Monday, Dec 10, 2018 at 00:31
I climbed it when it was called Ayers
Rock, with a travelling mate, in mid-July 1969.
I was just 20 yrs old, and he was 21. We didn't take long to race up it, as we were
young and fit.
There was no-one else but us there, that day. I remember there was a visitors book at the top, and I left a youthful cheery message in it. I bet they've thrown it out.
It was a pleasant day, and the view from 1100 feet up is quite impressive.
However, I've also climbed Mt Toolbrunup, and that is 1052 metres (3450 feet), and that is a very steep and difficult climb with loose rocks, and having to get on your hands and knees sometimes.
I was 29 when I did that climb, and I beat my 19 yr old highly-competitive companion, who wanted to race me to the top, by at least 400 metres.
Now, the view from the top of Mt Toolbrunup is REALLY impressive! - and puts the view from Uluru in the "also-ran" category.
The points I'm trying to make are -
1. You can climb lots of mountains/rocks/ranges, and get a great view. The view from the top of Uluru is nothing special.
2. You need to be fit to climb up every rock/mountain/range that you might find attractive to climb.
Lots of people suffer medical conditions halfway through, when attempting a climb, and that's not fun. In addition, someone then has to rescue you.
3. The impact of ever-increasing numbers of tourists, has seriously damaged many "tourist sites" - and the numbers and the movement of people to those sites, then has to be controlled, in a highly disciplined and structured manner.
4. Many sites of religious importance and sacredness, worldwide, have been freely open to tourists, but the numbers have had to be curtailed and controlled many times, for fear of damage to the site.
5. I would imagine the local Aboriginals have a variety of opinions as to the sacredness of Uluru, and whether it should or shouldn't be walked on.
Their Dreamtime religious beliefs seem to vary widely according to their upbringing and level of exposure to various elders.
Then we also have a multitude of half-castes, quarter-castes, eighth-castes, and "Aboriginals" who probably have about 1% Aboriginal DNA in them. But they still want to identify as Aboriginal.
I don't have too much of a problem with that - but I often wonder why they want to ignore and disown the 99% of their White, Anglo-Saxon, or other European, Middle Eastern, Indian, or Indonesian ancestral DNA that they carry?
6. Does climbing Uluru add to the "Red Centre experience"? If you're
young and fit, I'll wager it does.
If you're old and unfit, I guess you would have already crossed the climb off your bucket list.
7. Will closing Uluru to climbing reduce the number of tourists and therefore impact upon the local economy? Has anyone even considered this? I doubt the local tribes have.
Whether they are prepared to accept a downturn in tourists, to "reclaim their culture" is perhaps something the local elders and decision makers have decided IS worth it.
8. Personally, I think that the impact of the ever-increasing number of tourists on Uluru is probably the "straw that broke the camels back", that has led to the decision to ban climbing Uluru.
I'm personally of the opinion, the few remaining "real bush Aboriginals" of the local tribes, would be happy to close Uluru off completely, and see the last of the tourists disappear, so they could return to their desert, Dreamtime roots. But the pull of the tourist dollar remains a major drawcard for the rest of them.
Just my 0.02c worth ...
Cheers, Ron.
AnswerID:
622563