Slowerhiking’s Leisurely Larapinta Itinerary
A relaxed sunset dinner on the banks of the Finke River
Why A Slower Hiking Itinerary?
When you look at social media regarding the Larapinta, you’ll regularly read, ‘the most difficult hike I’ve ever done.’ This may well be true for many but, with our relaxed itinerary, we found the Larapinta less demanding than both the South Coast Track and especially the Grampians Peaks Trail with its massive daily elevation gain and loss and fixed campsites with few or no intermediate options.
Tracks develop their own culture. Do not get sucked into the culture if it does not suit you. On this track, perhaps more than any other, we met many hikers who were ‘pushing through/smashing it’. It seemed to us that there was a real predominance of this approach with hikers asking, where did you hike from, and then informing you of just how far they’d come that day. And of course, as we’ve often said, there is absolutely nothing wrong with any way of, or motivation for, hiking… unless you adopt someone else’s approach for yourself when it’s not a good fit. Just because many people hike the Larapinta in 18 or fewer days, or just because it’s a number you see most often quoted on social media, doesn’t mean that’s the right number of days for you.
Grotty, scruffy and tired but with big smiles at the Eastern Terminus after 23 fantastic days!
However, this approach also meant that, for many of the hikers we met, their itinerary was overly optimistic even for them, particularly through some of the most challenging sections. A support team at Hugh Gorge was waiting for trail runners who arrived many hours later than expected. We met red-faced hikers sagging under huge packs who were Definitely Not Having Fun, even on the easier terrain just out of Alice Springs; two lots of hikers were evacuated due to heat stress while we were on trail. Do not underestimate this trail: realistic expectations mean that you’ll enjoy it, not endure it!
Plenty of time for rests in the heat.
We met hikers who felt too rushed to divert even a few hundred metres to see gorges on side spurs. Two groups of east to west (E2W) hikers we met in Redbank Gorge camp were not going to climb Mt Sonder: they were too exhausted. Some hikers were starting sections in the dark at 3am to make the daily distances required of their deadline, surely the antithesis of any hike famous for its views.
We met several hikers under time pressure who had missed turnoffs in gorges; a hiker got completely lost and required rescue while we were on trail. According to one tour guide, many E2W hikers bail at Standley Chasm due to injury or exhaustion.
We met two women in a tour group of five who the night before had been told by their guide that they could not be included in the Hugh Gorge section because they were too slow and would endanger the group (they too had been starting their hikes at 3am-4am).
In Hugh Gorge, heading to the waterhole on the spur trail. It’s slow going but, with a conservative itinerary, you have plenty of time… without night-hiking!
So how can we possibly say that this track is definitely for slower hikers?
A track’s difficulty is a combination of factors: track condition – certainly challenging here and not something we can change – but also other factors, such as daily elevation gain/loss, daily distance, and weather. Pack weight – how many days of food you carry and the weight of that food and water – also makes a difference, as does correct footwear and clothing. You definitely need a reasonable level of fitness, but all these things can be tweaked, managed or are within our control.
Dawn view to Mt Giles
And you are hiking through an ancient, weathered landscape, rich in earthy colours that change throughout each day as the sun arcs across a vivid blue sky with its pink and orange dawns and dusks. Unless challenge is your motivation, surely this is one of those lifetime experiences to immerse yourself in rather that to ‘push through’! To fully appreciate this amazing country, it’s essential for slower hikers to set aside the number of days you need, rather than trying to squeeze this particular hike into a short holiday break. Choose a different hike, then come back to this one when you can give it the time it and you deserve.
Our relaxed itinerary example utilises all the tricks – extra rest days, intermediate campsites, early starts, contingency days and more to ensure that your Leisurely Larapinta is enjoyable. However, remember that it’s a guide only, a framework to start planning. Once you’re on trail, circumstances change, so your itinerary should change with them to accommodate weather or injury, and this will be possible because of the contingency and rest days included. Don’t feel you need to stay at the exact spots we did.
This kind of itinerary works so well for slower hikers because it shortens daily distances (and hence daily elevation gain and loss). It adds rest days to recover after particularly strenuous days, ensures your food weight is as light as possible, and includes contingency days before, during and after your hike so you’re not impacted by delays, or end up hurrying to meet a tight deadline. Incorporating such flexibility is key if slower hikers are to complete this hike enjoyably.
Hiking up to Brinkley Bluff and then, here, down into Standley Chasm, are two demanding days in rugged terrain, with another two similar days east of Standley.
