Larapinta Trail - My itinerary
Before I launch in to a day by day “story” of my Larapinta Trail experience, here’s an overview of my trip as completed:
Day 1: Alice Springs to Wallaby Gap = 13.7km
Day 2: Wallaby Gap to Arenge View = 24km
Day 3: Arenge View to Pravda Spur = 18.6km
Day 4: Pravda Spur to Standley Chasm = 8.6km
Day 5: Standley Chasm to Brinkley Bluff = 10km
Day 6: Brinkley Bluff to Birthday Waterhole = 9.9km
Day 7: Birthday Waterhole to Fringe Lily Creek = 8.5km
Day 8: Fringe Lily Creek to Hugh Gorge Junction = 3.6km
Day 9: Hugh Gorge Junction to Rocky Gully = 19km
Day 10: Rocky Gully to Ellery Creek North = 13.6km
Day 11: Ellery Creek North to Counts Point = 20.2km
Day 12: Counts Point to Mt Giles Lookout = 22.5km
Day 13: Mt Giles Lookout to Ormiston Gorge = 13.4km
Day 14: Ormiston Gorge to Hilltop Lookout = 18.9km
Day 15: Hilltop Lookout to Redbank Gorge = 15.6km
Day 16: Redbank Gorge to Mount Sonder summit to Redbank Gorge = 14.2km
Day 1, the beginning of my Larapinta Trail adventure - through the green!
Day 1: I think this is a good first day - it’s not too long, but long enough to figure out any problems. It includes a few ups and downs and some great views. A great introduction to the trail.
Obligatory iPhone selfie at the start of the hike!
Day 2: I ended up walking a lot further than where I was planned to camp. I wanted a sunset view of Arenge Bluff. I passed what looked like a great place to camp, but decided to push on further as I decided (after reading the official Larapinta Trail map accompanying information) that it wasn’t the campsite as marked on the map and a better view would be further on. The further I walked, the less impressive the view became and so I decided at around 5:30pm to call it a day and to make do with a half decent photographic view I found. It was next to a dry creek and there were a lot of random cattle I could hear (and smell!). The flies were atrocious in this spot (one of the only places I put my fly net on), and the mozzies were insane as soon as the sun went down. I then found the “Arenge View” sign, the next morning, but the view wasn’t as good as what I think I had captured on my random track-side camp.
Day 3: Pravda Spur ended up being one of my favourite Larapinta camps - well worth taking the high road and the water carry! Thanks to LTTS for the tip! (Larapinta Trail Trek Support)
Sunrise from Pravda Spur, night 3
Day 4: I had originally planned to continue on to Brinkley Bluff and not stay at Standley Chasm, but this section of the walk was particularly challenging. I found the second half of Section 3 very difficult with a lot of steep up and down. I couldn’t pass up on the chance for a burger, a relax and a hot shower at Standley Chasm so rather than rush up Brinkley Bluff, I stayed at Standley Chasm and was so glad I did!
Day 5: This was one of the days I was not looking forward to - my pack was going to be the heaviest I had ever carried in my life - 8 days worth of food and supplies, 7 litres of water as I knew I wouldn’t have water until halfway through Day 6, and the camera gear. BUT, it was surprisingly manageable. The trail was a well planned ascent. Not too steep, more zig-zags than steep clambering! It was quite long, with several false summits. I nearly cried when I saw the actual summit!
Day 6: Well worth the detour to camp next to the water at Birthday Waterhole. My first swim of the trail!
Fringe Lily Creek
Day 7: I sacrificed another high point camp at Paisley Bluff Lookout (between Windy Saddle and Razorback Ridge), to camp next to the flowing water at Fringe Lily Creek. I’m glad I did - Fringe Lily was also a highlight. However, I am sad I didn’t come away with any killer shots of Razorback Ridge (I was up there in the midday sun). This is one area I’d like to re-hike to camp at the top of windy Razorback and get those sunrise/sunset shots. I think I would have camped up here if there was no water at Fringe Lily.
Day 8: A very short day! I was finished by around 10:30am.
Day 9: Hugh Gorge was spectacular but I was worried about the time it took me to take to get through it due to lots of water (2 x boots removal to get through water), lots of zig zagging and clambering to get around the water. So, with hindsight, I could have made Hugh Gorge Junction to Hugh Gorge Camp another day for photography.
Day 10: An easy day after the terrain of the previous 8!
Day 11: Ellery to Serpentine Gorge was an easy walk, the second half was a bit tougher.
Day 12: A huge day for me. I was exhausted after this one! I arrived in to camp quite late for me and photography, probably around 5:30pm (rushed tent set up and dinner to make time to shoot sunset!). I was lucky there was water at Waterfall Gorge, as I’d only carried 7l. I drank another 2l at Ormiston Gorge and carried 6l up to camp. I would have been very short had there not been water at Waterfall Gorge. This was a hot day for me. If it was cooler, I probably would have been OK carrying the 7. The stretch from Inarlanga Pass to Waterfall Gorge felt very long and exposed, and not as flat as I’d expected.
Day 13: Loved the early morning ridge walk! And the treats available at Ormiston kiosk!
Day 14: I had a water crossing! In the desert! Davenport Creek was just under chest height. The high point campsite that night had the BEST views of Sonder!
Sunset from the top of Hilltop Lookout in Section 11 (a quick iPhone snap as the mosquitoes were insane!)
Happy as Larry at the top of Mount Sonder at dawn!
Day 15: I could not believe the trail was nearly over! Definitely my quickest day on this stretch - I was hammering those km out!
Day 16: 3:30am start and I got to the summit of Sonder just on first light, around 6:10am. An easy ascent, not steep, just long.
Favourite campsite for photography: Count’s Point - Night 11 (but it was my windiest, most-sleepless night!)
Favourite campsite all round: Ellery Creek North - great facilities, a surprise USB charge point, beautiful swimming, great photographic opportunities, dingo howls heard… I camped in the creek bed at the back of Ellery Big Hole and it was a beautiful place to put a tent!
Favourite section: 3 and 5, I can’t pick!
Hardest section: I would probably say section 3.
Hardest days for me: day 1 and day 12
Swim stops: Birthday Waterhole, Finge Lily Creek, Ellery Creek North, Davenport Creek (day 14).
Swim stops I could have had, but didnt: Hugh Gorge Waterhole (freezing cold!), Serpentine Chalet Dam, Ormiston Gorge, Redbank Gorge
Showers: Standley Chasm and Ormiston Gorge
Favourite photography locations: Birthday Waterhole, Fringe Lily Creek, Ellery North, Counts Point, HIlltop Lookout in section 11…. but I also loved Pravda Spur, Mout Giles Lookout, Hugh Gorge, plus so many of the “gaps” and gorges I walked through but didn’t have the time to stop and shoot. (I think that’s too many favourites, so I can honestly say I loved the whole trail! Apart from the top of Razorback Ridge in the mid-day sun. That was my least favourite.
Places I want to revisit for photography: Hugh Gorge, Razorback Ridge
Simpsons Gap
Do you want any questions answered about the Larapinta Trail?
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