Save The Climb
Donation protected
Hello my name is Marc Hendrickx.
I am a geologist, and this is an appeal to save The Climb to the summit of Uluru - Ayers Rock, for all Australians. During research for my recent book A Guide to Climbing Ayers Rock I discovered that none of the three legal conditions given for closing The Climb have ever been met. And yet the ban is going ahead! On behalf of all among us, and those overseas, who want to keep this wonderful Climb open, we are mounting a legal challenge against Parks Australia.
There are many movies , stories and archival interviews where Aboriginal elders explain that they have no issue with anyone taking The Climb, yet Parks Australia claim The Climb was never supported by the Rock's owners.
Since 1991 Parks Australia has been closing The Climb because of what they call adverse weather. Implausibly this is around 80% of the time and many who travel all the way out there to climb, are dramatically disappointed.
Seven million people have climbed the Rock, so why have bureaucrats decided to ban it without asking us?
We believe the ban on climbing represents destruction of significant Australian heritage and will do great damage to the reputation of the Park and its Aboriginal owners. The ban goes against the wishes of the majority of the Australian Public. More so, we contend it is counter to Australian and International law.
The local economy will suffer greatly as a result, as visitor numbers plummet when the ban is introduced.
When presented with all the facts the ban simply makes no sense.
Parks Australia and the Park Board are banning the Climb this year on 26 October - so there’s not much time! They are also planning to destroy the summit monument , climbing chain and the memorial plaques on the Rock.
The Climb and the Rock truly belong to the world. Please join us in helping to make sure future generations can experience the same wonder and joy as my family - and millions of others - have experienced. This appeal is to fund the legal action against Parks Australia which holds a lease over the park - for all Australians. Please donate to our fund – all amounts are welcome!
Background
The Climb up Ayers Rock dates from the earliest human habitation of central Australia about 30000 years ago and continues to present day. The Climb features in the mythology of the current Traditional Owners and features in the stories of the 7 million visitors from all over Australia and the world who have climbed the Rock since the Park was opened to tourism in 1958. The activity of Climbing is of International significance and the Climb and its associated physical infrastructure justifiably hold status as an international tourist icon. The Chain and Summit monument are amongst the most photographed man-made objects in history. The views from the summit were the reason for the success of the World Heritage Nomination for the Uluru Kata Tjuta National Park in 1986 (Listed in 1987). Those views are only accessible from via the Climb and a map showing the summit lookout and the climbing route were included in the 1987 nomination by the Australian Government.
In 2010 against the wishes of Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull and the Australian Public, Parks Australia and the Uluru Kata Tjuta Park Board included three criteria for closing the Climb in the current management plan:
1. the Board, in consultation with the tourism industry, is satisfied that adequate new visitor experiences have been successfully established, or
2. the proportion of visitors climbing falls below 20 per cent, or
3. the cultural and natural experiences on offer are the critical factors when visitors make their decision to visit the park.
On November 1 2017 the Board and Parks Australia announced that it considered the criteria had been met and gave 2 years notice for the Climb to be closed. A tender for destruction of the chain, summit monument and 5 memorial plaques was issued by Parks Australia last week. Australian Heritage is to be destroyed at the lowest dollar. Once gone it will take many years to replace if the owners change their minds.
A new book that celebrates the Climb and explores its rich cultural history shows the closure criteria have not been met. Moreover the book demonstrates that as the Climb is part of Australia’s cultural heritage it is protected by conditions in the lease agreement. The ban breaches this agreement!
The Climb is also protected by the 1987 World Heritage Listing that recognises the unique Landscape values of the Park. The extraordinary Views of the surrounding desert, Mt Connor, and Kata Tjuta and the distant ranges and salt lakes seen by millions and highlighted by the nomination can only be viewed from the summit. The Ban on Climbing will prevent millions from accessing those landscape views protected by the World Heritage Committee.
The book pulls apart the many myths that have been put out by Parks Australia and the Board: These include:
• Traditional Owners Never Climb – In fact Traditional Owners were among the first tourist guides, and encouraged people to climb their Rock.