Specific Techniques to Make this Trail Easier for Slower Hikers
Hike West to East
The Track is designed to be hiked East to West, with the easiest terrain at the start and the climactic Mt Sonder at the end. However, we strongly recommend that slower hikers wanting a stress-free and relaxed itinerary choose West to East because:
1. You are not hiking to a fixed deadline with an expensive-to-change pickup at Redbank Gorge. Instead, you are hiking towards Alice Springs. If, as we recommend, you have factored in a couple of contingency days and have an accommodation booking that you nevertheless need to change, you can ring a few days out, say from Simpson’s Gap, to alter your booking.
It means that you won’t be pushed to meet a difficult deadline, though that shouldn’t be the case with a conservative itinerary. However, injuries are common on the Larapinta, as happened to not one but two people we assisted and more who we met. Taking an extra day to recover can mean the difference between continuing to complete the hike, or bailing from the track entirely.
2. If heat is an issue for you as it is for me, then hiking with the sun at your back, protected by your pack in the hottest part of the day, is a cooler option than East to West.
3. Although the terrain is less varied at the eastern end, you traverse the spectacular Euro Ridge on your last day, hardly a boring finish! You’re also tackling the easiest terrain at the end when you are most tired. If the emotional impact of hiking west in a traditional hike ‘story’ with a climactic finish is more important to you than itinerary flexibility, reducing physical challenge and simplifying logistics, then hike E2W.
4. You’ll meet more people coming the other way, although this may be an advantage or not depending on your disposition! In peak season and excluding commercial tour groups and our stays in Standley and Ormiston, we met about 300 thru-hikers on the trail itself (yes, we chatted and counted for the purposes of the blog!). This sounds a lot, but was just 15 people per day, and most were in groups of two or more, so fewer encounters than that number suggests. And the people are different every night at the hut, which is fun.
Stay at Ellery Creek North
The official track runs through Ellery Creek North, but most hikers go through Ellery Creek South, which we visited for this blog when picking up our resupply boxes at the other sites.
Ellery Creek South, above, is a busy car-camping spot with a completely different ambience to that of Ellery Creek North. It’s still pleasant with good campsites off to the side in the creek bed for hikers, but probably not somewhere you’ll want to have a rest day: right behind me is a road, half a dozen motor homes/caravans, about the same number of 4WDs, with at least a dozen tourists on the beach.
Conversely, at Ellery Creek North we sat quietly on the water’s edge without any companions for most of the day. Later, we shared this creek camping area with one other tent, and a few others 70m away near the hut. We watched an eagle snatch fish from the water while at Ellery Creek South, convoys of tour buses and cars arrived in waves at the southern beach. If you’re a party person or hiking E2W, go south. Anyone else, go north, remembering your food drop will need to be at Serpentine Gorge, which does add extra weight to your pack on the last leg of the day.
Optional: High Route or Low Route in Section 3 between Jay Creek and Standley Chasm?
Even descending from the ridge (left) as here, the high route alterntive offers grand views until you are almost on the valley floor.
If you ‘re struggling, take the low route. If you still have juice in the tank, tackle the climb. The low route is by all accounts pretty, but the Alternative High route is spectacular. Your climb is steep, rocky (but no more so than anything you have encountered thus far) and somewhat overgrown, but the views along the extended ridge are some of the best of the entire track.
We took enough water from Standley Chasm to get to Jay Creek in two days — there is no reliable water at Miller’s Flat — but, rather than stopping there, we continued on and camped at Tangentyere Junction because Jay Creek was too far. You’ll pass many wild campsites scattered all the way along the ridge if you need to stop earlier, and then finish at Jay Creek the next day.
Utilise Official “Intermediate” Campsites
Beautiful Fringe Lily campsite: all slower hikers will benefit from stopping here.
These campsites are different only in that they don’t have facilities, and several are recommended in the Parks itinerary. Despite this, many people skip intermediate campsites. We slower hikers should utilise whichever suit our hiking speed.
Daily distances on some of the more challenging sections of this hike are extremely misleading as to the time it takes to complete them. The 10.6km/6.6mi Hugh Gorge section is bouldery and, when we hiked, required a swim, with quoted times of 4.5 hours to ‘Intermediate’ Fringe Lily campsite (we took 7.9 hours with a side trip to Hugh Gorge Waterhole).
