Can visitors to Ayers Rock climb it and what is the best time to visit when its not too hot?

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James

Ayers Rock is also known as Uluru. This is from Wikipedia:

"The local Anangu do not climb Uluru because of its great spiritual significance. They request that visitors not climb the rock, partly due to the path crossing a sacred traditional dreaming track, and also a sense of responsibility for the safety of visitors to their land. The Anangu have a spiritual connection to Uluru, and feel great sadness when a person dies or is injured whilst climbing. In 1983, then Prime Minister of Australia Bob Hawke promised to forbid climbing, but access to climb Uluru was made a condition before title was officially given back to the traditional owners.

Climbing Uluru is a popular attraction for visitors. A chain handhold added in 1964 and extended in 1976 makes the hour long climb easier, but it is still a long (800 metres) and steep hike to the top, where it can be quite windy. An above average level of fitness, and a high tolerance to the extreme hot desert conditions is required. Over the years there have been at least forty deaths[citation needed], mainly due to heart failure whilst climbing Uluru, as well as non-fatal heart attacks and other injuries."

If you go to this Wikipedia website:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uluru

It will head you in the right direction to answer your questions.

There is a photo of a path up the monolith, along with information about recommendations AGAINST climbing the rock because it is sacred to the Aboriginies. However, that apparently doesn't slow down a lot of people.

(Keep in mind when people recommend that you go in "winter" that winter in the United States is summer in Australia! You might want to do some research on local weather conditions there during different months.)

Good luck on your search!

Jim in Wisconsin

Desperate Mummy

Anangu people actually prefer that the rock was not climbed due to the spiritual significance that it holds to them. However, you are able to climb if you wish. The rock is only open to climbers if the: 1. The temperature is below 36 degrees.
2. It is not too windy.
3. It is not raining.
These conditions are at the discretion of the park rangers.
The rock does offer some alternatives such as doing the base walk which is approx 9km and being able to look at some spiritual sites in the mean time. Their is also a cultural centre which is not too far that you are able to go to which tells you a bit more about the history. There are also helicopter tours that you can go on if you wanted a different perspective. Another place to visit is Kata Tjuta they are absolutely spectacular and the walk through those is approx 7.5km this is a must see. The best time to visit is in the cooler months as the climb will be open and their are not too many flies!! So anywhere from March through to November is good. However, saying that. It is also peak tourist season. Tours and accomodation are more expensive and the place is packed. You will be amazed. Happy Holidaying.

~â™¥~

you can climb it...but i don't recommend it because i heard people have died from doing it.

Ni-Kay!

Go to the outback durring our Spring/Summer. It'll be Fall/Winter there and will be nice and not to HOT.

oldman

of course you can climb it
the best time is October

Calebs Mummy

last time i went you could climb it, and probably the best time to go is around the late autumn months early winter, or towards the end of winter

auburn

Uluru as it is now known can be climbed and I have done so many years ago. It can be quite daunting especially if it is a windy day as some parts of the climb are narrower than others. There are more restriction now than used to be due to the rock being governed by the native aboriginal people. This is due to the rock having special significance to the people. If you can visit on a day when it has rained the rock changes colour to almost silver streaks and at sunset it becomes a brilliant red orange colour. There are many unusual features in the rock and I have a photo of erosion that looks very much like the human brain. There is the fertility cave that has a hand worn into it as it is a place were all the young aboriginal girls go to become fertile. It is well worth a look. The Olgas in the same region also are amazing with the Valley of the Wind in the middle which you can walk through.

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