Section 4/5 Junction to Brinkley Bluff (Day 16, Sect. 4 part)
A breathtaking climb to a high camp with 360 degree views
The enticing westerly face of Brinkley Bluff
Today is one of those fantastic hikes that starts gently with a stroll along wide river flats, culminating at the end of the day with climactic views atop Brinkley Bluff, the cherry atop a yummy cake.
You pass wild campsites near Stuart’s Pass and might have considered stopping here last night instead of at 4/5 Junction, but the water supply is unreliable, which means slower hikers aiming to stay at Brinkley Bluff need to carry two nights’ water after topping up at Section 4/5 hut: might as well stop at the hut unless a windy forecast means that camping atop Brinkley isn’t an option.
Once you’ve crossed the river, the climb begins, with grand views north and west and the Bluff looming ahead, enticing you onwards. The trail has — oh joy! — actual switchbacks as the terrain steepens until, quite suddenly, you emerge onto the crest, immediately surrounded by campsites… and more exhilarating views of folded ranges in every direction.
Consider current and potential wind direction when choosing a campsite, and pitch securely whether or not it is forecast. At elevation and after pitching in perfectly calm conditions which were forecast to continue overnight for the wider region, we experienced 30kt+ winds, partly because the shape of the terrain greatly increases wind speed. It’s not possible to extrapolate exactly, but we estimate that it’s highly likely that a forecast of 18-20kts for the wider region could easily mean 30+kts atop Brinkley, with all the campsites in the acceleration zone or in leeside rotor, and at a higher elevation.
The four days around Standley Chasm (Hugh Gorge to Jay Creek) are the most demanding and, in our opinion, the most spectacular and varied of the entire trail
Today follows the river east before crossing it and climbing to Brinkley Bluff.
If you’ve been following our conservative itinerary and comparing your hike times to ours each day (or checking against the table in Itinerary or official Parks figures) you’ll know by now whether you will be faster or slower than us on these more demanding days, and whether you need more time, or less. Adjust accordingly. If you are MUCH slower than us, consider how you might adjust by splitting days further, starting earlier, or perhaps even skipping Ellery Creek to Standley Chasm. Study our many trail images so you can also compare the terrain, and factor in your own strength and agility. We took 4.5 hours to get to Brinkley Bluff from the Section 4/5 Junction campsite.
How to Make Today Easier
Your best option is to split the day as we did: this 16.7km/10.4mi section is officially all the way from Section 4/5 Junction to Standley Chasm, but we and many hikers prefer splitting the day and stopping at Brinkley Bluff as it is a designated site neatly halfway at 7.9km/4.9mi. The full section distance to Standley does not seem extreme, and the terrain is much less scrambly than yesterday in Spencer Gorge and on Razorback Ridge, but the track remains rocky, rugged, and extremely steep in parts.
From the Junction to Brinkley you have 600m/1970ft elevation gain — all in the second half of the distance — and 100m/330ft loss. If going through to Standley, the day would comprise a total of 850m/2790ft elevation gain PLUS 770m/2525ft of knee-creaking descent, and you’re coming off two challenging days in a row. Slower hikers will find the distance to Brinkley comfortable, whereas continuing all the way to Standley Chasm is doable but a push. Besides, the campsite atop Brinkley is one of the most spectacular of the entire trail!
The only time that slower hikers should not stop at Brinkley is if the forecast is windy: almost all the sites are exposed. Even sites on the lee side are likely to experience turbulence because of the shape of the crest. Although we recommend that slower hikers stop at Sect 4/5 Junction, if strong winds are forecast and you have juice in the tank, carry extra water to the wild camp at Stuart’s Pass if you don’t think you can safely make the distance to Standley in one day.
You pass a few more small campsites on a saddle halfway up the climb to the top, and a few more between Brinkley and Standley, but we suspect that none of them would be much better, at least in southerlies, as they are on saddles or in venturi.
Wherever you hope to stop, make an early start. If it’s calm or light winds are forecast, slower hikers should pitch on the Bluff when they arrive. If it is forecast to be moderately (not very) windy, scout the area for the most sheltered campsites, although sadly these are likely to be taken by the time we slower hikers arrive. If you find one that you think provides enough shelter that your tent won’t break, pitch there.
Another alternative in otherwise good weather is to cowboy camp on your tent footprint, tucked behind a bush or tight in the lee of one of the rock walls, rather than setting up your tent.
Walk with Us
After the last two days of rock hopping and scrambling, you’ll appreciate today’s first few kilometres through mulga on easy flat trail.