• The Climb is un safe: In fact The Climb is safer than many other tourist activities like snorkelling on the Great Barrier and Climbing in the Grand Canyon. When you rationally assess the risk the risk of climbing the Rock is as grea as driving to it. These are risk most people are willing to accept to undertake an activity with such great rewards.
• Parks Australia and the Board claim that less than 20% of visitors want to Climb yet their own data shows this is not the case. In fact when tourists have a full choice on those rare days the Climb is fully open on average 44% choose to climb and some days the figures range above 70%. Regardless of the number of people who want to climb, the Climb should remain open. Less than 20% of people play golf but no one is thinking about banning it or any other activity enjoyed by a few.
That Name?
The feature is jointly named Uluru or Ayers Rock and according the Northern Territory Place Names register both names are equally as important and can be used either together of individually.
Why is the money required and what will it be spent on?
The Government, Parks Australia and the Board have chosen to ignore the compelling arguments for keeping the Climb open and the only means of overturning the indefensible ban now available is through legal action! This is going to cost a significant amount of money. The money will be used initially to cover costs of framing the legal case and engaging a top notch team and to start proceedings against Parks Australia and the Board. It will also cover some travel costs to attend meetings and fund advertising to raise awareness - there is over 30 years of propaganda to counter. We may need to raise more funds to progress the case the through to Australia's highest courts.
We seek the support of those who have climbed and like us know what we are talking about. If you want your children and their children to be able to experience this unique part of Australia’s natural and cultural heritage please donate. Your donation will help ensure The Climb remains open for all of us into the future.
As a National Park the Rock and The Climb belongs to all Australian’s. We respect the rights of the land owners to change their minds, but if they ban access to those World Heritage listed views they must in all fairness acknowledge the lease and the trust with the Australian people given in 1985 has been broken , and they must run the Park privately without the support of Australian Tax payers.
More information
You can find more information by reading “A Guide to Climbing Ayers Rock ” from Connor Court Publishing .
Visiting the Right to Climb Blog and explore the many Climbing Stories , Climbing legends and wonderful history of The World’s most Iconic Climb.
Please add your climbing story and any photos in the comments. We are seeking to use the photos as part of the legal case. They will help demonstrate that the ban makes no sense.
I am a geologist, and this is an appeal to save The Climb to the summit of Uluru - Ayers Rock, for all Australians. During research for my recent book A Guide to Climbing Ayers Rock I discovered that none of the three legal conditions given for closing The Climb have ever been met. And yet the ban is going ahead! On behalf of all among us, and those overseas, who want to keep this wonderful Climb open, we are mounting a legal challenge against Parks Australia.
There are many movies , stories and archival interviews where Aboriginal elders explain that they have no issue with anyone taking The Climb, yet Parks Australia claim The Climb was never supported by the Rock's owners.
Since 1991 Parks Australia has been closing The Climb because of what they call adverse weather. Implausibly this is around 80% of the time and many who travel all the way out there to climb, are dramatically disappointed.
Seven million people have climbed the Rock, so why have bureaucrats decided to ban it without asking us?
We believe the ban on climbing represents destruction of significant Australian heritage and will do great damage to the reputation of the Park and its Aboriginal owners. The ban goes against the wishes of the majority of the Australian Public. More so, we contend it is counter to Australian and International law.
The local economy will suffer greatly as a result, as visitor numbers plummet when the ban is introduced.
When presented with all the facts the ban simply makes no sense.
Parks Australia and the Park Board are banning the Climb this year on 26 October - so there’s not much time! They are also planning to destroy the summit monument , climbing chain and the memorial plaques on the Rock.
The Climb and the Rock truly belong to the world. Please join us in helping to make sure future generations can experience the same wonder and joy as my family - and millions of others - have experienced. This appeal is to fund the legal action against Parks Australia which holds a lease over the park - for all Australians. Please donate to our fund – all amounts are welcome!
Background
The Climb up Ayers Rock dates from the earliest human habitation of central Australia about 30000 years ago and continues to present day. The Climb features in the mythology of the current Traditional Owners and features in the stories of the 7 million visitors from all over Australia and the world who have climbed the Rock since the Park was opened to tourism in 1958. The activity of Climbing is of International significance and the Climb and its associated physical infrastructure justifiably hold status as an international tourist icon. The Chain and Summit monument are amongst the most photographed man-made objects in history. The views from the summit were the reason for the success of the World Heritage Nomination for the Uluru Kata Tjuta National Park in 1986 (Listed in 1987). Those views are only accessible from via the Climb and a map showing the summit lookout and the climbing route were included in the 1987 nomination by the Australian Government.
