rock

[@CGT867]

Fly people to the top by helicopter only and give the aboriginals $20 for each person - then they'll probably be OK with it. After all the Aboriginals were nomads who had no concept of land "ownership".

[@gerardwolfe5559]

As a recent visitor I would have loved to have climbed the rock as an Australian do these people that want it closed have they already climbed it themselves, We were informed the rock is closed 3\4 of the year as they are trying to inforce closing the climb, tell tourist before they pay the money to go there as you might be shocked in Numbers no longer attending the Area.

[@SuperSlothgaming]

Climbed it before it closed :) the view was amazing everyone missis out now

[@dimitriosfreedom9282]

It’s public property. Why not?

[@piersm6970]

I believe in the Moon god and find it very offensive for people to look at the Moon, take photos of it or paint it. Can people please respect my religion and beliefs?

[@brandonbuchner1771]

Piers M And can you believe that people actually WALKED on it??!?!?! What insensitive assholes.

[@stuckupcurlyguy]

Piers M Apparently thousands of years of unbroken culture = some random crap you just made up.

[@kelgs13]

+stuckupcurlyguy Just like all sacred things are made up including the belief surrounding this rock

[@jinchey]

Have you lived on the moon for 120,000 years?

[@JeffZuccMusk]

@@brandonbuchner1771 There was no peoples on moon. Never been. Never will be.

[@Todesmilch]

Stonehenge is an ancient manmade construct. Which makes it an artifact of human history. A large mound in the ground protected by spirits does not nearly hold the same relevance. Nobody could go anywhere if we put restrictions based on people spiritual beliefs. I would hate to be held back from a profound experience because someone said that theirs was more important than mine.

[@bluecanary1note]

Maybe a protective walkway could be built over the rock so that no boots or feet actually touch it. That way it won't get eroded. Surely the Aborigines don't object to people just VISITING it?

[@Bruce15485]

Use a Drone !!

[@joshuadurette6798]

do I get extra marks

[@exploreaustralia6577]

Beauty of Uluru. Keep respects.

[@hauberin1]

Looking at all the arguments for and against climbing Ayer's Rock (including the lovely bit about climbing to strike a blow against creationism) I am left with an idea. No one person's ideas and beliefs are paramount to another's, and simply deciding that they are doesn't make it truth. I personally will not climb the rock, because they seem to be asking nicely. Is there really a good reason to disrespect the honestly held beliefs of another man, other than to subjugate and dominate him? All over the world are people who hold faithful spiritual beliefs, and they all have holy places, from Sioux burial grounds to the Kaaba in Mecca, from the Buddhist temples in Tibet to the Wailing Wall. Respect is not a sign of weakness. Its a show of true strength. Uluru belongs to all Aussies, white and black, and should be treasured by all. Something so beautiful should bring out the best in everyone, it seems to me.

[@LuckyFish3000]

Daniel Howell that’s fine, just don’t climb it colonizer.

[@JaydenLawson]

Can't wait to climb it

[@Mikimikey]

i will be glad just to see it, and take pictures ! Michel

[@DTI_LIFE]

Glad I climbed it. Just wish I wore my footy boots. What a crock

[@LardGreystoke]

Religion is either universal or it's bigotry.

[@citizencairns2302]

Loved climbing the rock and have done so several times. If the aboriginals respected themselves and lived culturally like they did long ago then fair enough. Simple fact is it was seabed long before it was so called sacred ground. It was used by aboriginal peoples to navigate-as it is a bloody big rock that can be seen for a long way- so an early servo if you like.

[@jeffkeith637]

Uluru (Ayers Rock) doesn't belong to anybody. I'm Australian. It's part of my heritage as well. I've climbed St Paul's Cathedral during a prayer meeting. I've walked through Westminster, Bath Cathedral, St Andrews, St Mary's, I can walk through St Peter's Basilica even if I don't subscribe to those beliefs. Why is walking the rock different?

