Wednesday 15 June 2022
Brinkley Bluff to Standley Chasm – Section 4 Part 2
Distance 10.22km
Moving time 3:24
Track time 3:54
Temp 7′- 25
Up 134m Down 577m

We enjoyed a beautiful sunrise and moonset this morning. It was amazing. The red in the sky is so vibrant in the outback. We then stayed up and got organised almost early. Getting away about 8.45am. Yay team! We were still the last to leave camp but that is par for the course.
The first part of the day was a slow decline across the Ridge line. It was like walking down a dinosaurs back bone over the jagged shale. It was tricky underfoot but the views on either side were amazing. We had one nasty incline which was a very steep up section over a very short distance. This brought us to Reveal Saddle at about the 5km mark where we enjoyed a chat with a 14 day E2E tour guide. They are always happy to share their knowledge. Today was the section where a couple of mulga snakes have been seen over the last couple of days so David led most of the way with his eagle eyes. We continued down again for another couple of km along rocky track and then at the 3km to home mark we hit a creek bed and we followed this all the way to Standley Chasm. This is very tiring as the rocks move underfoot the whole way. We arrived at camp at about 1.45pm and after pitching our tent we enjoyed a burger, wedges and smoothie. Then a lovely shower, with average water pressure but hot water which was fantastic. I also washed our socks which were getting a bit hard after 14 days continuous wearing. David saw an unusual gecko which was camera shy, we also saw some spinifex pigeons, ring necked parrots and a flock of budgies. The trail head camps are very social, we met many new people this afternoon. I think there is about 24 people or more at this camp. We met up with Jim who got a $750 lift from Rocky Gully to here a few days ago with a buggered foot. He is going to try to finish the trail from here tomorrow. It is a hive of activity as everyone has a food drop to organise and reshuffle in their bags ready for tomorrows hike. Liza is still here with us and Penny and Eric moved on to Millers Flat this afternoon. I muffed our food supply, only did 4 days food for 5 days hiking. Oops! Lucky we had a bought lunch and meat/salad pack for dinner. We were going to buy breakie but have decided to have muesli bar and apple and try to get away a bit earlier as we have a 6.5 hr day tomorrow.

Tuesday 14 June 2022
4/5 Junction to Brinkley Bluff – Section 4 Part 1
Distance 7.87km
Moving time 2:26
Track time 3:28
Temp 3′- 25
Up 607m Down 95m

“Section 4 – follows the high quartzite ridges of the Chewings Range and although graded difficult will reward walkers with breathtaking views in all directions. The trail follows the river valley from Birthday Waterhole to Mintbush Spring, then enters Stuart’s Pass, an upper branch of the Hugh River, then down a little to Rocky left before steeply ascending Brinkley Bluff.”

Today was going to be tough. We have a short distance with a huge elevation. We set off at about 10am on the undulating first four kilometres. Then it was time to go up. Over the next 2km we climbed 280m in elevation. This was on switch backs, over rocks and a constant up up, and up. This took us through Stuart’s Pass which was a continuous climb up. We saw many different flowers today and also walked through another burnt section. We then descended 66m over the next km to Rocky Cleft which was an amazing view point through jagged rocks. But the tough bit about that was we then had to ascend 283m over the next 1.3km. It was a tough climb which was along switchbacks, as well as some tricky rock faces. David was in his element and climbed quickly considering he was carrying 5 litres of water again. Lucky we were down to 2 days of food. I had 3 litres today so it was also a bit heavy. I just had to dig deep and walk on and on and on. We arrived at the top at about 1.30. I was hot, sweaty and puffed but the view was worth it. We had spectacular views in all directions. We just enjoyed the views all afternoon. We had a walk out to the point, a chat with our fellow hikers – Liza, Penny and Eric, plus another 4 hikers from last night – all heading on our same itinerary. A bit later a young girl arrived plus just before sunset a lady from Umina Surf Club (Suzanne) and her niece arrived. She had decided not to wear her toe socks this time and was regretting this decision as she could feel blisters developing. David hasn’t worn his yet. She had only been on the track 5 days with 12 to go, so David have her his toe socks. Paying it forward as everyone on the track seems to do. Always looking out for your fellow hikers. The camaraderie is fantastic. We watched a beautiful sunset and moonrise at the million start restaurant at the top of Brinkley Bluff (elevation 1209m) and marvelled at how lucky we all are to experience the wonders of this trail.

