I think that the issue is not just that there are "local maxima" which trap you. But it is wrong to think that all directions of "travel" across the surface available, even though they would in principle be "uphill". I think in general most directions of "travel" are unavailable, uphill or not. So you can be "trapped" somewhere that is not even a local maximum, because the only available directions of travel are downhill.

I think it is a very transient surface. Conditions are changing all the time, at least in some dimensions, though not to the extent caused by major catastrophes.