[@LuckyFish3000]

Jeff Keith climb it over and over again Jeff. May the ancestors show you what true karma means

[@Jamie_Johnson]

@@LuckyFish3000 FU

[@pokemonmaster1568]

1. Banning climbing Uluru will harm tourism to the area Supporters of Uluru continuing to be climbed argue that a ban would seriously damage tourism to the area. It has been noted that tourism to Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park and adjoining areas is already in decline. Numbers have been falling for the last decade. From 2004 to 2014, visitor numbers to Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park fell 20 per cent. At Uluru, Parks Australia has faced some particularly challenging years, as a decline in tourists - from 349,172 in 2005 to 257,761 in 2012 - caused revenue from the sale of entry tickets to fall. Supporters of the climb argue that there are not sufficient alternate attractions at the Park to compensate for the rock climb being banned. It has been argued that the Uluru Cultural Centre, where tourists are encouraged to begin their visit to the Park and learn about Anangu culture, has not been maintained properly and looks dilapidated, and therefore not an attractive alternative to climbing. Despite claims that the percentage of tourists visiting Uluru who climb the rock has fallen to between 16 and 20 percent, it is argued that this is not a reflection of what tourists want. Opponents of the ban claim that if tourists felt welcome to climb they would do so. A poll conducted by the Northern Territory News after the ban was announced found that over 60 per cent of respondents were in favour of visitors being allowed to climb Uluru. More than 5,000 readers had responded to the poll by November 11, 2017. Uluru has approximately 270,000 visitors each year with Australian tourists the most likely to climb the rock followed by the Japanese, according to the Park’s figures. Japanese tourism to Australia is already in significant decline. Tourism Australia’s figures indicate the number of Japanese tourists visiting Australia fell to 351,000 in 2009 - less than half the 1997 level of 841,000. External factors such as the global financial crisis have negatively affected the tourism industry throughout Australia, including that to Central Australia; however, critics of the climb’s closure argue that such outside pressures as the GFC mean that Australia has to be even more careful not to undermine attractions which draw tourists to this country. In his tourist advice column, Travellers’ Check, published in The Age on December 14, 2009, travel journalist, Clive Dorman, stated, ‘I think the ban will do more harm than good if it goes ahead. It will kill off what is left of Red Centre tourism: if you can’t personally have what is an exhilarating experience, I think there is no point going there. You might as well look at a picture in a coffee-table book.’ In a letter published in the Sydney Morning Herald on November 4, 2017, Greg Cantori similarly noted, ‘It will be interesting to look back from the Uluru settlement ghost town in 20 years and wonder why the tourists stopped coming.’ 2. Banning climbing Uluru will financially disadvantage the indigenous community The Indigenous communities in the region of the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park are already financially disadvantaged. In Mutitjulu, an indigenous community just three miles from Uluru, unemployment, deprivation and poverty are rife. Aboriginal suicides are at record levels in remote Australia, and the Territory has the highest youth suicide rates in the world. Rates of family violence are by some estimates 30 times higher than in the non-Indigenous community. A lack of employment opportunities has been claimed as a major source of Indigenous disadvantage. It has been argued that allowing tourists to climb Uluru is a source of income for the region and is particularly advantageous to the local Nguraritja and Anangu people. Rather than banning the climb, a number of Northern Territory leaders have suggested that climbing the rock should be more widely exploited than is currently the case. The Northern Territory Chief Minister, Adam Giles, has stressed the potential advantages to the Uluru Indigenous community of encouraging tourists to climb the rock. At a sitting of the Northern Territory Parliament in Darwin on April 19, 2016, Mr Giles stated that an Aboriginal-supported climb would ‘lead to jobs and a better understanding of Indigenous culture’. Mr Giles further stated that promoting climbing of the rock would result in a ‘great opportunity for the local Anangu to participate in a lucrative business and create much-needed local jobs’. Supporting the argument that climbing Uluru should continue because of the economic advantages it can offer Indigenous Australians, Maria Billias, writing in the Northern Territory News, stated, ‘ Why should we not be encouraging our indigenous Australians to take control of their destiny and harness any economic opportunity that comes their way to help “close the gap”?’ Referring to Chief Minister Adam Giles’ claim that fostering Uluru climbing as a tourist attraction would supply employment for Indigenous communities, Billias asks, ‘ Should the practice of people climbing Uluru be endorsed by Traditional Owners as a means of supporting economic advancement in one of the poorest regions in this country?’ Her response is ‘ The Chief Minister believes so. And he is probably right.’ 3. Measures can be taken to reduce safety risks Supporters of continuing to allow tourists to climb Uluru acknowledge the risks; however, they argue that the hazards can and are being minimised. The Northern Territory Chief Minister, Adam Giles, has argued that risks can be responsibly managed. Mr Giles has stressed that measures are already being taken to ensure that only those who are fit to do so attempt to climb the rock. Giles has noted that on the Parks Australia Internet site, people are warned not attempt it ‘if you have high or low blood pressure, heart problems, breathing problems, a fear of heights or if you are not fit’. Mr Paddy Uluru, an Indigenous elder who has since died, noted the actions already taken to reduce the risks to climbers and to rescue them should that be necessary. ‘ Maintenance of the park’s vertical rescue capability requires that the numerous staff involved undertake intensive external training and regular in-house training. Each time an incident occurs several staff and emergency personnel are involved and helicopters are often utilised.’ Further to these existing warnings and rescue procedures, Mr Giles has recommended, ‘We could get a professional expert in to look at stringent safety requirements. The climb is not easy. There are safety issues. However, a regulated climb could deliver an unforgettable, unique experience in the heart of Australia’s Indigenous culture.’ The same point was made by Maria Billias in a comment published in The Northern Territory News on April 24, 2016. Billias states, ‘ If safety issues were addressed and more guides were employed to make sure tourists oblige by strict cultural protocols - even if it means keeping the climb closed on certain days or even during entire seasons - then I can only see a potential profitable business opportunity that should be explored.’ 4. Uluru is an Australian icon not merely an Indigenous one Among those who argue that Uluru should continue to be climbed by tourists are those who stress that the site belongs to all Australians, not merely the Anangu people who claim ownership of it. This was a common thread in reader responses to a news report titled ‘Climbing Uluru banned’ which was published on November 1, 2017, in The Australian. The following were among the comments posted. ‘ What right do any group of Australians have to claim singular title and possession to a landmark that they did not build and which has been there for millions of years longer than them?’; ‘ It saddens me to think my Australian children, who are as Australian as any of these “Indigenous” people, are now not able to enjoy the same path I did’; ‘ This is a geological part of Australia. All Australians own it. Same as we all own the beaches, the sun and the trees.’ ‘ You cannot lock up Australian natural icons for circa 3% of the population.’ ‘ What a ridiculous decision. Ayers Rock or Uluru belongs to all Australians.’ ‘What right have these people got to prevent me from climbing up a rock in my own country? A natural crag in the middle of the desert.’ ‘ Whilst I can respect some indigenous not wanting us to climb it the reality is it belongs to all of us and I do not think climbing it should be banned at all’; ‘ Ayers Rock belongs to all Australians. If people want to climb it why can’t others respect that?’; ‘ Uluru is owned by all Australians’ ; ‘Now we can’t climb this amazing inspiring piece of our topography because the beliefs of some of the first Australians supersede the rights of all others.’

