I was lucky enough to tick Uluru off my bucket list earlier this year. Initially, I had zero intentions of visiting the Red Centre. However, after seeing it for myself, I understand why everyone wants to go there. The vast red land, the stunning geological features, and the phenomenal sunrises are enough to make anyone want to see Uluru.

But lately there has been an influx of people who have Uluru on their bucket list for another reason, and that is, to climb the rock.

With the impending ban of the climb, tourists are rushing to scale Uluru before its official close date on the 26th of October. On one hand, the spike in tourism numbers is great for the area. But on the other hand, the overcrowding has had some pretty negative effects on the National Park.

Peak season saw record numbers for Uluru, which, as I mentioned, is really great news for the tourism industry. However, it also led to illegal camping, trespassing, and reports of rubbish being dumped inside the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. For a place that holds so much cultural significance, I found this pretty upsetting.

So, the question that everyone keeps asking me: why didn’t you climb Uluru?

There are quite a few reasons why I chose not to climb Uluru (including the fact that I was far too lazy to do so). I know many people have differing opinions on climbing Uluru, so here’s why I chose not to.

It is more physically demanding than people realise

Well for starters, climbing the rock involves a level of fitness that I personally don’t have. The general consensus from others who did climb Uluru is that “it is really, really difficult”. As someone who gets fatigued walking up a set of stairs, climbing a giant monolith wasn’t exactly of interest to me.

It is extremely dangerous

Secondly, it is so dangerous. It was not until I saw the rock up close that I realised how steep it really is. Other than a chain fixated to the rock, there are absolutely no safety restraints when climbing up Uluru. This in itself, worried me. And for good reason too considering what happened during my trip.

Sadly, on my second day at Uluru, an elderly man went into cardiac arrest whilst climbing the rock. It took over two hours to get him down to safety and he was then airlifted to Alice Springs hospital. Luckily the man survived, but I did learn that more than 30 people have died doing the climb since the 1950s. Even more shocking, the plaques of the people who have died are placed at the start of the climb. That definitely put me off attempting to scale the rock.

It is culturally insensitive

Another reason I didn’t want to climb the rock is for cultural reasons. The traditional owners of the land, the Anangu people, ask that you respect their culture by not climbing Uluru. There are also huge, impossible to miss, signs at the base of the rock stating “Please don’t climb”. I took that advice and decided to walk around the base of the rock instead. I must say, it was absolutely amazing. Seeing the Aboriginal rock art, sacred waterholes and stunning colours of the rock was the highlight of my entire trip.

Uluru is not going to last forever

Whilst it technically is considered a tourist attraction, Uluru isn’t the same as the Sydney Harbour Bridge or the Eiffel Tower. Being a natural sandstone structure, the rock is impacted by a number of environmental issues such as erosion of the surface and pollution of the surrounding waterholes. If the Eiffel Tower is subject to damaging winds, the steel structure can simply be repaired. The ongoing climbing of Uluru causes damage that can never be fixed.

Things you can do that don’t involve climbing the rock

If you read my post about why Uluru needs to be on your bucket list, you’ll know there are tonnes of awesome things you can do out in the Red Centre. Here are just some of the cool activities you can do at Uluru.

• Walk around the base of the rock
• Cycle around the rock
• Ride a segway around the rock
• Jump on the back of the Harley Davidson to circle Uluru
• Watch the sunset (or rise) over the rock
• Ride a camel over the sand dunes and see Uluru from a distance
• Do a scenic flight or helicopter ride for an aerial view
• Enjoy a BBQ dinner alongside the rock
• See the Field of Light
• Take a walk to view the Aboriginal rock art
• Check out some of the waterholes at the base of Uluru

Uluru is an incredible place that I believe everyone should see at least once in their lifetime. I had an incredible time during my trip to the red centre, and I honestly didn’t feel the need to climb the rock. Plus, how can I see Uluru if I’m standing on top of it?

Until the next adventure,
Jetsetter Soph