Larapinta 6. How to Survive Minus Five



 

 It was so cold that night politicians began to talk about the homeless.

 

In my wind-pierced shelter I suffered in silence. I managed to sleep intermittently between gusts of freezing air that found a way through the zipper of my sleeping bag. My exhaled breath was clearly visible when I finally popped my head out of the tent finding the world champ competitors had left to chase their gold medals.

 

My lawyer, who you will meet later in this story, told me the temperature, according to his reliable watch, dropped to a snappy minus five during the night. To add insult to injury,  the gasburner/ bottle refused to provide me with that all important, soul warming cup of home brand Earl Grey. I am sure some random scientist, some day, will explain to me at what temperature gas freezes.

 Saturday 16 July 2016

Another discovery I made that morning was that I don’t function at all well in the cold. After saying goodbye to Grant and stumbling the last kilometre over the rocks to the top of Hill Top, I found myself lost a couple of times. A cliff face suddenly presenting itself and my frozen windswept brain, did not register this was not the Larapinta track, but a treacherous overhang poised to kill or maim. Resorting to lowering myself down, my legs were absolutely shattered when I made it to the bottom of the hill. After this physical endeavour, I became almost indifferent to the stunning beauty of the world around me.

 

 

A peak into the valley just before the steep descent

 

 

Luckily, after sweeping around I found the track back at the bottom. In a dreamlike state Waterfall Gorge Campsite passed - a tiny, cold gorge floated by – there were several waterholes drifting through my line of sight – somewhere was a large dried waterfall but I was unsure of the order of these events.

Four or five hikers came past from the other direction. Again, they were mainly woman who told me temperatures over the next couple of days were on the rise. They wore hiking shirts and broad smiles as compared to my rain jacket and miserable grimace. How is that possible? Then I noticed the wind slapping like dry ice straight into my noggen. My eyes were continuously tearing up and, excuse me, my nose was in a continues state of leakage. Walking with the wind and in the shelter of your pack is obviously way more comfortable.

How to survive minus five??? 

Rug up, walk on and keep smiling!!!

 



The dried up waterfall with plenty of water for drinking



 

The track spilled out into this giant half-pipe valley where the sun attempted to thaw me out unsuccessfully. Flanked by two enormous ridges, my hands came back to life enough to take some photos of this moonlike landscape. 
 

 

The moonlike half-pipe

For five hours I walked through this valley in the sun with my jacket on, still cold.

 

The Inarlanga Pass was an exquisite, thin cut through the range with beautiful gumtrees and psychads growing over a rocky creek bed.

 

 

Inarlanga Pass

 

For the last five kilometres I pretended I was at the Canning River parkrun in Perth again. The wishful fantasy falling over badly with the pack cutting into my shoulders and the rocks strewn around randomly, killing the urge to run. It did bring back some great memories. Memories that helped to ignore the aches and pains of hiking. Distract me brain, Please!!!!

 

 

The view from my tent at Serpentine Chalet Dam with the kitchen
 set up for easy access in the morning

I found nine hikers in the Serpentine Chalet Dam Campsite to chat to. If you are a compulsive, high on life, social animal as I am, hiking solo is a great way to get to talk to people whether you like it or not. I met two guys called Rod and Geoff who told me they were dawdling along on the trail. In my mind I baptised them Dawdle One and Dawdle Two. A couple of hikers I had met before, Rosalind and John, were already setting up on the other side of the creek. One of the other hikers in camp had a bandaged  wrist - fractured during a fall in a completely innocuous spot. A reminder of our frailty in such isolated, desolate country and how in one bad moment it can be all over. After three days, a hospital visit and stacks of painkillers he and his two mates returned to the Larapinta track.  

 

'Someone else is always doing it tougher'.

 

Grey Bits

 

Water cannot be shipped into a tank at the confusingly named Waterfall Gorge Campsite between Ormiston Gorge and Serpentine Dam Chalet. You can carry a water supply for one and a half days with you or can ask oncoming hikers whether there is water available in the waterholes in the gorge or at the waterfall. This water needs to be treated by boiling it and using purifying tablets. I carried five litres of water in and nearly ran out the next day.

