The last of the chain over Uluru, which helped thousands of people climb the 348-metre-high rock, has now been permanently removed from the monolith.

Key points: It took less than three weeks to remove the chain used for the Uluru climb

It took less than three weeks to remove the chain used for the Uluru climb It may take "hundreds, maybe thousands" of years for the surface to return to its natural red hue

It may take "hundreds, maybe thousands" of years for the surface to return to its natural red hue Traditional Owners are still deciding what to do with the chain

Parks Australia confirmed the last poles were taken away by helicopter at 6pm on Monday.

"Three senior Anangu — Nelly Patterson, Reggie Uluru and Yuka Trigger — were at the old climb site [Monday] morning and were happy to see the last of the chain removed," a spokesman said.

"All infrastructure is being stored safely and securely by Parks Australia."

The guide chain included 138 posts drilled into the side of the rock that were joined together with 400 metres of link rope covering the steepest part of the route up the side of the monolith.

Uluru was closed to climbers on October 26 this year, and on October 28, work to remove the chain started. ( (c) David Curl/@ulurutv )

Holes from the steel posts were filled with a specially designed resin that mimicked the appearance of the rock.

Chain handover a 'quiet affair'

David Curl, from Uluru TV, was in Uluru-Kata Tjuta Park to see part of the chain handed to the Anangu traditional owners.

Mr Curl said it was "quite emotional" at the base of the rock.

"Today was a quiet affair — it was really very special," he said on Monday.

"We had about eight Anangu come from the community, senior traditional owners.

"And they came along at just the right moment, when the final bit of chain from the very topmost link of the whole of the climb had been brought down."

Mr Curl said roughly one tonne of chain and half a tonne of posts were pulled off the natural wonder.

Uluru chains and posts removed, but it may take 'thousands of years' for the rock to return to normal. ( (c) David Curl/@ulurutv )

Cairn controversy

Uluru was closed to climbers on October 26, and on October 28 Melbourne-based contractor Dave Wallis and his team of three started work.

Stonemason Luke Doyle was tasked with the job of moving the cairn — or human-made pile of stones — that once sat at the summit of Uluru.

Mr Doyle was critical of the cairn's appearance, calling it "hideous" during an interview with the ABC.

"It's so ugly. It is hideous," Mr Doyle said.

The stonemason said he started taking apart the cairn with little "battery operated little demolition hammers" at 6am on October 30 and by 8am it was in pieces.

But Mr Doyle said he put the mound of stones back together slightly differently to how he found it.

"I turned all the stone around, so the paint side is in. And I put all the Mount Conner stone facing out — and it's beautiful. Everybody is loving it," he said.

An adult three-day pass to Uluru will increase from $25 to $38. ( ABC News: Michael Franchi )

Mr Wallis said the comments by Mr Doyle in his interview weren't reflective of Spire's approach to the contract.

Parks Australia said it "does not agree with comments made recently that suggested the cairn was smashed during the removal process".

"The primary contractor managing the removal of the Uluru climb infrastructure engaged an experienced stonemason as a sub-contractor to assist with the relocation of the cairn," it said.

"As part of this process the cairn needed to be disassembled at the top of Uluru. Each piece was numbered before dismantling, and it has now been reassembled.

"Parks Australia can reassure anyone who may have concerns about the cairn that it will be stored safely and securely for historical and educational purposes."

The complex removal process

Mr Wallis said the removal process, which took his team about three weeks, involved rigging a high line in stages to the top of the series of pipes and progressively dismantling the chain, getting it into bags and belaying those bags down the zipline.

Dave Wallis and his team spent less than three weeks working on Uluru to dismantle the chain. ( ABC News: Alex Barwick )

"I've been asked how it feels for us to be the last people on the climb, and that's the least of our concerns or our interests, we just want to do a good job," said Mr Wallis before he ascended the monolith.

"It's probably the most iconic part of the Australian landscape and who wouldn't want to be involved with a project like this?"

Surface will take years to return to normal

Parks Australia said it wanted the state of Uluru returned to the days before the climb.

"Part of the tender process, we didn't say what method should be used, just that it had to minimum impact, and that best as possible they had to restore Uluru to its natural state," manager of the Uluru-Kata Tjuta Park Mike Misso said.

The footsteps of climbers have worn down the surface along the trail over the last 60 years and the track has turned a light grey, in contrast to the red hue of the rest of Uluru.

An empty Uluru on the first day of the climbing ban. ( ABC News: Michael Franchi )

Mr Wallis and his team will not be able to do much about the damage.

Mr Misso said while it could take up to 10 years for the surface to return to its natural red hue as the iron in the rock oxidises, it would take far longer for the texture to be remediated.

"Because it was worn so smooth, that process could be in the order of hundreds, maybe thousands of years for that surface to maybe go back to the condition of Uluru," Mr Misso said.

"It will hopefully at least be less obvious."

Traditional owners are still deciding what should be done with the chain.

Initial ideas included loaning it to museums and creating an exhibit at the park for educational purposes.

Parks Australia declined to say how much the process would cost, but Mr Misso said it was in the order of hundreds of thousands of dollars.