Usually Uluru or Ayers Rock is often called as world’s largest rock. But in fact Uluru is more then 2 times smaller size comparing with Mount Augustus.

I am sure somebody will start argue it is different type of rock. One is monocline and another is monolith.  I am not planning be involved in such discussion, but you can check this talk on wikipedia if you are interested.

How big is Mount Augustus

Mt. Augustus, or Burringurrah as local aboriginals call it,  raises 1106 meters ( 3629 feet) above sea level. It is 8 kilometers (5 miles) long and 3 kilometers (1.5 miles) wide.

Circumference of Mt August is about 30 kilometers (~16 miles). For comparison Uluru circumference is slightly more then 9 kilometers (~6 miles). There is no base walk, but you can take 49-kilometer drive around the rock with access to some creek gorges and Aboriginal rock engravings.

Where is Mount Augustus located

Getting there is one of the exciting parts of the trip to Mount Augustus. It is very remote place. Nearest city, Carnarvon, is located 430 kilometers (~270 miles) West from the mountain and 360 kilometers (~225 miles) East there is small town – Meekatharra.

I was driving from Meekatharra to Mount Augustus and then to Carnarvon and most of the road was unsealed, but it was good enough to drive my small 2WD camper van.

Of course it is better to check latest information about roads condition on Main Roads Western Australia website, as some roads can be closed or in bad condition and not suitable for campervans or 2wd cars.

As you understand it is remote place so you must carry plentiful of fuel, water and supplies. There is fuel at Mount Augustus Outback Tourist Park and in Cobra, but gas prices are almost 50% higher what you would pay in Perth or Carnarvon. In Cobra I found probably most expensive fuel in Australia.

There is one  interesting thing I found during preparation for this trip. Google Maps couldn’t show you direct route to Mt Augustus from Meekatharra. It is already couple years passed since my trip, but Google Maps still shows you wrong route.

Here is Google Maps:

and here is Bing maps suggestion:

I wouldn’t mind if it would be couple km difference, but in this case it is additional 200km (125 miles) and 5 hours more driving. So it is better to use Bing Maps for online route planning.
Duration of the trip is another important thing to note. All online route planners and GPS applications take average speed 30km/h (20miles/h) if route goes on unpaved road. That is why it shows almost 11 hours driving. In reality it took 5.5 hours for me to get from Meekatharra to boundaries of Mt Augustus National Park. So actually it was ~60km/h (38miles/h) average speed.

I did get up early in Meekatharra and at midday was near the mountain.

Climbing Mount Augustus

There are two trails to the Mt Augustus  summit: one is called Summit trail (class 4) and another is Gully Trail (class 4/5). Both trails are 12 km  (7.5 miles) return. After first 3 km (2 miles) Gully trail links into Summit trail, so only first part of Gully trail is more challenging trail and park’s guide recommends additional hour each way if somebody choose Gully trail (marked in green colour in map bellow).

According DEC brochure it takes average 6 hours return on Summit trail and 7 hours return on Gully trail.

It is easy to calculate how much time you will need on the trail if you did any trekking on other national parks. I usually recommended time divide by 2, so expected to spend ~3 hours on Summit Trail and that was very accurate assumption.

In my opinion it is quite easy trail except one part. Here is trail’s elevation profile:

The total vertical elevation of the trail is 650 meters (2133ft). Trail stars at very gentle gradient. After 1.5km (1 mile) the steepest climb starts. In next 1.5 km(1 mile) trail goes up 350 meters (1150ft) and then again it will gentle gradient with short steeper part just before the summit. It will take only 1.5 hours and you will be on the top

And enjoy view of endless plains from the summit:

It was no other people on the top and I could enjoy the view just by myself.  I was happy I did this climb and didn’t climb Uluru rock.  Really why should I climb most pretty rock (Uluru) then I still can climb largest rock in the world instead?

P.S. In winter temperature is not such high at Mount Augustus National Park, but it still reach average 25C (77F) and with clear skies it can be really hot. So it is better to climb in the early morning. I started my climb at dawn and may be that helped to reach summit faster.

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So I wanted to see both these landmarks and to climb to the top of the largest rock in the world. At least at that time I thought it is largest.

I saw Opera House on my first night I landed in Sydney, but it took more then 2 years till I get to Red Center.

I did probably all possible hikes around the Rock, but I wasn’t thinking about climb it anymore.

Why? I am keen hiker and for people who know me it could sound very strange decision. But after living for two years in Australia I heard so much controversial information about this climb.
“Uluru visitors face climbing ban for safety reasons”,  it was first news I heard. “Oh,no!”. I was very disappointed because of that. Of course this ban never was carried into effect, but then I read that safety was not primary reason for climb ban plans. It was more concern about cultural reasons.
So I started research this issue and find out that it is a really important sacred place for people and traditional owners ask people not to climb Uluru for cultural reasons – Wanyu Ulurunya tatintja wiyangku wantima – but there is no law that requires people to obey their wishes. So what should I do? It was dilemma for me.  But it didn’t take too long to make decision. I am tourist here and I must respect owners wishes. They don’t climb, why should I do that?
After all I was thinking Uluru was biggest rock in world and that was one of driving ideas to climb it.  I was wrong. As a lot of people are wrong too.  It was big discovery for me that in the Western Australia there is another rock – Mt. Augustus – twice and half times the size of famous Uluru.  Because it is so remote not so much people know it exists at all.  Then I thought, why should I climb most pretty rock (Uluru) then I still can climb largest rock in the world and don’t have to do any negotiations with my conscience? Decision was made and implemented. You can check this post how to reach Mt.Augustus and the trails there. For now enjoy the view of Uluru.

Should you climb it? It is up to you. My decision was  not to.

The climb to the top of Uluru rock is not prohibited as of January, 2013, but I think you just watch this video of the climb and don’t climb your self

I think a lot of people who decided to climb that rock underestimate their fitness.  It is tall rock and it is hot out there, so even if you take aside cultural reasons think twice before you start to climb it.

The post Ayers/Uluru rock. Climb it or not appeared first on Vi Travel Tips.

It is located very close to highway so you won’t able to pass it by without a visit. It is probably most visited place in Northern Territory after Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park.  Devils Marbles Conservation Reserve (also known as Karlu Karlu) is incredible site with its huge granite boulders.  It is worth to spend night in reserve and to watch how colours of the bourlders changes during sunset and sunrise with spectacular red/orange sky above.

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I am in love with these colours out there – blue sky, red land and yellow bushes. This picture was taken on the way to my climb to Mount Augustus in the middle of Western Australia. Which literally means it is in the middle of nowhere. Mt. Augustus is less known rock in Australia and is overshadow by famous Uluru rock, thought Mt. Augustus is twice the size of Uluru and is much older.

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