The Serpentine Dam Chalet was the first attempt at building a tourist facility in the West Macs - it is now an old ruin of a dam and a building.

If you want to find out more about the Canning parkrun click on this link
https://semigreynomad.blogspot.com.au/2016/01/not-just-walk-in-park.html

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Larapinta 5. The World Champs of Hill Top.

"What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness"

John Steinbeck

The object of my rest day was to do as little as possible  - I succeeded. The Ormiston Pound walk was left to conquer some other time.

 

 

Relaxing at the water hole at Ormiston

The fantastic-five pointed out a bunch of Major Mitchells in the tree and we all spent a while gawking at the squawkers. I received some tips where to  to camp on the trail, which proved invaluable. We all said goodbye that morning - the young bunch were walking East to West.
 

A Major Mitchell chomping away on gumnuts

 

Julie rescued me that day with fresh food. Salad, burgers, yogurt and milk that wasn't powdered – strewth!!! – she even cooked a fresh batch of Anzac biscuits. The warmth in the rooftop tent was overwhelming during another cold night. I tell you none of the other hikers on the Larapinta had it this good.

 

A butterfly at Ormiston Gorge

 

Friday 15 June 2016

Section 9: Ormiston Gorge to Serpentine Chalet Dam

Section 9 is a 28.6km section of the trail. You will need to camp overnight to finish the section. This is one of the more difficult sections of the trail and takes you into the rugged heart of the range country.




Hiking up Hill Top, Wattle in bloom

There is no reliable surface water along the way, so if you decide to walk this section you will have to carry a heavy pack with a two-day supply of drinking water.

Information from the government website

I woke up soooo slowly that day. I packed up aiming for 10am, three hours later than my usual start. One more cup of coffee before I go. Julie had to call the ranger to help start the Ranger as the battery was flat. She came over and helped us out with a jump start and a short while later Julie drove off out of the Ormiston camp site.
 

One of the Dragon lizards I saw that morning

My batteries felt recharged too that day. The first five kilometres, a relative doddle, until a sudden left turn spoiled the party.  A fresh pack of food plus five litres of water for an overnight stay required an intense burst of energy up that dreaded range.  Sometimes my feet did not want to move to the allocated spot my mind had reserved for them. My heavy pack causing me to sway like a drunk pirate. It took all my concentration not to fall over and break a leg or two.
 



A treacherous, almost non-existent, trail on the ridge with views all around

The rewards were magnificent. This open country lends itself to the most spectacular views. Another rather insipid name for this ridge line, Hill Top, belying its cracking 360 degree, raw view.

 

Marvellous Mount Giles and the Alice Valley

I set up my tent next to a rocky wall that in theory would protect me from the wind. Behind this barrier was a glorious drop that could seriously turn into a nightmare for sleepwalkers. Behind the fall a vast open plain - dissected by a dry river - marvellous Mount Giles splitting the blue sky at the rear.




Setting up camp next to the rock wall

On the other side the range was more open and from a long, long way away you could see Gosse's Bluff. This huge crater was brought beautifully closer by my camera - it was formed by a falling Asteroid or Comet. This gash in the crust of the earth is a significant Indigenous site. A definite blog in the making.
 

 

Gosse's Bluff

I met a retiree named Grant who camped a couple of metres away from me. We chatted about common trails that we had hiked in the past. The Camino, Great Ocean walk and Bibbulmun track all referred to with nostalgic fondness. Another hiker joined, Douglas who talked enthusiastically and continuously, about everything related to hiking gear and his big passion for rogaining. The world championships were to be held at Giles station this year. "This is just a little training run", he said. "I am squeezing most of the Larapinta trail into four days". This was quite impressive as I was planning for sixteen days. Every hiker I came across later on the trail had met this super fit Kiwi who left the Larapinta with all of us in awe of his hiking speed but even more of the speed of his words. Two more practising rogainers camped with us on Hill Top. Together we watched the sun set.

