Three men are stuck on Uluru after ignoring pleas by the site's traditional owners not to climb the Australian landmark.
Late on Monday night, a delicate rescue operation was underway to winch the stranded climbers off the rock.
The three men, aged 23, first got into trouble around midday when they veered off the designated pathway into a restricted zone and became stuck in a crevice.
By about 10.30pm, volunteers from the Northern Territory Emergency Service's specialist vertical rescue team had reached the men and were preparing to abseil them to safety, after many hours working to secure abseiling anchors.
"It's dark, they'll just be taking them down very slowly, most likely one at the time," a Northern Territory Police, Fire and Emergency Services spokesperson said.
The spokesperson said the "avoidable" incident would be costly.
"It is huge effort for the NTES volunteers. It's wear and tear on equipment and it does cost a lot of money," they said.
While climbing Uluru is not prohibited, the traditional owners of the rock, the Anangu, ask that people "respect our law and culture" by not venturing onto the scared site.
And on Monday night, many were condemning the men's decision to climb on social media.
Three *idiots* stuck on Uluru. There, fixed that. "Three people stuck on Uluru https://t.co/O1DoHzsnYl via @smh— Tim Richards (@Aerohaveno) September 19, 2016
Three Aussies stuck on #Uluru as we speak. That's what you get for going against the wishes of the traditional land owners... #straya— fromdesktodawn (@fromdesktodawn) September 19, 2016
Why the fuss about climbing Uluru?People can believe in whatever sky fairy or spirit they want but don't expect me to respect or live by it!— Mr. Potato Head (@ausroyalwedding) September 19, 2016
getting stuck on uluru is the aus equivalent of putting a native american headdress you bought at a festival on so tight you cant get it off— Colley (@JamColley) September 19, 2016
Melbourne man David Rowe is holidaying at Uluru with his family and could see the stranded men stuck about 100 metres from the base of the rock using a camera lens.
"They actually got three quarters or even more down the face of the rock in the wrong spot," Mr Rowe said.
"They got to the point where it's too step to do the final bit, but too hard to go up again."
The technical officer with Telstra said he chose not to climb Uluru.
"My son is in a wheelchair, which would have made it challenging, but we wouldn't have wanted to anyway because there are signs there saying the local indigenous people would prefer you not," he said.
"I just think we're on their turf so if they don't want me to I'm quite happy not to do it."
Tourists who visit Uluru are also warned that the climb can be dangerous. It has been widely reported than more than 35 people have died scaling the sandstone giant, including people who have had heart attacks on the climb.
In June last year a Taiwanese man was trapped on Uluru for more than 24 hours after falling 20 metres into a crevice, sustaining multiple limb fractures and head injuries.