However, many people (and some tour groups!) do not stop at Fringe Lily campsite but complete the entire distance from Section 4/5 Junction, making it a massive undertaking of 14.4km/9mi and 9.5 hrs without the spectacular side trip to the top of the Gorge.
We took 6.9 hours from Fringe Lily to Section 4/5 Junction, or a total of 14.8 hrs including the Hugh Gorge side trip as well as exploring the pools along Fringe Lily Creek. The tour group operator who told the two women that they were too slow does not stop at Fringe Lily, contrary to Park’s recommended itinerary.
Others, such as the Brinkley Bluff day west of Standley Chasm, have a lot of elevation gain; stopping atop the Bluff reduces your distance to 7.9km/4.9mi and, in good weather, you can enjoy the elevated sunset/rise. You do need to carry extra water up to the top but the next day you’ll have 9.9km/6.1mi of mostly (but definitely not all) downhill into Standley Chasm. And if you leave earlyish, you’ll arrive in time for their famous burgers for lunch!
The section east of Ellery Creek North appears flat but isn’t, and is also exposed and long, with a slow rocky gorge to traverse. Many people’s itinerary skips Ellery Creek North campsite, probably because of the apparent lack of elevation gain. Rocky Gully, Waterfall Gully, Ghost Gum Flat, Hilltop Lookout, and Mount Giles Lookout are other Official ‘Intermediate’ campsites (Hermit’s Hideaway is a well-known and utilised wild camp alternative near Giles Lookout for when conditions are dangerously windy).
Hermit’s Hideaway with not-hermit.
Often hikers don’t skip these campsites because of a choice made on the day, but because they are locked into a short itinerary with a deadline looming. Conversely, with a conservative itinerary, you can always decide to keep going if you arrive early. A tight itinerary forces you to keep going whether you want to or not because you will miss your very expensive pickup – cancellations or changes are equally pricey – at the other end, or you will run out of food.
Plan for Designated Campsites but add Wild Campsites if Necessary: Remain Flexible
Although you are now only allowed to camp outside designated campsites on the Larapinta in emergencies — a changed rule that happened since we hiked — you nevertheless have extra options.
Plan for designated campsites, but be aware that wild campsites are available should you need them in extreme heat or if you are injured or exhausted. Many places are either too steep or too rocky to stop, but we also saw and photographed for the daily blogs numerous small wild campsites that had been cleared of rocks; if you need to stop, try to make it to one of them, avoid making a new one. Most tent floors will be damaged without the protection of tyvek or similar in any new area, so try for established campsites for your tent as well as for LNT reasons.
Many of these sites are mentioned in John Chapman’s book and/or are marked on Alltrails, such as the one we used between Rocky Gully and Ghost Gum Flat, though some are tiny or sloping. If you need to stop elsewhere, do so: it is always better to rest and recover than to be evacuated from the trail! If no heavy rain is forecast, look also for drainage lines and low-lying areas, or outcrops with water lines beside them on your topo maps: these areas often have sandy or silty substrates that are easier on tent floors and more resilient.
So if you carry sufficient water and food (one extra day in each resupply), you can not only split days, but also even-out daily distances.
On the day we didn’t stop at Rocky Gully campsite, we arrived early knowing the next day was forecast to be hot. We recommend that slower hikers stop at Rocky Gully but, for us, it made sense to maximise today’s distance, thereby shortening the next day to finish safely before peak mid-afternoon heat. We knew Ghost Gum Flat would almost certainly be too far. After collecting water, we continued and found a pleasant stop late afternoon.
Although we had a long day followed by a short day here, we usually aim to even-out the daily distance/difficulty. It makes a big difference in recovery and enjoyment because we’re not trashed after a huge day. Waiting out the hot day as a rest day at Rocky Gully was another alternative.
A wild camp at another well-established site.
Add Extra Rest Days
Most hikers have one rest day at Standley Chasm but, with its three formal resupplies, the Larapinta really lends itself to extra Rest Days because you can add an extra day of food to each resupply box. On all but one (Serpentine Gorge) you are spending your second night right at the resupply spot, so you need carry your extra food only a few hundred metres at most.