 

Grant front left and the rogainers

 

Photography was just incredible that evening. Boosted by coffee, electrolytes and pasta I felt on top of the world -

I just about am.

Mount Sonder from a distance

Grey Bits

The gorgeous opening photo of this blog is of a long-tail dunnart (Sminthopsis Dolichura).  It was published on the following website
http://phys.org/news/2015-02-unburnt-habitat-safeguard-animal-diversity.html

Long-tail dunnarts are very common around Ormiston Gorge.

Rogaining is an orienteering sport of long-distance, cross-country navigation, involving both route planning and navigation between checkpoints using a variety of map types. In a rogaine, teams of 2–5 people choose which checkpoints to visit within a time limit with the intent of maximizing their score. Find out more at http://rogaine.asn.au/

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Larapinta 4 Great Southern Land

 

It was cold “all night long”. My tent is suitable for warm Western Australian conditions with the inner tent completely made of mesh. Any wind blows in underneath the fly and when it is below freezing, like it was that night on Big Hill, watch out. I had to set up the gas burner in the tiny porch of my tent so I could remain laying/sitting inside during breakfast while the frosty wind howled around and through my fluro summer shelter. My bottom lip had cracked from the dry gusts of cold air. I needed to get off this hill…. And fast!!!

Getting down Big Hill

Any feeling in my hands had gone and I noticed that they were bleeding from a couple of cuts acquired from yanking out pegs at great speed. John asked me if he could borrow my burner to cook up some porridge for his frozen family if I could spare the gas. His fuel burner wasn’t working, probably frozen. The last I saw was Mum, Dad and four kids all huddled together in a two-man tent defrosting whilst spooning their porridge from the pot in the middle. Definitely the most adventurous family I ever met on any track.

 

Spinifex covered hills around Big Hill

Like a true frost-bitten geriatric I danced down Big Hill as fast as I could. I was praying for the sun to start warming everything up but was still waiting at 1pm. I came to the oldest river in the world, the Finke River - large white gums stood around the banks of the still water body. It is a beautiful  broad river - more broad than the many creeks I have crossed previously.  I was thankful for the hand written sign alerting hikers to the fact of the 300m detour. I didn’t fancy a waste deep wade in water that was as cold as a penguin's pecker.

 

The oldest river in the world

There was a major decision to be made at the Glen Helen Resort turnoff. They not only had hot showers, budget accommodation and a restaurant but open fires and a bar as well.
Tough decision!

At the Finke River hut I stopped for an hour and chatted to two sisters that were hiking in the opposite direction. It was busy around the hut with several groups coming in and out using the long drop throne and other facilities of the trekking shelter.

The Finke River Hut

Wednesday 13 July 2016

Section 10: Finke River to Ormiston Gorge

Section 10 is a 9.1km section of the trail. This has some steep ascents and is one of the shorter sections of the Larapinta Trail. This section winds through limestone hills at the headwaters of the Finke River, one of the world's oldest rivers.

 

Information from the Government website on the Larapinta trail



Lots of ups and downs through this section

 

The following stretch was a winding, mind-numbing hike through the most amazing barren land. In the end I forced “all night long” (Lionel had to go) out of my mind and changed the ol' LP to “Great Southern Land". I sang it out loud for the Kangaroos and all the other critters that were out there somewhere. Nobody else would have heard.

Great Southern Land, burned you black
 

So you look into the land and it will tell you a story
Story ‘bout a journey ended long ago
Listen to the motion of the wind in the mountains
Maybe you can hear them talking like I do
“. . they’re gonna betray you, they’re gonna forget you
Are you gonna let them take you over that way . .”
 

