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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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

 

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 3. How to Freeze a Family

 

 

As I was writing about the howling, lone dingo last night my pen ran out of ink. A slight inconvenience in the life of a small-time writer. The Latvian lady came to the rescue and she gave me hers. She was leaving the track in a couple of hours anyway and I was just about to set off. I thanked her and told her that giving was good Karma. She told me how grateful she felt when a stranger made her a coffee at Ormiston Gorge. Some people are just really nice.

 



One of the many creeks I crossed

 

Tuesday 12 July 2016

 

Section 11: Finke River to Redbank Gorge

 

Section 11 is a 26km section of the trail. You will need to camp overnight to finish the section. The first part of the trail goes across spinifex-covered hills with the spectacular backdrop of Mt Sonder, then crosses the Davenport River and climbs to a hilltop lookout.

 

It descends to shady and peaceful Rocky Bar Gap at the base of Mt Sonder. It passes through this gap and travels along the southern side of Mt Sonder to Redbank Creek.  

 

Information from the NT Government website

 

 

 

I never took my jacket off that day. Mount Sonder looked gloomy and, wait for it, sombre, under an overcast sky. The track, mainly flat and gravelly ,alternating with flat, red dusty area. This land is surprisingly dry with only the toughest scrubs and trees surviving here even in the midst of winter. I crossed many waterless creek beds and spinifex was growing plentiful along the track in places similar to arranged manicured gardens.

 

 

The spinifex garden

 

Despite the arid atmosphere, I could not believe the multitude of flowers growing in the bush. I stopped many times to take photos. This task has become way more arduous with a heavy backpack.

 

Pack off - get camera - take a breath - shoot - put away camera - lift pack on (swear!).

 

 

Gloomy skies overhead

 

 

I had a huge lunch/morning tea at the Rocky Bar Gap Campsite.  Any thought I entertained to stay overnight was blown away by the intrusive 24 hour surveillance camera mounted on a pole overlooking the water tanks. Why have a camera in this desolate place? Who would have been out here to abuse this pristine spot? Isn’t it funny,  I have been recorded millions of times by CCTV cameras in many places of our fast moving world - yet this one made me feel uncomfortable.  I battled the urge to drop my dacks and moon whoever is watching the screen on the other side.

 

 

A Desert Rose

 

I filled every spare bottle I possessed with water and cussed under my breath when I hoiked the beast over my shoulders. After walking carefully through the dry creek bed aptly named Rocky Gap and traversed over a relatively flat area I came to a hill - a big hill - with the most obvious yet uninspiring name, Big Hill.

 

 

Flowers growing at the foot of Big Hill

 

It took me a while to get to the top as it was BIG. Underway I heard somebody yell out a cooooie!!! from the top which I answered. I also found some flowers that were picked on the ground. There must be kids here somewhere I thought.

 

At the top I decided to stay and tried to find a place to camp with a little shelter from the piercing wind. A glorious brief snooze was in order after which I ventured out of my tent wearing all my clothes, including thermal underwear and a beanie. Six post meridiem and it was bitter. 

 

I met the only other adventurers that were crazy enough to stay up here. Unbelievably, a family of six were braving the icy conditions. Mum and Dad (John and Lara) were passionate hikers and have always taken their kids hiking from an early age. The family including the kids Hannah, Sancha, Finn and little Eddie were spread out in three tents across the top of Big Hill.




Rugged up for dinner

The enthusiastic and definitely driving force behind it all, John, told me he carried his six year old daughter most of the way up only to have to return to his massive pack to haul it to where he had left the six year old Edie - pronounced Ee dee. He said he got to know Edie very well as she chatted to him the whoooooole day long.



Edie not scared of a chat

A cheeky Edie appeared to take a bit of a shine to me and accidently slapped my arm on many occasions as she happened to walk past. I was included in sharing some of the families chocolate and John loaned me his phone to call Julie to arrange our meeting in two days time. I was on the good side of Karma up there.

 

 

Sisters in front of Mount Sonder

 

The view from Big Hill was great, but the cloud cover was smothering the sunset. Just before the sun was about to disappear behind the horizon it peaked through an ever so slight opening lighting up the veil hanging over sombre Sonder. We gathered at the edge of Big Hill and stood there for quite some time. “Will you look at that” said John several times.

 

“This has made it all worth it”.
 



'It was'



 

 

Grey Bits

 
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

Expect cold weather when hiking the Larapinta in winter. Day time temperatures on the day I walked to Big Hill barely went over ten degrees, but average out to around 20 degrees for the months of May to August. Night time temperatures during these months average around 5 degrees but I was told they can wildly fluctuate. Read more about the current conditions on the Larapinta at https://nt.gov.au/leisure/recreation/bushwalking-hiking/larapinta-trail/larapinta-trail-current-conditions

There is barely any phone reception on the whole of the Larapinta trail. In certain high spots and closer to Alice Springs people who are with Telstra are able to get some bars.