Monday 13 June 2022
Fringe Lily Creek to 4/5 Junction – Section 5 Part 2
Distance 8.86km
Moving time 3:28
Track time 5:12
Temp 3′- 23
Up 413m Down 470m

4/5 Junction to Birthday Waterhole return
2.5km

I had a shocking sleep last night, I thought I would try not using the sitpads under my hip. Silly me! I woke with a freezing hip during the night and struggled to get warm. Fringe Lily was a beautiful camp spot at 800m elevation but very chilly. Our campsite was the best, as it got the sun first. Still didn’t leave till 2nd last but that is ok.
We left camp and started climbing straight away. Up 200m elevation over 2km. It was a brutal start to the day. Lucky it was switch backs or it would have been a lot worse. The view at the top was spectacular from where we had come and also where we were going. We then climbed the Razorback Ridge. This was a spectacular cliff of razor edged rocks. It was magnificent but it was tough, another 100m elevation over the next km. We then headed down some switchbacks to Windy Saddle. We passed some flowers but it still had some challenging rocky sections. We continued down Rocky Talus, then through Spencer Gorge which was through the river bed and was boulder hopping the whole way. There were some tricky big boulders to negotiate, as well with some big drops, one we had to remove our packs and pass them down. Then back up another 50m elevation, followed by the last 2 km of pleasant track walking. We moved well throughout the day and our moving time was very fast but our track time was quite long as we enjoyed lots of the views and had quite a few stops. We arrived at 4/5 Junction camp at about 2.30pm.
We found a nice little camp near the shelter, setup the tent and headed for Birthday Waterhole for a swim and muscle ice bath. It was very cold yet again but invigorating for my tired muscles. David once again stood ankle deep for a few minutes. Too cold for him. We then walked back to camp for dinner. There were about 10 people in camp again tonight. Sadly we are on the count down now. Tonight is our 11th sleep on the track and we have six more to go. Today was another favourite for David, the track was tricky, steep and a little challenging with the most spectacular views. The next couple of days should be the same. What an amazing adventure!

Sunday 12 June 2022
Hugh Gorge to Fringe Lily Creek – Section 5 Part 1
Distance 9.3km
Moving time 3:03
Track time 4:42
Temp 2′- maybe 19
Up 236m Down 166m

“Section 5 is definitely one of the most visually spectacular and best sections of the entire Larapinta Trail. The entire section offers great views, particularly between Linear Valley and Hugh Gorge. It is also one of the most difficult sections involving ridgetop walking, steep climbs, clambering over dry river beds and boulders, negotiating waterholes and snaking through thick vegetation and thick river debris in narrow gorge areas.

Walkers should allow sufficient time to enjoy this rugged and spectacular section. The trail follows natural watercourses and it may be necessary to negotiate pools of water within Hugh Gorge. Allow two days to comfortably complete this section.

The reddish-orange walls of High Gorge contrast sharply with the bleached and water-0worn boulders of the watercourse. Ant surface oxides which form on the rocks are quickly dissolved and washed away each time the river flows.”

Today is going to be a fun day albeit harder because we have to carry 2 days water. I have 3 litres and David’s has 5 litres (Thanks DB). David has been waiting for the next 4 or 5 days from the start. Thankfully it is a beautiful sunny day as we have to go swimming today and we had a few spots of rain for about an hour last night. After a very social morning with our camp friends. The 2 young girls are on their way from Melbourne to Darwin for work, one is a nurse and the other will be working as an OT with special needs children in a school environment. Life is a great adventure. We had a chat with the Terrigal couple (Troy and Amanda – parents to young children 8 and 10) who feel privileged to get this opportunity. The husband said they have spoken to each other more in the last 5 days than they have for the last year. He is really happy to be doing this.
We hit the trail at 10am. It is a short distance today. Only 7.3km with a trail time of 4.5 hours. It is our type of hiking today. Creek beds of rocks big and small, boulder hopping, navigating up and down rocks, then a swim in freezing water, passing packs up an enormous boulder. The views of the escarpment in the Gorge were spectacular. David managed to only get up to his knees wet and climbed up a log which I held firm for him (my arms deep in the water hehe!). Then I walked back and forth with the packs and passed them up to him. His was so heavy (maybe 17kg) with the extra water as we have a dry camp tonight. Then I dived into the water and swam around the boulder. The cold water took my breath away. Liza floated her pack around instead. Another couple did the same as us, and Penny and Eric swam around. We then all got dressed and sat in the sun for lunch. What a glorious life we all have. Feeling very lucky.

