Uluru tourist climb to be reopened after safety chains cut

The tourist walk on Uluru will reopen in the near future Parks Australia have announced.

Uluru tourist climb is set to re open. Image by dincsl / CC BY-SA 2.0

Long a contentious issue, conflicting views surrounding the Uluru tourist climb were recently brought into focus as the result of a protest that followed a weekend of services commemorating the thirty-year anniversary of the handover of Uluru to its traditional owners.

Late on Sunday, 25 October, a man identified only as “John” climbed Uluru and cut four of the safety chains. In an interview with radio station ABC 774 Melbourne, John stated he cut the chains to spark debate about whether people should be allowed to climb the sacred site. Though they had no prior knowledge of his actions, several Anangu elders later publically expressed support for John’s actions.

Climbing Uluru is a controversial proposal for many. Image by Jeffowenphotos / CC BY 2.0

The Anangu people have long advocated to have the climb removed, citing the site’s cultural and spiritual significance, as well as concerns for traveller safety. In recent decades, thirty people have died while climbing the rock.

While John’s actions have highlighted the need to debate this issue, Parks Australia, who co-manage the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park with the traditional owners, decided to repair the chains and reopen the walk in the coming weeks.