In 2010 against the wishes of Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull and the Australian Public, Parks Australia and the Uluru Kata Tjuta Park Board included three criteria for closing the Climb in the current management plan:
1. the Board, in consultation with the tourism industry, is satisfied that adequate new visitor experiences have been successfully established, or
2. the proportion of visitors climbing falls below 20 per cent, or
3. the cultural and natural experiences on offer are the critical factors when visitors make their decision to visit the park.
On November 1 2017 the Board and Parks Australia announced that it considered the criteria had been met and gave 2 years notice for the Climb to be closed. A tender for destruction of the chain, summit monument and 5 memorial plaques was issued by Parks Australia last week. Australian Heritage is to be destroyed at the lowest dollar. Once gone it will take many years to replace if the owners change their minds.
A new book that celebrates the Climb and explores its rich cultural history shows the closure criteria have not been met. Moreover the book demonstrates that as the Climb is part of Australia’s cultural heritage it is protected by conditions in the lease agreement. The ban breaches this agreement!
The Climb is also protected by the 1987 World Heritage Listing that recognises the unique Landscape values of the Park. The extraordinary Views of the surrounding desert, Mt Connor, and Kata Tjuta and the distant ranges and salt lakes seen by millions and highlighted by the nomination can only be viewed from the summit. The Ban on Climbing will prevent millions from accessing those landscape views protected by the World Heritage Committee.
The book pulls apart the many myths that have been put out by Parks Australia and the Board: These include:
• Traditional Owners Never Climb – In fact Traditional Owners were among the first tourist guides, and encouraged people to climb their Rock.
• The Climb is un safe: In fact The Climb is safer than many other tourist activities like snorkelling on the Great Barrier and Climbing in the Grand Canyon. When you rationally assess the risk the risk of climbing the Rock is as grea as driving to it. These are risk most people are willing to accept to undertake an activity with such great rewards.
• Parks Australia and the Board claim that less than 20% of visitors want to Climb yet their own data shows this is not the case. In fact when tourists have a full choice on those rare days the Climb is fully open on average 44% choose to climb and some days the figures range above 70%. Regardless of the number of people who want to climb, the Climb should remain open. Less than 20% of people play golf but no one is thinking about banning it or any other activity enjoyed by a few.
That Name?
The feature is jointly named Uluru or Ayers Rock and according the Northern Territory Place Names register both names are equally as important and can be used either together of individually.
Why is the money required and what will it be spent on?
The Government, Parks Australia and the Board have chosen to ignore the compelling arguments for keeping the Climb open and the only means of overturning the indefensible ban now available is through legal action! This is going to cost a significant amount of money. The money will be used initially to cover costs of framing the legal case and engaging a top notch team and to start proceedings against Parks Australia and the Board. It will also cover some travel costs to attend meetings and fund advertising to raise awareness - there is over 30 years of propaganda to counter. We may need to raise more funds to progress the case the through to Australia's highest courts.
We seek the support of those who have climbed and like us know what we are talking about. If you want your children and their children to be able to experience this unique part of Australia’s natural and cultural heritage please donate. Your donation will help ensure The Climb remains open for all of us into the future.
As a National Park the Rock and The Climb belongs to all Australian’s. We respect the rights of the land owners to change their minds, but if they ban access to those World Heritage listed views they must in all fairness acknowledge the lease and the trust with the Australian people given in 1985 has been broken , and they must run the Park privately without the support of Australian Tax payers.
More information
You can find more information by reading “A Guide to Climbing Ayers Rock ” from Connor Court Publishing .
Visiting the Right to Climb Blog and explore the many Climbing Stories , Climbing legends and wonderful history of The World’s most Iconic Climb.
Please add your climbing story and any photos in the comments. We are seeking to use the photos as part of the legal case. They will help demonstrate that the ban makes no sense.
Organizer
Marc Hendrickx
Organizer
Western, NT