Why was the Uluru climb closed?
The climb on Uluru was permanently closed on 26 October 2019 out of respect for the Anangu people, the Traditional Owners, who regard the rock as a sacred site and had long asked visitors not to climb.
For decades, many tourists climbed Uluru using a chain handrail on its western side. The Anangu considered the climbing route to have great spiritual significance and did not climb it themselves.
The climb was also dangerous. At least 35 people are reported to have died on Uluru since the 1950s, from falls and heat-related illness, and many others needed rescue.
A unanimous decision
In 2017, the board of Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, which includes a majority of Anangu members, voted unanimously to close the climb. The closure date was set to mark 34 years since the land was handed back to the Anangu in 1985.
In the months before the closure, large numbers of people rushed to climb the rock, causing crowds and controversy.
Since the closure, visitors are encouraged to walk around the base of Uluru, take guided tours led by Anangu guides and learn about the culture and stories of the area. The base walk is about ten kilometres long.