[@froggieredcliffe8097]

PLEASE CLOSE THE CLIMB AT ULURU TODAY!

[@berndneumann2193]

I was at the 2001 Uluru and it was an unforgettable experience on a trip to the other side of the world. The argument of the sacred mountain of the Anangu and that no sanctuaries such as churches can be climbed in Europe, etc.,could not stop me, because even the ascent of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome is a similar attraction. One should tourists who travel to this beautiful country not take the experience from above the "big nothing" to enjoy. When I come back, and I will, I want to experience it again.

[@LuckyFish3000]

Bernd Neumann we wish you all the best next time you go. The ancestors are watchful.

[@maxipaz5597]

Sorry this is a natural thing not a church

[@DuckDonald44]

This should be called “why are Australians still funding Uluru”

[@lordwallie24]

i was there and i have not climb the rock

[@mamalifantaztik216]

A few hikers would eventually led to a millions and eventually it will ruin the beauty of the rock.I vote no hiking.

[@AraJade]

Do you know how many goddamn people visit it despite that? Do the math, in a year there'd be thousands, in a few there'd be millions.

[@davesfilmingservices4377]

it's not a climb it's steep walk at the start. I walked up to the summit in 1977 when I was 26 and there was no restrictions then. Everest I a sacred mountain and no one stops people climbing that. Mind you there's money to be made on Everest !!!!!!

[@Gramma907]

I'm tired of anyone who claims "magical" or special power to mere objects. It's damn ROCK, people. A damn Rock. Just because it's unique.. primitive brains want to worship it. Reminds me of the Islamic how they worship their black rock and claim "it takes away sin" primitive brains.

[@Mandragara]

Most people are religious. We have to live with that.

[@thederpinator6636]

Gramma907 I’m Islamic and idk what black rock your talking about I wouldn’t care if someone moved the thing

[@isis2523]

Racist

[@raynaldo4644]

Dude aboriginal people dont own the "Rock" It was there long before humans and will be there long after humans. Manage it properly, initiate guide led climbs like the Harbour Bridge so there is not a trail of tourists. Limit the climbers, limit the areas climbers can go. Use the Rock to create opportunity for tourism and employment for the "keepers". Stop the climbers will limit tourism ! As a long term tax payer my taxes are pumped into Uluru, time to take the opportunity for the icon and its "Keepers" who make a living from it to take control so EVERYONE can be part of the experience

[@rjayg6575]

we dont own the land, the land owns us... we are trying to protect it...

