The Larapinta Trail, Central Australia – Day 12

For the last 5-6 days as we walked westwards, we have been transfixed by the sight of Mt Sonder. It sits on the horizon like a scary beacon, reminding us that we will be climbing it in a few days AND doing that climbing in the dark! GULP!

Today, Mt Sonder seems to be almost in touching distance and it is positively looming. Yes, it’s incredibly beautiful, but the reality of its size and scale is not to be ignored or underestimated.

Oh well, today is not that day, and we will just enjoy the flatter territory while we can.

Date: Thursday, 27 July 2023.

From: Rocky Bar Gap

To: Finke River

Section #: 11A

Rating: Moderate-Difficult.

Official/Map Distance: 14.7km      Planned Distance: 17km         Actual Distance: 18.3km

Progress: 214/223km

Ascent: 429m                                  Descent: 440m

Terrain: Very diverse. Flat to start and finish with a big climb/descent at the halfway point.

Started Walking: 0820                   Finished: 212pm                       Time/Hrs: 5h51m

Weather: Very warm, cloud building and humid. Rain on the way.

Stayed At: Finke River.

General Comments:

• Thank goodness the freezing wind has disappeared although the next challenge was to adjust my body temperature. Last night I struggled in the sleeping bag, on top of the sleeping bag and sometimes under the sleeping bag. None of it seemed ‘just right’.
• Today’s walking was relatively straightforward. Flat walking, steep climb and descent, and then flat walking to finish. I think we have our trail legs by now and we are just taking whatever was thrown at us in our stride. That doesn’t mean there is any less huffing and puffing on my part, but I think the recovery period is shorter/quicker.

• The trail underfoot contained a bit of everything – rock hopping along the base of a dry riverbed to start and then out onto a wide, open valley. I love the contrast between the different terrains even though some people may find the valleys a bit bland with their low scrubby shrubs.
• From there it was straight up, up, up to Hilltop Lookout. Yes, not the most imaginative name. I welcomed the chance to sit and regroup at the top, admiring the stunning view of Mt Sonder. My legs felt like lead today and I shovelled in some nuts and a muesli bar in an attempt to get some pep back in my step.

• As we sat and enjoyed the cool breeze at the lookout, we could clearly see some serious storm clouds brewing. Our guide said that there would definitely be rain in the next couple of days. Oh dear, as long as it is not when we are trying to climb Mt Sonder in the dark!
• The upside of the clouds is that they added some lovely colour and layers to the views over the countryside. The humidity those clouds brought wasn’t so lovely. A bracing dive and dunk in the Finke River on our return to camp soon fixed that.

• Feeling a million times fresher and wide awake, we all changed into our cleanest clothes (that selection is getting very small) and piled into the troopie again for the short trip to Glen Helen Gorge.
• Glen Helen Gorge is a popular tourist destination with a magnificent gorge and café/restaurant. They also have WIFI and Optus mobile service and that was very popular with those who wanted to reconnect with the outside the world. They also sell real coffee and cold beer, and those were appreciated as much as the WIFI.

• It felt wonderful to sit on soft, comfortable lounges on the verandah of the café and admire the sheer orange cliffs. The loud doof doof music emanating from the kitchen was a bit of a shock to the serenity, as were all the tourists in their air-conditioned buses and sparkling clean clothes. What a rag tag bunch we must have looked in comparison.
• Oh, and they have real toilets, porcelain toilets that you actually get to sit on and flush! Luxury!

• Today’s Word: Diverse
• Menu: Breakfast: I only felt like toast and peanut butter this morning.
  • Lunch: Poke bowls turned into delicious sushi/nori rolls.
  • Dinner: Wagyu beef sausages, kangaroo steaks, broccolini, potato salad and peas.

Top Tips for this Section:

• Pop into Glen Helen Gorge for a small dose of civilisation. Unfortunately, they have closed their extensive camping/caravan facilities due to a lack of water supply (apparently it was costing them $100,000 per month to buy water in), but the Gorge itself is definitely worth a visit. It is simply stunning.
• Telecommunications: As mentioned above Glen Helen Gorge has Optus mobile service and it also has a Telstra wall phone for free calls. Sadly, I only found out about the Telstra phone shortly before we were due to leave the café. It would have been nice to call home.

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