The Larapinta Trail, Central Australia – Day 9

Blink and it’s Day 9! How did that happen?

As with many other adventures, in the beginning it feels like I have this great swathe of time ahead of me and then time just evaporates. Maybe that is a good thing as it means I have switched off from the real world and have become completely engrossed in the present. Staying present is always a challenge for me. 😊

Rug up. It’s another cold and windy day to be out walking…

Date: Monday, 24 July 2023.

From: Serpentine Gorge

To: Serpentine Chalet Trailhead

Section #: 8

Rating: Moderate-Difficult.

Official/Map Distance: 13km         Planned Distance: 15km         Actual Distance: 14.6km

Progress: 153/223km

Ascent: 601m                                  Descent: 494m

Terrain: Rocky paths up steep climbs and a 5km stroll along the top of the ridgeline.

Started Walking: 0836                   Finished: 137pm                       Time/Hrs: 5h01m

Weather: Clear with a cold wind again

Stayed At: Serpentine Chalet group camp.

General Comments:

• It’s Day 9 and I am pleased with how the ol’ body is holding up. While others have been gathering blisters aplenty, so far I have missed out on that delight. I suspect the caning my feet took in Spain (back in May/June) has toughened them up. One small win for me.
• Having said that, I am very conscious of making sure my boots are laced tightly/correctly to minimise excess movement and rubbing. The constant ascents and descents place a large amount of pressure on certain parts of my feet and I relace my boots at least once every day to ensure they stay firmly in place. I have also used a Fixomull-type tape for the first time and perhaps that is helping too? So far, so good.

• It was busy out on the trail this morning with at least two other supported groups heading off ahead of us. Who gave them permission to walk on our trail? 😊
• Never mind, we soon overtook them. It was Day 9 after all and we were edging closer to being trail fit. By the look of some of the members of the other groups, they had also under-estimated the difficulty of the trail and they were doing it hard. Oh well, it is not a race and if it takes more rests and stops to enjoy the view, so be it. It is much better to be out having a crack at this trail rather than sitting at home on the lounge.

• Today’s path took us straight up a steep spur spearing down from the Heavitree Range. We certainly warmed up, huffing and puffing our way up to the top of the ridgeline. From there we braced ourselves for the icy wind and rock-hopped along the top of the ridge for a good couple of kilometres.
• The views were absolutely breathtaking. My apologies if I am sounding like a broken record. We had 100% 360° views, including stretching eastwards way back across the Alice Valley and our 6A/6B stages, and even further back to the smoky length of our first mountain range, the Chewings.

• On our southern side were endless foothills and the broad valley we have been working our way across the last couple of days, bordered by the Parcoota Range. I really love the Parcoota Range as in the Aboriginal stories it represents a chain of caterpillars crawling its way over the country and, where the chain loses its lead caterpillar, there is a break in the range. From up high, I can really picture it and our little group feels just like that chain of caterpillars too, slowly working and walking our way over the land and hopefully not getting lost too many times.

• After about 5km of walking on top of the World, we had another short, sharp climb to reach Counts Point. Apparently, it is called Counts Point due to the ability to count each and every mountain range in every possible direction. I was too boggled by the view to bother with counting anything.
• More amazing was the fact that some energetic and enterprising person had carried a wonderful bench chair all the way up the mountain and erected it there for our comfort and enjoyment. Now that is really going above and beyond!

• Slightly more intimidating than awe-inspiring were the views of Mt Sonder in the distance. It looked very big and very hard and we would be climbing it on our final day. Gulp!
• Once photos were taken, we tucked ourselves into any sheltered corner we could find to get out of the wind and tucked into our lunchboxes. Some determined hikers had cleared small patches of ground and used the rocks to build low walls to shield their tents. They were also handy shields for us and much appreciated during our lunch break.

• What goes up, must come down and it was a steep descent from the top of the ridge back down into gentler territory.
• The landscape continues to dazzle us as we move up and down small ridges, and into and out of different ecosystems or microclimates. It’s times like this I wish I was a much better student of science.

• Today’s Word: Breathtaking
• Menu: Breakfast: Muesli, toast, grilled haloumi and eggs.
  • Lunch: Ham, cheese and salad wrap.
  • Dinner: the most delicious pumpkin risotto, ever!

Top Tips for this Section:

• Layers: With today’s icy wind, it was all about layers. Even though it is warm walking, as soon as you stop, your body temperature plummets. A rain coat as a wind breaker is very handy.
• Footwear: Everyone has their own preferences when it comes to footwear and regardless of the shape or style, make sure they are well-walked in and have excellent tread/grip. You certainly need the grip today.
• Mobile Service: Telstra mobile service is available from the very top of the ridgeline and at Counts Point. Very handy to catch up on the World Cup soccer scores.

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