[@AronAroniteOnlineTV]

We must respect the original inhabitants' Culture and stop this deseccration.period. Only barbarians will insist on disrespecting certain customs and norms. It isnt a 'frickin rock' any more than a Crucifix is a frickin stick!

[@pivotmaster861]

But the crucifix is a stick

[@gussyt1761]

Sad it’s closing

[@BigTimeBoozer]

The gate and the signs were installed.

[@Peleski]

I climbed it in 78 and nobody was making this fuss. It's just a few people flexing their political muscle. The tourism numbers will drop. The area is really in the middle of nowhere, is very expensive for accommodation, and there other are more accessible places to visit.

[@clayjohnson1337]

because that was before it was given back

[@rachelscoltockangelmedium]

Wonderful that it is now going to be closed to climbers from Oct 2019! About time and all the ignoramuses can go climb something else. We have this beautiful ancient living culture, the oldest in the world, threatened to be lost because of so much belief in we should all have everything, have access to everything and ignore what we destroy in the meantime. So this one small move will make a big difference and we need to keep moving in the same direction. Honour and revere these wonderful people rather than marginalise and put them down.

[@hrimages1]

of course is a "sacrilegious" do you climbing the tomb in the cemetery ? I don't think so, the Rock is a same, the Rock have a legend, the legend is " the people sleeping inside and wait the end of the day for wake up " so it is style a tomb

[@stevom5678]

So you're saying that the Rock has dead people inside it?......Its that, just a legend, but i can scientifically prove that its a rock however, can you prove there is "people inside waiting to wake up"

[@hrimages1]

is a legend just a legend but curiously we have the same in France for the famous mountain Bugarach

[@stevom5678]

Yep, proves that in the old world, people smoked a lot of drugs and made up crap. In the modern world, its about scientific achievement and scientific evidence. I prefer the modern world.

[@carbonite1999]

Ask you self,, are you an Australian tax payer? Is this place a national park ? Is the Upkeep funded by Aust gov? Are the people who manage or even considered owner managers payed by tax payers money? If you think the answer is YES you would be right ! This is Australia we are all equal , close of one place and call it a no go area , you know more places are to follow , it could be your back yard next ! Slippery slope people!

[@attilavidacs24]

My question is, have those Park operators ever climbed it? If i was to have a guess I would say yes, most of them have. So what I'm trying to get at is if some people have climbed it why can't others?

[@davidmaddison2628]

Exactly.

[@omniexistus]

Traditional owners? No one "owns" it. If someone wants to climb it then they should have that right.

[@barraabus]

So, what damage can you do to a rock?

[@davidking7222]

Been there , and climb it . The place is good to take a picture of . But if you can’t climb it , don’t go . The place isn’t that Special it’s better now the aboriginals run it , theres more native grasses . But no good toilets or picnic areas & drinking taps and you can’t camp there . Don’t waste your time . These way better places to visit . Go to the great Barrier Reef . The chances of dying at the rock is way to high .

[@alissaburge6375]

It is not safe to climb Uluru and I remember the tragic accidents of many deaths of people who climbed Uluru or Ayers Rock in the Australia’s Northern Territory..

[@nizdib4623]

It is disrespectful to climb ularu

[@alissaburge6375]

I will not to try to climb Uluru and it is very dangerous and there are 37 people had died from climbing Uluru Ayers Rock is one of sacredness by the aboriginal tribes in Australia. I walked around it in the heart of Australia. 🇦🇺

[@nodefense]

DSC anyone?

[@stevom5678]

It's your legal right to climb the rock if you choose. If you wish to respect the local indigenous customs and not climb, then so be it, you're being very curtious. IF you want to climb then you should be mindful of how many deaths, serious injuries and calls for rescue take place which is going to cost you a pretty penny. Make an educated decision and not just go by what the locals say, remember it was here long before any person was walking around on 2 legs, you can't claim ownership or possession, what the locals have claimed is regency (Protectorship). Next the locals will be laying claim to the Great Barrier Reef. BUT do enjoy yourself and experience Australian culture at all levels

[@thederpinator6636]

Stevo M I agree with this

[@r.b.4611]

Climing Uluru is quite safe, most of the 30ish deaths on record have been due to heart attacks during the climb, which could happen during any kind of exercise.

[@somedude9528]

+Stevo M Yet if I were to climb the Dome of the Rock, because it involves a Western religion, you'd probably flip out. Just accept that it's wrong to climb a religious monument, or take dumps on it, as many American or Chinese tourists have been caught on camera doing.

