If Lydia Bradey can summit Everest without permission, I suppose anything's possible.

Hey Paul, did you cop a fine at Uluru?

No we didn't. Although there were numerous signs threatening $5,500 fines for 'illegal' climbing I used my local knowledge to swindle my way out of it (although not a 48hr ban........). I just told them we came from Docker River (where there are no boom gates and park fee toll booths) near the NT/WA border that morning and wanted to summit by sunrise (and hence didn't see the signs in the dark), naturally putting on my innocent tourist face.

The Rock is in my back yard - I grew up around it. I used to climb it in all conditions when I was a kid, the first time tied to my father as a 3 year old. To be told by some park ranger (who probably grew up in a city and had only been in the outback a year or so) I could not climb it because of dangerous 10km/h winds is an insult to my judgment I was just not willing to bear..........

My tour guide, Jonas at TEAM KILIMANJARO (who I'd recommend), told me that he had done it in one day with a client. The client contacted them to do a private climb. The effectively charged him 1500 bucks to do it (the same as it would be to climb it on the 5 day).

My advice, is to do a private climb and just go at your own pace. Take it easy, enjoy the scenery. I'm with you with respect to the red tape etc, but that's the way it is.