Great Southern Land, Great Southern Land
You walk alone, like a primitive man
And they make it work, with sticks and bones
See their hungry eyes, its a hungry home
 

I hear the sound of the stranger’s voices
I see their hungry eyes, their hungry eyes
Great Southern Land, Great Southern Land
They burned you black, black against the ground

Written appropriately by Ivor Davies of Icehouse

 

I was punching the air by the time I reached Ormiston Gorge late in the afternoon. Funny how arriving after a tough day is always memorable. At Ormiston, but only after a hot shower, I got to know and enjoyed the company of  a group of five youngsters. Young people for someone as ancient as myself seemed awfully fresh-faced but we got along famously.

Looking towards Ormiston Gorge from the top of a lookout

One of the girls of the group had been walking the whole track from Alice to Ormiston wearing one boot and one thong as one of her hiking boots fell apart on the first day. How tough must this chick be??? An eighteen year old young fella split out of his trousers and only had one set of clothes left and told me how cold he was every night. The oldest of the bunch was a geography student who told me how interesting the MacDonnell ranges were for him from a Geographical sense. At the café of Ormiston Gorge they bought a $25 pizza and gave me a slice which was extraordinarily generous. They told me they were short on food and I gave them all the supplies I could spare.

Night fell while cooking and chatting to this inspiring fivesome. A great Ranger talk with slide shows and information about local flora and fauna capped off a great evening.

Grey Bits

Check out the details of the Ormiston Ranger talks here
http://www.nt.gov.au/westmacs/things/activity/52

The gumtrees in the Finke River bed

I recommend a tent with higher resistance to the cold for the Larapinta or a good warm sleeping bag.

Read more about the Finke River use the following link https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finke_River

Larapinta 1. Dead Skin and a Big Red Car




'Both my small toes look like little cabbages' I thought days before breaking the seal of the Larapinta trail. Like a lizard of the surrounding desert, large slabs of skin are peeling off of my feet and toes. Remnants are to be found all over the caravan floor and in my socks. Four weeks on, after my feet received a proper beating on the Kokoda track, finally, they are lovely and soft. Mmmm!! Marshmallow feet. Not ideal for another rampaging hike you may think.

Again I am looking for some gut wrenching physical punishment, like a junky looking for a fix. It is a mystery to many including myself. I am sure there is a rich vein of masochism flowing through me like the smelliest of blue vein cheeses. This is the Red Centre of Australia, West MacDonnell Ranges (no burgers anywhere). We are talking Northern Territory but the even more isolated South end, if that makes sense? At least 1000km away from a large city in any direction. I am shedding the muddy, humid Kokoda skin for a place more Aussie than Burkes backyard.

To travel to my "home among the gumtrees" I have to food shop for this trail. Nestled snuggly in the ancient red centre between the East and West MacDonnell Ranges is Alice Springs - an excellent venue for purchasing dried mushed potato. Alice is a small  hub of activity that has everything you need in way of amenities, museums and bucket loads of cultural experiences. I am planning to be out on the trail for 16 days, drop off the carefully assembled food boxes underway and walk back to Alice. Only a cool 230km hike. This time I will be on my own. I have avoided the large hiking companies and told myself to be brave. This Nomad is hiking solo.

"What can go wrong"?

The Larapinta track (purple) runs through Tjoritja or the West MacDonell National Park. Map courtesy of Wikipedia 

Jules and I drove up Larapinta Drive, armoured with three boxes full of dried stodgy packet food, plenty of peanut butter and the best a coffee bag can be, after it has been contaminated by milk powder. We are making a day of it as we are Gorge hopping along Larapinta and Namatjira drive (see map). First we have a quick look at Simpsons Gap and continue on to the first drop off point that is Standley Chasm. I am excited to see a coffee machine in the kiosk. While we were there sipping on our Cappuccino’s, the dusty car park that is surrounded by towering red cliffs, was swamped with buses, four-wheel drives and the obligatory, painted up backpacker bomb. It is July and peak season.