After lunch we headed further into the Gorge on cold wobbly legs and walked up through Pocket Valley. We spoke with a Day pack group guide who told us he had seen 2 mulga snakes in the last 2 days so we will keep our eyes open extra wide. As we continued David was very lucky to see 2 dingoes on the creek bed in front of him, as I came towards him they walked up the ridge but I was still lucky to see them before they walked away. They were very healthy looking animals. We then climbed up a steep incline to Rocky Saddle. The views from the saddle were spectacular in both directions and the photos do not do the view justice. As we walked down from the saddle we saw the most amazing view, the valley was dotted with grey and green spinifex. It was a long walk through rocky beds but we walk well through this type of terrain. We continued for a while longer and arrived at Fringe Lily camp at 2.40pm. Following a sign made with rocks, we walked to the water pool at the end of the creek to watch the change of colours as the sun goes down. It was very pretty. We found a lovely camp that had sun warmth until 5.30pm which is fantastic. We have a great setup routine now which goes very smoothly. We have 8 in camp with us tonight – Penny and Eric, Liza, Saskia a young solo girl (E2W), a young couple (E2W) and us. The sites are well spread out. We only passed about 4 or 5 E2W bound hikers today plus a day pack group of about 7.
We are in bed again before 7pm as there is no shelter to gather at to chat. Also no water or toilet but that’s all part of the fun.

Tonight DBs shin is a mess. Fingers crossed for tomorrow.

Saturday 11 June 2022
Rocky Gully to Hugh Gorge – Section 6 Part 2
Distance 15.1km
Moving time 3:46
Track time 5:18
Temp 6′- 13
Up 315m Down 318m
FB – 2 bandaids

We had a great nights sleep last night which was fantastic. We woke to an overcast day with a strong cold wind which continued all day. It was cloudy and windy and cold all day. The second day we have hiked in our polar fleece, and first time in gloves and beanie. This morning we enjoyed a lovely breakfast chat with Steve, Mary-Anne and Fiona, and Linda. Steve and Dave had a good surf chat and I talked with MaryAnne and Fiona. Steve and Mary-Anne’s daughter Tracey (37) was a professional dance. First on Princess cruises for 6 years then Moulin Rouge for 18 months, then back on the cruise ships again. Anyway it was a lovely morning but cold and windy. We headed off about 9am. It was cloudy, cold and windy most of the day. We both hiked with our polar fleece all day. Gloves were on and off and David wore his beanie most of the day. We walked over the last 2 days from the Heavitree Range across the Alice Valley to the Chewings Range. It was very similar terrain and views but has been quite an easy couple of days. Only a couple of small hills each day with undulating pathways, a bit rocky in sections. As today progressed the rocks started to get big and more boulder like. After the first 30 mins of walking the underside of my right forefoot was very tender and bruised, so I stopped and padded it with a couple of bandaids. Then was just more particular with foot placement and it was good for the rest of the day. David’s ankle was a lot better today and he went without tape based on advice from Ben, a Physio who camped with us last night. He said DB looked like he was walking ok so should try not to tape it. His left quad and hip were also a lot better today. We are really happy with how we are going considering Dave’s mishap. The next couple of days are tricky scrambling, short distance but long hours. We are really looking forward to the next couple of sections as the views and challenges are meant to be great. We passed about 8 hikers on the trail today and were the first to camp. All afternoon people arrived. 2 couples (1 from Terrigal), 1 solo girl (Brie), then in the late afternoon 2 girls and a guy – all from the east. Then from the west – Liza had done a 29km day after her rest day at Ellery North and Penny (43) and Eric (53) caught up with us and also had come from a Ellery North. They all had some interesting stories, some in better shape than others. But David was in his element. I left him up talking because I was too cold to stay up any longer. He just loves hearing their stories. We didn’t pass any Daypackers today.

