Uluru – to climb or not to climb?

I have just had a brief adventure in the Outback, the Red Centre, the heart of Australia – (call it what you will) – and absolutely loved it!

The hugeness of everything, the openness, the colours, the peacefulness, the scenery, the big sky – I could go on and on…..

This is my picture of Uluru with no-one climbing it, not because it is prohibited but because it was closed due to high wind on the summit. It opened up later in the morning and many of the visitors started climbing.

Climbing Uluru?

There are mixed messages about climbing Uluru and we chose not to climb.   The local Anangu people ask visitors to respect the cultural significance of the area and to not climb the rock, as they believe all the important history and stories are around the base, not on top.  

Many visitors just see the challenge of the climb and the opportunity of the magnificent views from the top.  It’s a very scary looking climb and nearly 40 people have died or been injured in doing so.

Apart from the safety issues there are also the environmental reasons not to climb, the erosion of the well worn track is changing the face of Uluru and the pollution, rubbish and waste that is dropped by those who have climbed is having an impact as well.  When it rains, everything is washed off the rock into waterholes which is proving to be a hazard for wildlife who depend on that water.

Cycling and walking around Uluru instead

We chose to walk around the rock (approximately 10km) and we also hired bikes and cycled around it…twice!

A free guided walk by a park ranger was a highlight for us, as it told us the stories, made us slow down, listen and feel the atmosphere of the area.

I am also posting this for the weekly photo challenge with the theme of Symbol – as Uluru is a symbol to many Australians.  It is in the centre of our country, it is immediately recognisable as uniquely Australian, it has a deep symbolic connection with the local Anangu people and their long history in this land.  It is a very spiritual place to visit and has been recognised as a World Heritage Area for both the cultural and natural values it offers.

What an amazing place and what an awesome adventure 🙂

Every day is an adventure is a new project for me, where I will post a photo every day for 365 days (not necessarily taken that day) – sometimes with words, sometimes without.  I believe that everyday should be an adventure!

The photo might be mundane, might be exciting, might be obscure, or it might be just a different take on something relevant to that day!!  I use my iPhone for my photos and edit them sparingly. You can click here for all my Every day photo project photos in one place.

I’d love to hear from you.

Enjoy!

Deb 🙂

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