I say lose the phone!!!

Larapinta 2. That Flying Feeling

 

 

‘What the……’??? I awoke with a shock by the sound of voices in the night. Flashes of head torches blinding my caked up eyes. What time is it? 4am?? A large group of hikers noisily clonked past my tent. Soon, more came all chatting along excitedly. I realised that there must be a couple of very early sunrise tours to the top of Mount Sonder. Unfortunately, I have put my tent right next to the trail. Exhausted from blowing my nose and the sounds of the wiggles in my head, I roll back over. Cold air biting my face inside the tent. No need to hurry I told myself lazily.

Monday 11 July 2016

Section 12: Redbank Gorge to Mt Sonder return

Section 12 is a 15.8km return section of the Larapinta Trail.

It is a very difficult climb to the peak of Mt Sonder but is worth the effort. There are breathtaking views in all directions. The view looks over ranges, plains, valleys and salt lakes. This is a place to experience the grandeur of the desert landscape.

Information from the Government website on the Larapinta trail

 

The decision making process was very slow, almost non-existent that morning. My head feeling like it was invaded by several herds of woolly sheep. After a huge bowl of cereal and fake milk (powdered) I had gathered up enough energy to slam a daypack together and get started. I left my tent and contents in the creek bed and carried some basics for the ascent to Mount Sonder.
Why I left my lunch and sunglasses in my tent is still a mystery to me.



The exposed trail up Mount Sonder, early in the morning 

First, I would like to acknowledge the traditional owners, the Arrente people, of the land I am about to embark. It is an absolute privilege to be able to wander through this ancient land of our indigenous ancestors.



Magnificent Arrente country. The land ahead waiting for me

 

It was cold, but the wind became seriously freezing the higher I climbed the ridges of Mount Sonder. My right ear feeling frost bitten by the icy cross breeze started aching on the inside. My word!!!! This desert gets cold.  I fished my raincoat out of my backpack to stop the wind from blowing straight through my clothes. I realised that I was no longer on that balmy Kokoda trail. The upwards gradient wasn't too bad but there were some flat, luxurious sections where I could catch my breath. All the way up I greeted many hikers returning from the top, mostly woman, that looked red-faced, with teeth chattering and wrapped up in thick layers of clothes. Mild hyperthermia, the best punishment for waking this sleeping nomad earlier that morning I thought without justification.

 





The only companion up the top was a jar of squashed peanuts.
 Excuse the brand placement



Meanwhile, the views were getting better as I went along and when I reached the end of the trail the view was grandiose. Towards the North  (relatively close by) is the actual insurmountable Mount Sonder summit. The wind dropped away, the sun warmed everything up (squint) and I found myself up there all alone with my jar of peanut butter for at least one hour. I stood up there, for a while, with arms outstretched as if I was flying. Brilliant spot!!!

Views of the actual summit of Mount Sonder from the end of the trail

 

On the way down the views were open and magnificent.  I got a good look at the highest peak in the Northern Territory, Mount Zeil. Zeil meaning sail mountain in Dutch.

 

Mount Zeil in the distance (1.531m tall)

Back in the riverbank of the Redbank Gorge, I moved my tent away from the track and under a tree for shade. The scouts had left, but a woman had pitched her tent not far from me.  I initiated a conversation with her. It turns out she was of Latvian decent, appeared a little shy and had really struggled throughout this hike. The Latvian lady told me she had learnt a lot about hiking during her stint on the Larapinta and that she had run out of money. The lone hiker asked me if she could borrow my gas burner to boil some water for a packet of dried mashed potato. She said she had a gas bottle but hadn't brought a burner???? No problem, needless to say, as trekkers like us always tend to share and help each other as much as possible.

A week later I learned that a hiker had a gas bottle and some food stolen from their supply box at the Ellery Creek storeroom. What a low thing to do! Most of the contents of these supply boxes are carefully balanced and messing with it can blow any plan of walking this trail. Try walking here without food. I just put two and two together!!!

Did you?

The polished quartzite walls of Redbank Gorge gradually changed colour from bright red - to dark purple - to dark brown as the sun went down.  I was in the tent writing when the haunting sound of a howling dingo disturbed the evening. A seriously melancholic but chilling wail echoing off the cliffs making it sound like a whole pack of dingo’s. Fear gripped me for an instant but then I just told myself not to be a baby.

Grey Bits

 
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A dingo spotted at Kings Canyon

Dingo attacks on people are rare but they are known to attack and kill livestock. They are wild animals and should be treated with respect. Read more here on how to interact with dingos.
http://dingo.livingin-australia.com/dingo-danger.html

More information can be found about the Larapinta trail on the following link
https://nt.gov.au/leisure/recreation/bushwalking-hiking/larapinta-trail




Looking down with that 'flying feeling'