Friday 10 June 2022
Ellery Creek North to Rocky Gully – Section 6 Part 1
Distance 13.6km
Moving time 3:35
Track time 4:57
Temp -1′- don’t know’
Up 327m Down 216m

“Section 6 is the longest section of the Larapinta Trail, but much of the trail winds up, around and over undulating and boring terrain for no particular reason (David’s words exactly). That said, it is a pleasant walk across Alice Valley and a welcoming change after the rugged mountainous terrain of S5. Excellent walk for bird watching. Rocky Gully is a nice half way campsite.”

What a spacious beautiful camp on the river bed at Ellery Creek North. We both had a pretty good sleep. Enjoyed a gorgeous sunrise and breakfast in the river bed. A bit of a chat and we got away at about 10.04am. We had a very chatty morning on the trail. We passed about 10 through hikers and 10 day packers in the first 5km which with all the talking took us about 2 hours. Very slow. The going was pretty easy up and down slightly undulating pathways. The last 3km was a few bigger hills and it got rockier with lots of quartz on the path as well. It was a pretty good day. Slow in total time for the distance but lots of rest time talking. We walked through the Alice Valley from the Heavitree Range towards the Chewings Range. On to Hugh Gorge tomorrow. We have a couple of groups of 3 plus a solo lady at camp. So not too busy tonight.

David has improved today.
– Right Ankle good
– Left Quad minor issues
– Hips good.
The wonder Physio cream and sticky tape are working wonders. David is looking forward to the tougher stuff in the next few days, today was a bit same same for him but I still love it.

We met some youngsters (mid 20s) at Rocky Gully today who have been on the trail from east to west for 7 days, going hard right from the start. Unfortunately they are all struggling with blister issues, lost toe nails and are leaving the trail tomorrow. They are very sad and were asking advice as to how to overcome this. It is such a shame.

We shared a round table dinner without the table with some interesting people. A couple and a female friend of theirs and a solo lady. They were all our age and a bit older. Once we got talking about travels and other hikes, life etc we found out we shared more common interests. The guy was Steve McBean who came 2nd to Guy Leech in the 1st ever Coolangatta Gold race after the movie. He was also Lenny Cooks nemesis. It was interesting conversation and a great night that ended at 6.30pm as the sun set and everyone went to bed. We are still going strong and looking forward to the next 10 days.

Thursday 09 June 2022
Serpentine Gorge to Ellery Creek North – Section 7
Distance 12.4km
Moving time 2:56
Track time 3:16
Temp 3′- maybe 17′
Up 197m Down 242m

Section 7 takes walkers through the Heavitree Range to enjoy expansive views across the Alice Valley to the north. The gently undulating terrain means this section can be easily completed in one day.

Today was quite an easy day except for the extra weight of 7 days food. My pack was about 13.5kg and 17kg for David. We needed to get away early so we could make use of the afternoon sun for charging purposes. But yet again we were last to leave at 9.33am. We started with a little uphill climb and a rocky section, with another climb and scramble then the next 6 or so km was undulating and quite pedestrian. It was nice to be able to walk it out without so much concentration. It was a beautiful walk through the Heavitree range with views of the Alice Valley. It was lovely to get to camp early in time for lunch. We managed to recharge and then I had a swim in the Gorge, it was freezing but invigorating for all my body. It was very cold. David lasted about 3 mins with his ankle in. He managed really well today and his ankle is not too sore tonight. He has a sore hip and his left knee is sore from protecting the right ankle yesterday. All in all a good result. I thought we might be back at Alice having a 5 day rest for David to recover. We met some more lovely people at Ellery Creek North camp today. A group of 4 young girls, a solo boy, a solo girl, a lady our age (Liza) and a couple and 1 friend. Plus a couple on the trail today. A great day also rejuvenating for our legs as it wasn’t too arduous.

Total walked so far 115.75km

Wednesday 08 June 2022
Serpentine Chalet Dam to Serpentine Gorge – Section 8
Distance 15.7km
Moving time 4:03
Track time 5:27
Temp 3′- maybe 17′
Up 517m Down 566m – Tough day!
Camp elevation 760m
Plus food collection 2.3km

Section 8 is a challenging walk and the terrain varies markedly. Counts Point rewards walkers with spectacular views of the surrounding ridge lines and peaks. It has exhilarating views of the high quartzite ridgelines typical of the West MacDonnell Ranges, including Haasts Bluff and Mt Zeil, which is the highest point in the Northern Territory.