[@r.b.4611]

@@somedude9528 Nah man if you build it on your land it's property, if it formed naturally it should be accessible to the public. Full stop.

[@somedude9528]

+R.B. And has that stopped various Western religions from claiming various natural landmarks? Besides, naturally-formed or not, it's pretty disrespectful to do it to a known religious spot.

[@lowenbraus1]

Are there toilets up there?

[@375GTB]

AYERS ROCK!!! BECAUSE IT IS THERE! J.C.

[@westnblu]

Because it's there?

[@gasmanoo]

It ´s just a rock. I would climb it just out of spite.

[@locouk]

I'd love to visit Uluru, I'd be totally happy with the base walk. Personally the people that climb it are idiots, how would they like it if a sign encouraged people to walk over their parents grave?

[@Vot63]

It's a sacred sight that was traditionally climbed by the indigenous people, so climbing the rock is no more "sacrilegious" than a non-Christian visiting a European cathedral, or neolithic stone circle. Europeans wouldn't dream of saying that only whites of christian ancestry can visit St Pauls, or Maes Howe; sounds like the aboriginals are being racist.

[@dippaandyomama]

Not true at all, the Anangu people never have and still don't climb Uluru. Climbing on top of Uluru isnt equal to just visiting The Vatican but climbing around the exterior and statues which through wear and tear begin to deteriorate the paint and stone. Also sometimes people go to the toilet on of the rock which causes feces and E.coli to enter the water holes, I'd imagine the Catholics would be unhappy to find such things in their holy water.

[@Red-ju4mi]

What about Europeans killing each other over the holy land. They don't say anything, they just kill each other. If they want to please the traditions, shouldn't they give back the land to the original natives. Instead of having it as a national park

[@Vot63]

Dicksmash McIroncock You are comparing a rock outcrop to architecture? You must have topped out in the cultural relativity class. PS. Did anybody say that it was okay to shit on Ayer's Rock? No, I didn't think so, anymore crap you want to make up?

[@dippaandyomama]

No, no one SAID it's okay to shit up there but people DO it anyway. I'm not making this up. I visited the Uluru on my summer holidays in 2012 and the tour guide said this was one of the problems with people climbing it: 1. Erosion of the rock 2. Animals rely on the watering at the base as their only source of fresh water in the desert. Sometimes when people are up there they have no where to do their business so they do it up there and the run off of urine and fecal matter infects the water. 3. Litter, lots of it. 4. And most importantly, you're are showing a great disrespect to the Anangu people and their beliefs. You're simple jobs as a visitor to their land is to not be a wanker and listen to them.Also I'm a STEM student at uni but generalising can only get you so far in terms of accuracy

[@Vot63]

Dicksmash McIroncock Why is it "their" land? I have as much respect for primitive beliefs as Richard Dawkins has for Christianity.

[@IHLWonk]

I don't see you complaining when the law takes away your rights to kill/capture endangered animals, cut down forests, littering, or dumping oil in the great barrier reef... stealing, beating randoms, or killing someone. So if you don't complain about those rights taken from you, then shut up. I would have agreed to keep the climb, but if it does damage in the long run, close it.

[@michaelmarvanek5466]

i was born in Australia. i will walk on a bloody rock if i want to. its mine as much it is anyone else's

[@thederpinator6636]

Michael Marvanek good for you!

[@damienmarlowe4836]

Michael Marvanek yeah try it boy

[@brucegordon5312]

According to the maths of population growth doubling every 35 years; mathematically aborigines have not been in Australia for the alleged 40,000 years. Even if you generously allow doubling of population every 500 years.

[@ROLLAtiger]

Erosion from climbing? I call BS! This is not the tribes property. The got their a**es kicked along time ago. To the Victor's, go the spoils.

[@stinkycatz]

Looks like the place where Flies are born .

[@niza5708]

I like turtels

[@isis2523]

No one cares

[@BigTimeBoozer]

I'm going back before October 2019, just to climb Uluru one last time. I have visited the Rock three times (1980, 1995 and 2014) and I climbed on all but the last visit. I have certainly listened to the traditional 'owners' and their views, but I do not agree with them. Use of the site as a supposed toilet is no less than it would be of any other national park or remote space without facilities. In any case I question the exact number or percentage of visitors who act in that way on the Rock.

[@bhagvandadaji7668]

Dadaji Bhagvan ke Aseem jaikar Jaikar hoo

[@joshuadurette6798]

I would climb it

[@pokemonmaster1568]

Its a rock

[@parsa.8734]

it's disrespectful to the tradition