The trail soon enters more open country along the northern bank of the tree-lined watercourse.
Native tobacco (Nicotiana occidentalis)
Green mistletoe (Amyema maidenii)
You cross the river with its remnant pools and wild campsites in and near the sandy bed, and almost immediately begin your climb. You’ll skirt around the southern side of the bluff, following the adjacent rocky ridge to a saddle initially. The saddle you see is a false one, there is more climbing beyond.
Remember to look behind you! Let your eye follow the river west into the background: that notch in the red middle hills is the gap of Birthday Waterhole.
I’ve struggled this entire hike to capture the scale and vastness of the landscape in my images. Those rugged walls are tiny in comparison to the European or New Zealand Alps, but something about the surrounding flat terrain and wide views make the MacDonnells seem more imposing than their modest size. This wide angle shot is one of the few images that reflects the scale that I felt.
Ayer’s Button-Daisy (Schoenia ayersii).
Up ahead is the first saddle…
… but there is further to go before you begin the climb up Brinkley Bluff. Down into the valley, past Rocky Cleft (partly visible just right of centre), up to the saddle on the left and then along the spur to the top. Phew!
Lots of this kind of terrain.
Once you reach that second saddle, you’ll see a few small campsites. These might be suitable in strong northerlies, but you can see how wind might funnel through here in anything with a south/westerly component. And it would be turbulent in almost any direction. Saddles often have conveniently flat pitches but, by topographical definition, are usually windier than nearby terrain!
Steep, scrambly and rocky…
… still more.
But — happy days! — this is one of few sections of track with regular switchbacks. Overseas hikers are amazed by the lack of them on our trails, which notoriously tend to go straight up or down hillsides. And contouring trail is even more rare, so relish it when you find it! Here the southerly views are starting to open up…
…with views east towards Standley Chasm, near those notches left of centre on the horizon.
The moment you reach the top — see the track centre right — you find campsites. This is the first one and, after scouting, we return to it to claim our spot and to brew a restorative cuppa. Many sites elsewhere have already been taken, and others are extremely exposed:
A little rock wall on the prevailing wind direction.
Sites on the northern edge…
It’s a tight squeeze!
In fact, most of the sites are too small for our XMid Pro2: it’s lucky we stopped here! This is not due to the overall size of the tent, but that long straight side. Over decades of popularity, semi-circular freestanding tents mean that most campsites have been shaped for them. Nevertheless, we jigsaw the Pro’s rectangle: it fits only in one orientation. We wouldn’t sacrifice the wonderful interior space of the XMid for the odd occasion like now when sites are tight: spaciousness or small footprint, pick one!
It’s completely calm when we pitch and the forecast is for light winds, but I have an incredibly strong ‘gut feeling’, stronger than any I can remember in many years. Most experienced hikers know that intuition often signals something our subsconsious has noticed.
So, despite the almost non-existent breeze and forecast for a calm night, we deploy every guyline and perimeter point except the downwind upper side. Before we go to bed — the air remains still — we deploy that one too. We ensure all guylines are taut and resist tugging out: it is an absolute bomber pitch. We should not have to get up to tighten guylines further because, unlike silnylon, DCF (and silpoly) don’t stretch when they get wet. Of course linelocs and some knots may slip, but it’s always better to get a good pitch in the evening than in the middle of the night in rain or gales (don’t ask how we know this!).
I admit, I feel somewhat ridiculous.
I still can’t explain why I insisted we pitch so securely. Although weather change triggers noticeable discomfort in many people’s creaky joints, causality has not been proven, though a relationship exists. But for me it is moot on this hike because those damn creaky joints have been screaming every day regardless of weather, and tonight is no different!
Either way, all questions are answered overnight and tomorrow!
Once the tent is solid, we explore. The cairn has a hiker logbook inside — note the box on the upper left hand side — so take time to read the often entertaining entries and to take a selfie.
These two are relishing the view to Standley Chasm. Look how tiny this particular campsite is!
Changing evening light …
… with vast southerly views (and northerly ones too!). Feel your heart filling.
To finish, a magnificent sunset over the Chewings Range to the west. Tomorrow there will be hot chips and burgers and, even if you’re tired and sore like me, today’s hike is worth every ache and pain, with banner memories for a lifetime, more precious than any gemstone. It can’t get any better than this… can it?
We respectfully acknowledge the Arrernte People as the traditional custodians of the land on which we walk and pay our respects to Elders past and present and to the Aboriginal people present today.