It was very cold last night but we both managed ok. We had a group of 5 hikers march through camp at 5am and another 9 at 5.23am. We think they were guided groups.
This morning we enjoyed a chat with Annie 65, Anne 70 and Mary 74. They are such an inspiration. Mary still does solo 5 day treks in the Victorian High Country. Made me feel like we can conquer some more mountains. Yay! I tried to take the load off David’s morning as his foot was sore but not too swollen. So whilst he had breakie, I packed up the mattresses, sleeping bags and tent. Then we did the water and were ready to leave at 9.15am. A solo young guy arrived just as we were leaving which meant we didn’t get on our way until 9.30am but as always he had a great life story and some tips for the trail.
We started with an undulating trail for the first 4 km which we smashed our pretty well. Over the next 2.5km we climbed 300m to Counts Pt over a very rocky track. The last 700m we walked without our pack and just carried our lunch. We enjoyed the most spectacular view seeing the Mt Giles range, the Mt Giles lookout and the Ridge and valley we have walked over the last 2 days. It was really cool. Unfortunately we shared the return walk and lunch time with 3 tour groups. A group of 12 men 75 plus in age. A group of 15 women and one man and the third a group of 11. We were lucky we got about 10 mins at the lookout on our own. One benefit to meeting the tour groups is one of the tour guides gave David a roll of strapping tape to help with his ankle injury. We then hiked across the Ridge for 4km on a very rocky surface, then down steep switch backs for 2.2km down 300m in elevation. So very steep. The next 2.5km was undulating with the last 1km on a much nicer surface. The view was great nearly all day. We arrived at Serpentine Gorge camp at 4pm after a very long lunch, no luck with charging but time to setup, then head back to the container to get our food for the next 7 days. It is going to be a tough day weight wise tomorrow. I will have about 14kg and Dave about 17kg. Lucky it isn’t too hard a day. We enjoyed an interesting chat with a couple of 21 year old boys who may have interested David in doing Annapurna trail. Yippee! Well it looks like Dave survived the day today, he used one of my hiking poles for a little bit of extra support. His foot hurt all the way and he had to walk slower than usual but he made it and thinks he will be ok to continue. We hope the shorter day tomorrow will give him a bit of rest in the afternoon. Fingers crossed.
So far we have walked 106km including the Mt Sonder day.

Tuesday 07 June 2022
Hermits Hideaway to Mt Giles Lookout return
Distance 3.8km
Moving time 0:43
Track time 1:16
Up 68m Down 69

Mt Giles lookout to Serpentine Chalet Dam – Section 9 Part 2
Distance 16.6km
Moving time 4:51
Track time 6:37
Temp 6′- maybe 17′
Up 387m Down 590m
Camp elevation 800m

Well the wind howled last night but we were quite protected at Hermits Hideaway. It was a lovely little camp we had all to ourselves. At 6.30am we got up and headed up to Mt Giles lookout for sunrise. It was about 1km of quite rocky terrain by torchlight but we made it to enjoy a beautiful sunrise. It was a lovely morning. We then headed back down to camp for breakie and to pack up. We were on our way again by 9.20am back up to Mt Giles lookout which had phone service. We made a few calls and were just about to leave at 10.15am when Jim plonked himself down for a chat. He had got a little lost yesterday and that’s why he stayed down the base of the hill last night. He is still hoping to make it to Serpentine Chalet Dam but that is another 16km so we will be surprised if he makes it. We did find out that he had an Eperb so we don’t need to worry about him again. So off we went again at 10.45am. A lot later than we hoped as today’s walk is about 5.5 hours.
Well the first section was down down, down. Mostly on switchbacks but there were a few rocky climb downs. All in all it was a pretty pleasant walk down and then across to Waterfall Gorge. Then it was undulating on varying terrain and through a valley. It was very beautiful with high escarpment on either side. It was also very green. We then went through Inarlanga Pass which was some of our favourite types of walking, rock scrambles and riverbed rock hopping. Whilst walking through the rock scramble David twisted his ankle whilst taking a photo. Eekk! We still had about 3 km of the walk to complete and he soldiered on in a bit of pain. We think that may have helped him keep the blood flowing through the injury. The last 6km were very tiring and we are both feeling the affects of the 5 days walk so far. Even David is happy with the slower schedule we have organised.
We arrived at camp a little later than normal about 4pm. David’s ankle is quite sore, he has it bandaged with a snake bandage and Annie a lady at the camp gave him some Physio cream which hopefully will help. She also offered Nurofen and Voltaren tablets which he declined.
I learnt how to set up the tent by instruction today which was really good, so David could rest his foot. We are hoping David will be ok to walk in the morning. If not we will work out our plan of attack then.
We had a pleasant afternoon/evening talking to Anne 70, Mary 74 and Annie 65. These three ladies are friends with Frances who we met at Ormiston Gorge. i thought they were in their early to mid sixties. They are doing the track over 20 days, having a couple of days rest along the way. Well DB was able to hang our packs and food bags because the mice are really bad here. We even saw an owl swoop in to the shelter to catch his dinner. They are having a field day. I tried to do the rest of the setup so David could rest his foot. Fingers crossed for tomorrow.
Jim hasn’t made it here tonight as expected.

