mala walk

This free walk with one of the rangers was amazing where we learnt so much about the rock Uluru and about the local Anangu Aboriginal people. It was an unforgettable tour with the very knowledgeable ranger taking time to explain everything from the geological aspects to the Tjukurpa which is the word that the Pitjantjatjara-speaking Anangu use to describe the force which unites Anangu with each other and with the landscape. This is a must do when at the Rock.

We stumbled on this when we meet a couple of other campers and Uluru, they asked if we had seen the walk, we hadn't and it was not suggested when we booked in. This free walk and talk by National Park ranger was part of the highlight of our trip. The talk went for over 2 hours, we were a little disappointed that we did not have a local Indigenous ranger take the talk initially, but Steve's passion for Uluru soon won us over. This should be down early on your stay at Uluru. We followed this up with a walk around Uluru in hindsight should have come back in the afternoon but that was our misjudgement.

If your visiting Uluru highly recommend the Mala walks high takes place daily at 8am from Carpark. this walk is free and done by a park ranger. The ranger was extremely personable; getting to know everyone before taking off. He also has excellent local knowledge, is patient in answering everyone's questions and doesn't judge when asking about climbing the Rock even though is considered to be Tabu.

Really nice historical and cultural walk. Highly recommended when you're at uluru! BTW, if you visit, don't climb the rock out of respect for the traditional owners and their culture.

We found the walk very interesting. The guides Clint and Adam , shared stories and their knowledge with honesty and we're approachable.

This is a visually stunning and interesting tour led by a park ranger, as others have expressed. Steve, our ranger, had extensive knowledge of the history of the area, the natural surrounds and the stories shared by the Anagnu people. He took the time and effort to make sure that we were with the group at each stop (not hard to keep up). We went on the 8.00 am tour and this was not a difficult walk with a 10 month old baby in a pram as the day was not yet hot (but the flies were still awful). Following the Mala walk we took the 2km track from the car park at the base of the climb to the cultural centre to catch the bus back to the resort. This is also pram-possible with not much effort. It follows the line of the Rock for some of the way and offers some wonderful views of different parts. Met no other travellers on the path. Had plenty of water.

This was just gorgeous. And free! It was so lovely to hear the local stories and history from someone who is so obviously connected to the traditional owners - I was mesmerised. Thanks so much for this experience, Steve!

It was a good walk to hear the stories. Don't listen to all the rubbish about not climbing uluru if it is open then you should climb. It would be ice to hear about the geology about how the rock was really formed.

This is a must do ..... Free guide-led walk - ours was a large group so took a little longer - around two and a half hours. Led by a very interesting & knowledgable National Park Ranger guide assisted by one of the Anangu people. If you are thinking of climbing Uluru do this walk first and then think again.....

I highly recommend the Ranger guided Mala walk. It is a FREE guided walk about 1km long around part of the base of Uluru. The walk goes for about 2 hrs, leaving at 10am in the winter months and 8am in the warmer months. Richie, the National Park Ranger who was our guide, was very knowledgable with a genuine love and respect for this fascinating area, its people and their culture. He was very easy to listen to and easily held the attention of the group for the 2 hour walk, covering cultural, historical and geological aspects of Uluru. The walk starts at the base of Uluru (where people begin the climb & where the only toilets for the base walk are situated), and concludes about 1km around the rock at a water hole. Those who want to do the full base walk can then continue on for the remaining 9km, or you can return to the carpark at your leisure. There is no need to book ahead for the walk - you just turn up. Our group of 4 adults definitely recommends this very educational, interesting and informative walk to people of all ages.

This walk is only short, about 1.5km, starting from the base of Uluru where the climb begins. The walk takes you alongside Uluru to a waterhole and small cave where there are some rock paintings. It's very interesting to see the change in the landscape when you're close to the rock where water comes down. Would love to see it when it's raining.The walk is very easy, and there is a boardwalk to the waterhole and cave. While at the waterhole you're told that the water is no drinkable because of the pollution caused from run-off during rain - there are no toilets on the top and many who climb just can't help themselves. Just another good reason to respect the traditional owners wishes and not climb.

A person once asked the explorer George Mallory why he wanted to risk his life climbing Mt Everest, he famously replied “Because it’s there”. The Mala Walk is also where the path to the top begins. There is no fee to climb up Uluru, only a moral price. Every tourist is told that Uluru is a sacred place to the Anangu & only they should climb it. Its where the Rainbow Serpent, the creator of the world & other spirits live. I’m lucky that I believe in a religion that worships an invisible floating man in the sky so my conscience is clear. With all due respect to Anangu beliefs, Uluru was formed via a geological process that took millions of years, I’m no scientist but wait until they learn this from Wikipedia!Australian law very much allows visitors to climb Uluru as agreed to by the Anangu elders & signed by them as part of the conditions of regaining ownership from the Government in the 1980’s but park Rangers actively discourage people from doing so in support of the Anangu. They impose strict climbing times from sunrise until 10am & & regularly close the path in hot weather & high wind. If you violate the rules of a church or a mosque, be prepared for a fist fight with a mob of youths afterwards but here there are no protesters or people blocking the gate, there are no Anganu to be seen anywhere. As the owners of Uluru, every beer you drink & fridge magnet you buy in the resort helps them avoid working, so have another drink!The overhanging rock shelter where the rock art is located was created by a people who had no written language, these simple images are said to tell complex stories of creation & the relationship between land, people & animals. They are quite fascinating being a form of communication from the minds of Stone-Age hunters, many of the figures & shapes are clearly recognisable as humans & animals, beyond that it’s all guesswork. The rock art is located in a low level shelter & would look very different under the light of a camp fire, it would have a different power & mystique. The bare dirt floor, the rough rock surface-charred black with smoke & isolation of the desert sets the context very well for deep thinkers. Standing in an art gallery is one thing but looking at an art piece in its original setting with perhaps a hidden message is entirely more thought provoking than a portrait.At the end of the Mala Walk lies a shady little corner where water is trapped in a gully after it trickles down from the side of Ayers Rock. Known as Kantju Gorge, it is a most welcome sight in the middle of this dry desert, it’s even crazier seeing tadpoles & hearing frogs all around. The best part was standing around here alone, in peace, just me & the flies.Avoid the crowds & other annoying pests like flies & loud tourists at the 8am free tour by park rangers. Seeing some of these things at your own pace without a horde of people all taking pictures can be so much more rewarding. Read a book & learn something about it before you see it & maybe the whole experience will be worth traveling a thousand kms to see.

Glad you enjoyed it. And it’s free too!

Ritchie (not sure of the spelling sorry) was our guide today, and it was a fabulous walk. He was informative in his own story telling way, and led us through the easy walk pointing out all relevant plants, animals and customs of the local and ancestral people. A great way to see and learn about the rock, tomorrow we will bike the base walk! Close the climb I say!

This is an easy walk with a few interesting sights to look at, it took us around 20 minutes at a slow pace but we were hurried a bit by the amazing amount of flies. There is a few information boards about the few sights which are very interesting, there is also a free tour in the morning which we didn't do but heard was quite informative.