Instagram influencer reveals why she scaled Uluru

Tourists have flocked to Uluru for their last chance to scale the sacred site two days before a climbing ban is put in place.  

The Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park board decided unanimously they would forbid people from climbing the sacred rock in 2017.

Among the crowds to make a last-ditch attempt to reach Uluru’s summit was social media influencer Tegan McLellan – who climbed the monolith earlier this week. 

 

Tourists have flocked to Uluru for their last chance to scale the sacred site two days before a climbing ban is put in place (pictured Sunshine Coast influencer Tegan McLellan, who scaled Uluru earlier this week)

'Uluru has always been on my list of places to visit but was always a 'some day' trip,' Ms McLellan (pictured) said

‘Uluru has always been on my list of places to visit but was always a ‘some day’ trip,’ Ms McLellan (pictured) said

‘Uluru has always been on my list of places to visit but was always a ”some day” trip,’ she told news.com.au.  

‘Since hearing that the climb was closing I decided to make it a priority to visit before the opportunity was gone,’ the Sunshine Coast veterinary student added.

Fears have been raised in the past few months over tourists rushing to climb the rock before the closure and recent crowds appear to have confirmed those fears. 

Domestic tourists paid exorbitant prices to come from far flung parts of Australia to spend just a weekend at Uluru, with all hotels at close to 100 per cent full.

Friends since school Jeff Lis, 52, and Stefan Gangur, 51, left their wives in Melbourne for their first trip to the Red Centre.

‘I can remember as a kid I always said I’m going to climb that one day … now they’re closing it, we thought well let’s get here while we’re still relatively mobile,’ Mr Lis said. 

Domestic tourists paid exorbitant prices to come from far flung parts of Australia to spend just a weekend at Uluru, with all hotels at close to 100 per cent full (one tourist pictured at Uluru recently)

Domestic tourists paid exorbitant prices to come from far flung parts of Australia to spend just a weekend at Uluru, with all hotels at close to 100 per cent full (one tourist pictured at Uluru recently)

The park’s general manager Mike Misso says Uluru can now be a better tourist destination with more Anangu people working and benefiting from it.

‘The dominant reason for the UNESCO World Heritage listing was the living cultural landscape of nature and culture intertwined through traditions over thousands of years,’ he said.

Fears have been raised in the past few months over tourists rushing to climb the rock before the closure and recent crowds appear to have confirmed those fears (pictured a line of people waiting to climb the rock on October 13)

Fears have been raised in the past few months over tourists rushing to climb the rock before the closure and recent crowds appear to have confirmed those fears (pictured a line of people waiting to climb the rock on October 13)

‘The closure of the climb enhances the park’s world heritage values. It’s in conflict if you have got inappropriate visitor activity.

‘For every tourist destination, you have to reinvent yourself, if you just offer the same people go elsewhere.’

Twitter users criticised the ‘disrespect’ of those climbing the rock at the last minute after footage of the line of people waiting to climb Uluru was shared online on Thursday.

Social media users hit out at the huge crowds saying they were ashamed as Australians to see so many people on the famous monolith

Social media users hit out at the huge crowds saying they were ashamed as Australians to see so many people on the famous monolith

‘This is incredibly disappointing. Wish they could close it early,’ one person wrote.

‘Do these people not know how to read the signs?’ another added. ‘They obviously don’t care about respecting our fellow Australians traditions.’

Another picture taken earlier this month by a Japanese tour guide showed a crowd of adults and children pulling themselves up from Uluru’s base using a metal chain. 

The race to beat the ban has been stressful for Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park staff like ranger in charge Greg Elliot – who has to rescue the many people who get injured during the dangerous climb.  

Another picture taken earlier this month (pictured) by a Japanese tour guide showed a crowd of adults and kids pulling themselves up from Uluru's base using a metal chain

Another picture taken earlier this month (pictured) by a Japanese tour guide showed a crowd of adults and kids pulling themselves up from Uluru’s base using a metal chain 

Isabella Schiller, 12, was climbing the rock in the Northern Territory with her parents and younger brother last Monday when she lost her footing. 

Her mother Tonia was left to helplessly watch on as her daughter tumbled down the steep rock.

Isabella was bloodied and bruised and had to be carried down by other climbers.

She suffered a compound finger fracture, an ankle injury, and cuts and abrasions from the fall. 

Isabella Schiller, 12, (pictured) was climbing the rock in the Northern Territory with her parents and younger brother last Monday when she lost her footing

Isabella Schiller, 12, (pictured) was climbing the rock in the Northern Territory with her parents and younger brother last Monday when she lost her footing 

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk