Larapinta 15. Wild

It seems an age since I’ve seen you

Count down as the weeks trickle into days

I hope that time hasn’t changed you

All I really want is for you to stay 

My happiness slowly creeping back

 

"My happiness" written and performed by Powderfinger

For the first time on this trail I slept in. All that stargazing put me in a deep recovering sleep I could barely break out of. That finite discipline you need in the morning to pack your bag neatly and get going early was absent. It being the penultimate day on the Larapinta, I seemed to have relaxed almost beyond caring, choosing to join the sweet chatter around the camp.

When my inner starting gun finally went off, I flew up the first hill to see if I would get any reception on my phone and had a long, in my mind, needed conversation with Julie while overlooking a vast open Australian desert with Honeymoon Gap and the Mount Gillen range baked in golden morning light.



The conversation point with Mount Gillen Range on the right

Soon after, I let out an almighty dingo howl to express my happiness and show my appreciation for the beautiful world I was standing in. A reply in the shape of a ‘Coooeee!’ came from one of the two other lone dingoes across the valley. The three of us all waving at each other from afar.

Thursday 28 July 2016

Section 1: Simpsons Gap to Alice Springs Telegraph Station 

Section 1 is a 23.8km section. You will need to camp overnight to finish the section.

It is a long distance with some steep ascents. Section 1 gives you views over Alice Springs and the surrounding lowlands, as well as good bird watching opportunities.

 

Information from the government web-site.

 

This bird was singing its little heart out at Simpsons Gap

 

I spent some time walking with Grant who had suffered from huge blisters on his feet. The gentleman had to stop hiking for many days to recover and take the bus to catch up with his mates who would walk on and complete the Larapinta at blistering speed. How frustrating? I spoke to him at length about the challenging, but very social Camino de Santiago. and hope I have convinced him to walk it solo some time. Grant's feet were obviously healed enough to leave me for dead on the trail. Being slower than others is also something my competitive self has to come to terms with some day. Maybe it is time to get that knee fixed.




Walking on this amazing Larapinta trail

There was only a little bit of suffering to go through before I reached Wallaby Gap where I passed out in my warm, lime green shelter for a couple of hours. How much sleep does one need in this place?

Hiking in the wild makes you stink like an unwashed wheelie bin. Every day I venture out with toiletry bag under my arm and micro-fibre towel slung over the shoulder in search of that ultimate spot of serenity and a quick, but glorious one bottle wash - au naturel. I had just found my shower spot overlooking a small valley and had my hands on my shorts to draw them down, when the sound of a large engine disturbed the peace. A huge 4wd bus pulled up on an access road I had not quite spotted only 50 metres away. A young man carrying a large watermelon jumped out and walked up to me and told me he was working for one of the tour companies and was about to deliver a large quantity of food for a large group of hikers. I told him my purpose of being out there and he laughed. So did the others in the camp when I told them I was nearly sprung in my birthday suit. The fact still remains that standing out in the open of the Australian emptiness without a string of clothing is a total liberation of spirit that I highly recommend. Give it a try, but beware of the bus full of watermelon-wielding day trippers.

Mid-afternoon, the man of the law walked in to the Wallaby Gap campsite. I immediately put the billy on and made a reviving coffee for the three of us. Roz and John joined in and we all shared our food with each other. There was dark chocolate, biscuits and Grant's famous dehydrated hummus with crackers. The Larapinta community spirit was very much alive.

The massive hiking group of mainly ladies with a female guide conquered and left the campsite without giving us much attention or share a bit of that huge watermelon with us real full-time, end to end hikers. Most of us hadn’t seen fresh fruit for two weeks. The conversation reverted to food soon after and what we all were going to eat once we arrived in Alice Springs the next day?

Its going to be yummmm...

A café at the end of the trail - the old Telegraph Station - the finish line.

Looking back to Simpsons Gap

Looking back at all the people that I have crossed paths with on this trail, I had come to a surprising conclusion that, as it was on the Kokoda track, the majority of the hikers on the Larapinta trail were woman. Many of them walked in groups or in organised tours like the one that just left us at Wallaby Gap. Quite a few walked solo through this harsh, desolate country where the nearest point of civilization or help, if you needed it, could be days away. I have seen a woman with a snapped achilles tendon climb through a dangerous narrow gorge, met a young lady who walked the whole 231 kilometres with one shoe and a thong on the other foot.  To top it all off Roz mentioned talking to a ‘hikester’ at Ellery Creek who asked her where the hard part of the trail was as she had called the track including Razorback Ridge ‘easy’???!!! Go figure.

After several discussions with the man of the law as to the reasons behind this phenomena we attributed, to a large extent, this spike in classy, trailblazing broads to the book and the movie Wild. Cheryl Strayed wrote a terrific account of her 94 day, 1000 mile battle on the Pacific Crest Trail in the United States. Starring the beautiful and talented Reese Witherspoon - the story is an intense recount of how an inexperienced hiker overcomes the wild and heals herself in the process.




Photo courtesy of Word Press

 

Maybe none of the woman on the track have ever read the book or watched the movie. Maybe they just have a healthy sense of adventure. Either way I still have to say – power to the 'wild woman' - kudos by the bucket load.

 

Grey Bits

 The movie and book Wild is available in all bookstores. You cant miss it.

One of the many thought provoking quotes from the
movie Wild

Find more quotes here
http://thoughtcatalog.com/koty-neelis/2014/12/19-life-changing-quotes-from-cheryl-strayeds-wild-that-will-inspire-you-to-take-a-journey-of-your-own/

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Larapinta 13: My lawyer and I



Fire is Life - Survivor

Some courage is what I needed to approach the bong-smoking  young man in the morning. In general, I don’t believe I have the right to tell anyone how to live their life, but there was a large list of pointers in my head, spun together during a bad night of hyped-up scatter braining. I managed to reduce an all out verbal assault to a friendly chat about how fast news travels on the trail (especially the bad things) and acted with dumbfound surprise when Alex told me he was still making coffee at eleven thirty at night. In my experience hikers generally go to bed just after dark due to exhaustion and the need to recover one’s sore bits. Every minute of sleep is a gift of energy the next day - an extra lit up bar on the mobile. Any break in sleep transmission is hugely frowned upon. The man wasn’t my son - if he was , he would have copped the full list of amendments, misguided behaviours and broken laws I could have mustered. I am not sure if Alex got the message or whether the answer is still ‘blowing in the wind’.

Another personal opinion point has to be made I feel, right here. Walking the Larapinta is an incredible experience in its self, bordering at times, on the mind altering. No other substance is needed to enjoy it in its full glory. Endorphins, adrenaline, mates and the sheer beauty of the place will see you through. I promise!

 

Section 2: Jay Creek to Simpsons Gap

Section 2 is a 24.5km section. You will need to camp overnight to finish the section.

It is a long distance with some steep ascents. Highlights include walking through the home of the few brushtail possum colonies in Central Australia and exploring a landscape of rock outcrops over 2 billion years old.

 

Information from the Government website

 

The common brushtail possum is actually not that common in the centre of Australia. In and around the West Macs there are only a couple of colonies foraging for eucalyptus leaves and small rodents at night. As you can see from the green bludges in the centre of the map, they have chosen to move away from their coastal cousins.

 

 

 

The rebel colonies of possums in the red heart of Australia

In Australia the possum or Trichosurus Vulpecula is now a protected species with the exception of Tasmania where they are still hunted for their hide. The fast talking Kiwi, Douglas, told me that brushtail possums were an introduced species to New Zealand in 1840. The breading in the wild went, shall I say, better than expected with the population reaching an estimated 70 million. Prolific!!  The main problem for NZ is that possums carry Bovine Tuberculosis, a nasty chronic infectious disease, which still is seriously affecting life stock throughout the country. Nevertheless,  it was kind of strange hearing how the man was talking about knocking off cute little possums by their thousands.

  

 

Cute but deadly, photo courtesy of Pinterest

 

 

Tuesday 26 July 2013

 

My lawyer and I walked together on this day and involved ourselves in my favourite past-time, a good dose of 'walk and talk' therapy.

I found out he did several tours as an army lawyer in Iraq. This meant that he was away from his family, who were in Brisbane, for extended periods of time and living in a country at war. After many years of service to his country, my hiking attorney found out that he had bladder cancer in the classical way. Finding blood in his urine.

What followed must have been a nightmare. The operation was very intrusive where everything was lifted out, the bladder removed and everything lifted back in its place. 'Oh yeah, and by the way you get to pee in bag for the rest of your life'. I could not even begin to imagine being on the wrong end of those words. The consequences...

 

Some time after the Larapinta he wrote to me “I looked well and felt well until I went to hospital and got dipped in chemo. It was actually a good year for me because I was released by the Army to go home for treatment and convalescence.  So I was with my wife and my family full-time and that was wonderful. And of course I played the cancer-card so they had to bring me cups of tea whenever I wanted.”

It was obvious the man of the law was struggling physically on this track. The time between his bout of cancer to hiking a tough trail was relatively short. The decision to punish one self in the land of the caterpillar is a courageous and understandable one. Having stared death square in the eyes and defeated its glare ‘now’ is as good a time to hike as ever before. Outrageous solitude, absolute natural splendour and the physical test of all tests - the answer to a life almost lost. If I had my last day on earth please let me climb Razorback Ridge, watch the stars from Brinkley Bluff and soar through the Heavitree Valley.  

The self-deprecating humour and sparkling personality, drawing every hiker in. It was truly an honour to walk alongside, bask in the positive vibes and talk the kilometres away with this man.

We strolled into Mulga Camp ridiculously early. Roz and John had all ready set up and the afternoon just went as I had hoped. Lunch at the campsite, how unusual. A chance to rest our tender bits,  lots of laughter with great conversations all around.




Roz in a good mood



John enjoying himself

Believe it or not, a bon-fire spontaneously combusted in the evening. Only during emergencies are fires allowed on the Larapinta track. Ormiston Gorge, Ellery Creek and Standley Chasm being the exception. After an hour of deliberating the degree of criminality of the illicit flames we took the law into our own hands and extinguished the prohibited fire.


The jury was unanimous, a great day on the track.



Grey Bits

 
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The offending fire is clearly being arrested

 

Larapinta 12: Lost in a Chasm

 

 

 

 

“Look!! Someone dripped some paint on that bird.” our neighbours recalled her thoughts when they first encountered  the Great Bower bird. The conspicuous pink bludge or nape standing out like a veggie burger at a butchers. Julie and I found this bird and its collection of white shells and green broken glass in a nest close to Standley Chasm.  

Most of their life these feisty birds or Chlamydera Nuchalis are busy all year round with either building a nest (males) or raise their young on their own (females), Bower Birds are renown for being able to copy sounds like cats, power tools, squeaky doors, ringtones of phones and other bird calls. The loud screeching male we stumbled on was building its nest, continuously moving stuff around and definitely wanted us to vamoose.

Saturday 23 July 2016

The rest day was an absolute necessity by the time I got to the Chasm. After a seriously amusing chat and coffee with the man of the law at the chasm kiosk, Jules and I drove to a four-wheel drive accessible part of the Hugh River, a free campsite around twenty kms away. Here I could stick my blistered feet up in the air and was treated like a king all day - sitting on a camping chair instead of rocks - pure bliss!!!

We were all by ourselves in a vast open space - a fire in the creek bed - ripper sunset and sunrise - awesome tranquillity - no walking.

 

Sunday 24 July 2016

 

Section 3: Standley Chasm to Jay Creek

Section 3 is a 13.6km section.

This section is a challenging walk through some of the steepest and most rugged country in the ranges. The low route is available to those with an average level of fitness.

Believe me you need to be fit to walk the low route

We returned back to Standley Chasm and paid our $12 entry fee to view the steep crevasse in the red granite (northern territorians only pay $1).

Called Angkerle by the Aborigines, the Chasms European name honours Mrs Ida Standley who, in 1914, became the first school teacher in Alice Springs.



Mrs Ida Standley

In 1925 the school for children of Aboriginal descent was moved from Alice Springs to Jay Creek [Iwupataka] with Mrs Standley as matron.

It was during her time at Jay Creek that she became the first non-Aboriginal woman to visit the feature that now bears her name.

Information taken from the Standley Chasm website



A lovely short walk to the chasm

 
The approach to Standley Chasm is a lovely winding path next to a tiny creek, with beautiful gumtrees and flanked by the Chewing Range slopes. The chasm itself, a cool narrow space, with a surprising amount of flowers gracing its walls suitable for abseiling. Memories flooded back of the huge Echidna’s Chasm, a must see if you are ever near the Bungle Bungles.
 

The chasm

 

The wild staircase out of the chasm was truly a challenge with the pack full of water and new supplies. I was looking down in full concentration at the rocky steps, that I did not notice the photographer standing still up the track waiting to see whether I would crash into her or not. I managed to stop at the last second - “you ought to look up more” she told me. We chatted all the way up and she introduced herself as Julie Fletcher. She was hauling a 15 kilo bag full of her camera gear up the hill. I have since found out how proffesional a photographer she is. Check this website below. Unfortunately I had a late start that day with a lot further to go than Julie so I had to say arrevoir.

 



What I saw when I looked away from those stairs

 

I found the Melbournian walking group having a rest on top of Gastrolobium Saddle and had my morning tea with them.

The Melbournian hiking group setting off from Gastrolobium Saddle

The track funnelled through a narrow gorge with massive rocks that needed jumping and climbing. Here I overtook a middle-aged lady whom appeared to be struggling. I was glad to see she had someone looking after her when I met a young guy called Grant down the track.

 


A bit of canyoning......

A bit of climbing....

 

A bit of abseiling without rope

When, finally, the rocky creek bed had been stumbled over and hiking became easier on an undulating dusty track, I saw my friendly, wandering attorney wave at me as he disappeared up a hill. Hunger time demanded for me to sit  down for lunch and I found the Millers campsite a good spot to rest. Ten minutes later I heard a voice from above calling out. “Marcel, are you still there?”  I replied in the affirmative. “I am a bit lost” came the voice from above again. A couple of minutes later I heard "I will wait until you have finished your lunch so you can show me where the track is”. This is when I realised the man of the law may well be in a spot of bother and walked to the place where I last saw him. It must be said, in defence of my lawyer, that the turn off is one of those this can't be the right way; therefore, I am ignoring it turn offs. Getting lost at this spot  is merely an inescapable verdict. I called him back to where I was standing with a cuppa soup in hand and heard him battle with the spinifex on his way down. He thanked me for getting him back on track and we both had a bit of a laugh about it.




Some of the rare flowers of the Larapinta trail

Some time later in the day I caught up with the notary and I judged him to be great company as we meandered along side of some amazing waterholes of Jay Creek in the late afternoon. I noticed how he tapped every Larapinta trail sign with his hiking stick, as if to acknowledge that at this moment he was relieved to be on the right trial.

We arrived at the Jay Creek hut where the first question I was asked by an older gentleman was had my sleeping bag dried up? The story of the accidental dipping of my bag in the Hugh River five days ago travelling the Larapinta grapevine faster than I could walk.

There was something wrong (acknowledged by Roz and John) with the atmosphere in the busy shelter -  lots of awkward silences. I didn’t think anything of it untill a pale looking man called Alex lit up a bong in the middle of the hut. To this day I cannot understand why you would smoke marihuana in front of eight complete strangers. What I would not be surprised about is if the police were waiting for him at Ellery Creek to pull him off the track. You noticed how a minor story like my wet backpack did the rounds on the trail?

It is true, dear reader, the world is full of a huge diversity of people. It sure makes for an exciting and interesting life.

I camped well away from the hut that night.

Grey Bits

You can admire the wonderful images taken by Julie Fletcher at http://www.juliefletcherphotography.com.au/


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
 

Believe it or not but Standley Chasm Resort owns the only free washing machine on the Larapinta for hikers. The shower was somewhat dribbly but I was certainly not complaining.

  

Find out more about this magical place at

http://www.standleychasm.com.au/about-standley-chasm

Larapinta 10. Caught by a Razorback.

"Every mountain top is within reach if you just keep climbing"


After saying a warm goodbye to my six comrades who were walking in the opposite direction, I set off through Hugh Gorge renowned for its wading spots. Jumping from rock to rock or stumbling through the gravelly, dried creek I came to appreciate or not appreciate the difficulties of hiking through the obstacle minefield that is a creek-bed in the West Macs.

 

First contact with the water

 
 

 

Thursday 21 July 2016

Section 5: Hugh Gorge to Birthday Waterhole

Section 5 is a 16km section. You will need to camp overnight to finish the section.

This challenging section of the trail passes through Spencer Gorge, along the spine of Razorback Ridge and then down the narrow Linear Valley to the junction with the Hugh River. The trail follows natural watercourses and you may need to walk around pools of water in Hugh Gorge.

 

Information from the government website



One of the whistling kites common of this area waiting long enough for me to capture it.