Monday 06 June 2022
Ormiston Gorge to Mt Giles lookout – Section 9 Part 1
Distance 14km
Moving time 3:48
Track time 5:20
Temp 8′- maybe 19′
Up 562m Down 182m

Happy birthday Gavin!

We endeavoured to get an early start. We got up at 6.30am and started packing up, we were going really well but once again got chatting which is all part of the journey. You meet some really interesting characters along the way. We have been travelling along with an older guy named Jim meeting him at camp each night. He sets out before us. We catch up to him at lunch time and then he gets in a little later than us. We also met a couple of older ladies who have had to stop with injuries. Frances walked 29km with sprained feet and can now hardly walk, she is waiting for a friend to go home. Jocelyn has hurt her back but is hoping to continue slowly west tomorrow. Penny and Eric from the bus arrived last night so we caught up with them as well. So we set off at 9.15 am. Closer to 8 but not quite. Anyway it was better than 9.50am so we are improving. It is a big day. New food supply – 3 days, extra water as we have a dry camp tonight and a huge climb. DBs pack is 17kg and mine is about 14kg. It is amazing when we both put them on they didn’t feel too heavy. We must be getting some conditioning. Anyway, off we went, firstly along the sandy river bed, then we slowly started to ascend over undulating terrain for the first 9km but still ascending all the same. From the base of the hill up it was about 333m in elevation over 5 km. It was quite tricky, there were rocks to climb over, layers of loose shale and a continuous up, up and up. I seemed to power up the hills today. Just moving along with smaller steps but stopping a lot less and keeping my heart rate quite low. My fitness must be improving which is great because the next few sections are very tough. Today’s was up 562m and down 182m. We had a couple of stops, one for hydralyte about 11am, 2km from the base of the hill and then about 2km from camp which was almost at the top at 950m. We then struggled a little to climb the last 50m on wobbly legs. This always happens after a break but we couldn’t wait. We were starving. We did really well arriving at Hermits Hideaway camp at about 2.45pm. This section was labelled Difficult and about 6.5hrs. So we are really happy with our progress. Hermits Hideaway has about 8-010 camp spots mostly protected from the wind with great views of Mt Giles.

We only passed 3 End 2 End hikers and a tour group of 6. They are doing the E2E over 14 days with a guide, transfer support, permanent campsites with stretcher beds, gourmet food and showers. At a small fee of $4000.

We had a lovely afternoon setting up camp and as it started to get late we began to worry about Jim who still hadn’t turned up. Hopefully he had stopped at an earlier camp but we were a bit concerned as his plan was to hike further than us today. At 5pm David decided to do a quick walk before sunset to see if he could find him as it had been a really hard day. So off he set with first aid, sat phone and warm clothes. He is only going for 30 mins and then turning so he gets back in daylight. Well, true to his word he is back at 6pm after running part of the 2.5km each way, he managed to see Jim’s tent set up about 2/3rds of the way down the descent. At least he is safe. We can continue without worrying now. DB may be injured from his run but hopefully he will have good karma and will be fine. We ate dinner watching the sun set over Mt Sonder and then for another hour after that, then headed to bed as the temp is already only 10′. Hopefully it doesn’t get too cold tonight as we are at 1015m above sea level. We are on our own on the mountain tonight which is so much better than last night where there were many tour groups and about 20 self reliant E2E hikers.