OH! Magazine - Australian Version July 2018 | Page 22

( Where, OH Where? )
A TASTE OF THE
LARAPINTA TRAIL, NT
Nicola Conville discovers the joys of solo multi-day hiking.
hile I’ve been an avid hiker and
camper for many years, one thing
I'd never managed to tick off my bucket list
was tackling a multi-day hike on my own.
So when the opportunity came up to spend
a few days hiking along the beautiful
Larapinta Trail in the Red Centre, I jumped
at the chance.
W
The Larapinta Trail is 223km long and runs
from Alice Springs to Mount Sonder,
through the West MacDonnell National
Park, the traditional homelands of the
Central Arrernte, Western Arrernte and
Luritja people. It’s one of Australia’s most
iconic long-distance walking tracks,
running through a beautiful, diverse and
tough landscape of high ridgelines,
stunning gorges and beautiful waterholes.
The track itself is well-marked, but rocky
and undulating – not for the faint of heart.
As it’s my first solo hike and I’ve only
attempted a few overnight hikes before, I
decide to opt for a self-guided walk with
support from World Expeditions, who are
widely regarded as the pioneers of central
Australian walking tours.
The beauty of a self-guided walk is that you
can choose your own adventure – literally!
– and set your own pace. You can also opt
for a three, 6, 9 or 12-day hike, and all the
gear you’ll need is provided, including a
tent and sleeping gear, food, a pack, maps
and an EPIRB (Emergency Position
Indicating Radio Beacon). The trail is
broken up into 12 sections and after
discussing my options with Brett from
World Expeditions I decide to tackle
sections 11 and 12, which run along 42km
of the trail, over three days.
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OH! MAGAZINE ( JULY 2018 )
I start my first day on the trail with much
excitement and more than a little
trepidation. While I am a regular hiker,
doing so with a 15kg pack in tow is a
different story. But I soon find my groove
and day 1 sees me hike approximately
16km from Finke River to Rocky Bar Gap.
The trail takes me up a long, winding hill
which proves challenging and requires lots
of rest breaks, but by the end of the day,
when I make it to the Hilltop Lookout and
breathe in the spectacular, panoramic
views of beautiful Mount Sonder, it all feels
worth it.
There are designated camp sites all the
way along the trail, most of which have
water tanks and toilets (Standley Chasm
Trailhead even has a kiosk). But there are
plenty of spots to camp inbetween, if you
have adequate water and don’t mind using
the bush as your bathroom.
On my first night I head for Rocky Bar Gap,
which is a beautiful, quiet little spot
nestled in a valley. I get there just in time
to enjoy some dinner, chat with other
campers and have tea before turning in for
the night. Apart from hearing dingoes
howling in the distance during the night, I
sleep like a baby for 12 blissful hours.
The following day I have an easier and
shorter distance to hike – around 10km –
along a flat trail that winds along rocky
pathways, sandy river beds and through the
undulating foothills of Mount Sonder. At
lunchtime I reach the next trail head at
Redbank Gorge, where walkers can camp
in a small spot close to a water tank, or in
the nearby dry creek bed.
With a little extra time on my hands, I take
the opportunity to do a short side trip to dip
my feet in pool at the Redbank Gorge.
To hike up Mount Sonder for sunrise, as
many walkers do, you need to get up at
around 3am. After a dinner of Back Country
Cuisine – a surprisingly delicious freeze-
dried honey soy chicken – coupled with a
small bottle of red wine, I turn in at
sundown. I toss and turn and eventually
wake at 2am to the sound of fellow
adventurers getting ready to leave.
Hiking up Mount Sonder underneath an
inky black sky that is covered in a
shimmering sea of stars, is something I will
always remember. It makes you truly realise
what a tiny speck in the universe we all are.
With no light other than my head torch, the
only thing to do is keep my eyes on the trail
and put one foot in front of the other – and
take breaks to rest and star-gaze, of course.
Thankfully the trail is dotted with reflective
markers, which helps guide the way too.
After hours of walking, I finally see a pale
pink line on the horizon, and slowly the sky
starts to brighten. As the sun comes up I
find a sheltered spot on the windy hill to
watch the breath-taking landscape light up
below me.
I take the time to enjoy some breakfast
while taking in the view, before descending
with the warm sun on my back. After
arriving at my humble camp, I drink a pot
of hot tea before reading and lazing in my
tent for a few hours, prior to making the
trip back to Alice Springs, and then home
to Sydney.