At the first wading spot, I changed my shoes to the sandals I had been carrying for over a week. The water was pleasantly chilled. One of the engineers mentioned that it was only knee deep. Maybe he thought I was taller as the water came up to my waste instantly destroying a bag of nuts and a muesli bar that I kept in my pocket to munch on. There wasn’t a friendly traffic controller or survival expert out there to tell me what the best way around or through this creek. Alone I battled on - up steep rocks- climbing in and over trees - sometimes holding on to branches – dropping my pack over rocks and jumping after it – grazing my legs  - cutting my hands. I started talking to myself or more like berating my clumsiness, which isn't a good sign. At one stage, I was wading through the water when suddenly the ground disappeared. I flipped backwards due to the heavy load I carried and dipped my pack into the black water of the creek. Luckily the weather was warm enough to dry out my sleeping bag and mattress.

Nature: One - Mars: Zero.  

 




There was no way around this water

It took me two and a half hours to thrash myself through this three kilometre stretch.

The narrow gorge spilled into this amazing opening in a much wider part of the valley called Hugh Gorge Junction which was surrounded by red cliff faces. I explained to the four hikers, who had spent the night there, about the wading they still had to encounter. They were curious as to why I was so wet and was bleeding in several places. There were plenty of 'oh wells' and the shrugging of shoulders coming from them during our conversation, but fear grew in the eyes of the two girls of the group.
 

The gorge opening up to Hugh Gorge Junction

 

A long, gradual climb ended at a saddle (Rocky Saddle) which had the most amazing views. Here, I met a cheerful young man from Ireland, who had also stopped there to admire the beauty of the area. We both stood in awe of our surrounds and expletives flowed freely.

By hunger-time, I had made my way down to the Fringe Lily campsite. The lack of a water tank at this campsite proved the catalyst for me to move on. I started the day with a heavy five litres and was basically forced to walk on. Two and a half litres is not enough to survive another 24 hours for a post recovering kidney stone victim.

'You will die without water.' A little voice in the back of my head rung out.
 



The view from Rocky Saddle

 

At Fringe Lily Campsite, I finally read the maps and notes on the Larapinta trail and became aware that section five and six are not to be underestimated and that I should have taken at least two more days to complete Ellery creek to Standley Chasm. Note to self: 'Read the government info PROPERLY. The hiking around this area is extremely technical, but evenly matched in beauty.

 



The view looking back west from Razorback, the track up Rocky Saddle on the right


I was lost immediately after lunch for about twenty minutes. My brain subconsciously dismissing the blue arrow pointing up a ridiculous wall, walking straight past in the creek bed until the lack of signage became so obvious a goldfish would have turned back long ago.

 

A shadow selfie on the edge

 

The anger I felt towards myself was soon burned up on this hair raising edge. It isn't often that I stop to look for extended periods of time at something, but Razorback Ridge is a spell-binding, wild experience not to be missed on the Larapinta. The name such an incredibly apt description of the shape of this beast. Sharp - rocky – steep drop on both sides – rugged – dangerous – untamed with views galore. Being on an incredible, possibly, endorphin induced high, there is only one way to go from there.

 

DOwn
 

The giant row of peaks and troughs, like a bad day on Wall Street

 

A totally impossible riverbed, or should I say a dry waterfall without a track, presented itself out the back of the razorback experience. Spencer Gorge, remember that name when you go walking there. Three hours of bum-sliding, lowering yourself, and jumping downwards turning your legs to jittery unstable elastic bands. I felt sorry for those smiling, shirt-cladded women I passed that had to have climbed up here.

 

Late in the afternoon I finally completed sixteen kilometres in ten hours of hiking.

A tough day in 'cheap' boots.

 

I found the strangely named 4/5 junction hut full with almost all camping pads used. A Melbournian walking group had taken over and it was hard to find a space. I thought back to my six engineers and missed their humor, banter and conversations. I also thought back regretfully to the many pristine spots I could have camped on my own under the stars. Maybe I was just tired from a gruelling, adventurous day.


Grey Bits

 
Timing is everything they say. Unfortunately, I don't think I timed my hike very well in this section having set myself an unrealistic deadline to meet Julie at Standley Chasm. My advice is to camp out at Fringe Lily, Hugh Gorge Junction or any other spot you can find and break this section in two as the website suggests. This is truly a special stretch of the Larapinta trail and should be given all the rubbernecking, oohs and aahs it deserves.

To my own surprise, it was at Fringed Lily campsite I made the mad commitment to myself to walk the trail again - especially this stretch of the Larapinta.

The opening quote of this blog is from Barry Finlay, Author and Mountaineer.

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A tree on the edge

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