Closer look at Uluru/Ayers Rock

More on Uluru/Ayers Rock.

The Anangu people own Uluru/Ayers Rock and the land is leased to the Australian Government Parks Australia and the Anangu people work together as partners, jointly managing the national park using a mix of modern science and traditional knowledge.

Uluru has been sacred to Anangu for tens of thousands of years, and climbing Uluru was not generally permitted under Anangu law and Culture.

Visitors began climbing Uluru in the late 1930's and to keep people safe, the first section of the climb, chain was installed in 1964.

The climb was closed in 2017 due to the spiritual significance of the site and the danger of climbing.  There is a $10,000 Fine if you are found climbing Uluru.

It is estimated that 37 people have died on Uluru since Western tourists began climbing the site in the middle of last century via a track so steep in parts that some scared visitors descend backward or on all fours.  Some slipped on wet rock and feel to their deaths.

I took some close-up photos of part of the rock plus some climbers going up and coming down.  You can see some are on all fours.  So the photos of the climbers were taken in 2016.

Ayers Rock/Uluru, Australia

Uluru or Ayers Rock is a sacred site and it is seen as resting place for ancient spirits, giving it religious stature for the Aboriginals.

Uluru stand 318 meters above the surrounding desert and measures eight kilometers around. The monolith also extends at least 2.5 kilometers down into the ground.

About 550 million years ago these hardened sandstone layers were uplifted to form mountains, which then gradually eroded and washed away into number of large sediment rich alluvial fans, one of which formed the bases of Uluru/Ayers Rock.

To put this fact into perspective, the first mammals and the dinosaurs inhabited the Earth around 300-200 million years ago. So a fun fact for children is that Uluru/Ayers Rock is about twice as ancient as the dinosaurs!

The location of Uluru is in the southern part of the Northern Territory, Central Australia.  Uluru lies 335 km south west of the nearest large town, Alice Springs; or 450 km by road. Information off the internet.

It's a long drive but there is accommodation near by at Yalata a small village.

We have been to The Rock twice as it's so far away, these photos were taken from our last visit and are of the sunsetting over The Rock.  There is a viewing area, people take their champagne, wine, or their dinner and stand or sit, take photos, videos watching the sunset changing colours on the landscape. 
It's an amazing place.