 

Tranquillity, serenity and quiet reflexion

 

My first food supply box was taken without having to pay a fee at the kiosk. Soon after leaving the Chasm we turned right on Namatjira Drive. This road reaches all the way through a strip of relatively flat plain among the magnificent jaggered edges of the mountain range. The shape of this range is of such a faultless straight line it almost looks bizarrely planned (photos of this phenomena to follow later in this blog). Its reddish colour with Ghost gums and bludges of green. Photogenic to say the least. 'Can I do it justice with my camera'? I wonder. As I am staring up high from inside the car I say to Julie “surely the track doesn’t go all the way up there?” Will it? So many unknowns.

So much to look forward to.

Ellery creek, a quiet waterhole among steep cliffs, is of individual beauty, like all the other gorges, a large crevasse crossing through the range where water has carved out a creek. We arrive at the campsite overlooking the orangey, red range and I managed to find the store room tucked in under the same roof as the toilet. After jiggling with the lock, the door swung open. I noticed straight away the walls up high were open mesh. Any hairy-arsed wombat could crawl in and feast on my couscous and muesli bars. I imagine a fat wombat running off with a teabag hanging out of the corner of it's mouth. Earl Grey off course!! My box, being the only cardboard box, was surrounded by plastic, more protection offering upperty-class boxes. There was nothing I could do about it except hope that the local marsupials were not hungry for the next couple of days while I walked back.

 

Plenty of water through these Gorges

 

At Ormiston Gorge we walked down to the waterhole after delivering the third box at the back of the kiosk. We were struck by the splendorous reflections of rock walls in water. Similar mirror images greeted us after a 2km hike at Red River Gorge - the narrow, knobbly walls closing in at the end with a sizable deep pool. The water way too cold for a stripping off and a jump in.

 

This massive bird sat in a tree at Ormiston Gorge

 

The sun started to drop behind the red, granite walls and we sat on a bench in the car park at the trailhead eating scones and cream. The last bit of luxury before the indigestible hikers diet would replace anything fresh and green.  Julie told me she was jealous of what was to come and lamented the fact that her knees were not up for the challenge.

 

We said our good buys - the last hug so warm and comfortable - why would you ever let go.

 

This is it!!! The first lift of my 18kg backpack. Even though I only have to walk 300 metres. Where is Smiddy?? My porter of the Kokoda track. This pack is a beast.

Smiddyyyyy!!!!

I set up my small, lime green home for the first time that evening.  Against my better judgment I found myself a spot  in the recommended dry river bed (I was a under the impression that camping in a river bed could be dangerous due to flooding). A group of scouts camped a short way away from my tent  were singing "Choo Choo Chugger Chugger big red car" by the Wiggles. With that ripper of a song, stuck on repeat, reverberating through my mind, I have an absolute shocker of a flew ridden night.

My home in a creek bed

 
 Welcome to the Larapinta trail.  Choo Choo…..

 

 Grey Bits

 

The key to the store rooms to Ellery creek and Ormiston Gorge, I collected  from the Visitor's Centre in Alice Springs. I paid a $50 deposit for the key and $10 for usage. You can buy a Larapinta Trail package with maps and information for $38 or you can photocopy the maps from their website like I did. https://nt.gov.au/leisure/recreation/bushwalking-hiking/larapinta-trail

There are many hiking companies that facilitate walking the Larapinta and cater for any kind of fitness level. You can Google Larapinta Trail which will direct you to these trekking companies.

Namatjira Drive is named after Albert Namatjira, who is a famous Indigenous painter from the Northern Territory. His work is absolutely sublime. Great use of colours and composition. Check out this article if you want to know more about him. https://makinghistoryatmacquarie.wordpress.com/2012/11/19/the-national-embrace-of-albert-namatjira-in-an-era-of-assimilation-and-an-indifferent-inclusion/
 



Namatjira's famous 'Gumtree in front of Mount Sonder'. My first night was spent on the left of this mountain.
Picture courtesy of the website mentioned above

In my research I found two differing definitions of the word Larapinta. One explains it means 'salt water', the other 'dry river bed'. Take your pick.

Do you want to become a guest blogger, write your own story and publish on my blog? I would love to hear from you. Email me at storiesfrommars@gmail.com
     

Give it a shot!!!