On a longer hike like this, the cumulative effect of hiking multiple days means you tire towards the end. Adding rest days allows recovery: you’ll be amazed at how invigorated you feel after a break. Hiking west to east (W2E) we had four rest days where we spent two nights at one site. These were:
Redbank Gorge (W2E)
Most people immediately hike to the Gorge and then up Mt Sonder and back, spend the night and set off east the next day. Because you are dropped off mid- morning, it is rushed for slower hikers to see both Redbank Gorge and Mt Sonder in the remaining time. Instead, we recommend that you set up camp and explore the gorge on Day One; you might even like to carry your lunch to the pool and eat on the banks, or to take a dip in the icy water. On Day Two, you have all day to climb Mt Sonder: have a peaceful lunch at the top unless you like to night hike for sunrise or sunset and then return — a total of 14.2km/8.8mi — before setting off on Day Three.
Ormiston Gorge
Spend your rest day doing some of the short out and returns around the gorge or hike the fantastic 8.5km/5.3mi Ormiston Pound Circuit with a day pack. This day walk is like a mini-Larapinta, with plains, peaks, rock pools and the entire gorge: one of our favourite days of the entire trip, and not part of the Larapinta.
Standley Chasm
The days either side of Standley are two of the most demanding so the rest here, filling up with the famous burgers and visiting the chasm outside peak tourist hours, is worth it.
Ellery Creek North
After picking up your resupply at Serpentine Gorge, hike to Ellery Creek North. The extra food carry is 13km/8mi and is without significant elevation gain; there is water at the hut so you need not carry that extra weight as you do for high camps.
Start Early
Hoping to make a bigger distance than usual to beat forecast heat tomorrow, we leave early.
That is, not in the dark when you’ll miss much of the beauty of the landscape. Instead, aim to head off when it becomes light, especially if the weather is forecast to be hot. Many slower hikers adapting our techniques should finish their hike with plenty of daylight on most days if they start early, even when their specific itinerary is different from ours.
Plan the Total Number of Days around Your Ability, not Holidays
We’ve mentioned this before but it’s incredibly important. When planning a hike, we aim to keep the daily hiking time (total elapsed time including breaks and photos) to between six and eight hours. The hike is then subdivided into blocks of 6-8 hours, though of course this isn’t always possible. Next, we assess available camping and water locations and adjust as necessary.
Planning by time rather than distance allows for elevation gain (and loss) as well as track condition: as we’ve discussed, some sections are slow going for everybody, not just us! Consider whether you will be held up due to hot weather or high flows in gorges. Planning conservatively gives you flexibility should the day be tougher than you expect, so you’re not hiking into the night. See How to Plan a Slower Hike for general principles.
We had allowed at the outset, even with our leisurely itinerary, to sit out a day for hot weather if necessary, so carried a spare day of food. In the end, we didn’t need to and instead managed hot weather by varying daily distances. And — lo and behold! — we finished a day earlier than our original schedule!
A Leisurely Larapinta Itinerary and Rationale
The Larapinta Trail has many beautiful campsites with reliable water, as well as intermediate ones that may or may not have water. The red stars on the maps below are best viewed on a laptop or desktop and illustrate the main official camp sites; not all have fresh water. We stopped at most but not all of these.
The blue stars indicate the wild sites we used and the small green dots the official intermediate sites that we didn’t. You can see there are many alternatives. Some of the locations we camped at differed from our original plan, because we stayed flexible to accommodate weather and changing needs.
Westernmost Section (Sections 12-9).
The central western portion (Sections 8-6)
The central eastern portion (Sections 6cont’-2)
And the easternmost final portion (Sections 2-1)
And here is that elevation profile from the planning blog again so you can see where the campsites fit.
If you like your numbers then here are the daily details and statistics for the hike we did. Click on the table to toggle between metric and imperial units,or click here for a spreadsheet version to tweak for your own trip.
It pays to have a rough idea of your options should you need to stop short or push ahead for any reason. Forecast bad weather – extreme wind atop peaks, flooded gorges, or heat may require delays.
Flexibility is key, and that means understanding options and the trail ahead. This is why we carried that extra day of food and fuel between each resupply and we recommend that slower hikers do the same, remembering that your first day is just 400m (440yd) from the Redbank Gorge car park.
The following slow itinerary is best read with a map in front of you.
Coming soon (subscribe to be notified!): Click on the links in the heading for each day for our detailed daily blogs and pictures.
Day minus 2: Food Drops in own car or via a Transfer Company
The locked storage container at Serpentine Gorge. Don’t pack chocolate!
Pick up the key from the Visitor Centre (or pick it up the day before when you arrive in Alice if it is still open). The food drops will take much of the day if you are doing it yourself but will give you a peek at what lies ahead. Drop off car at secure storage facility in Alice Springs.
Day minus 1: Contingency Day
Sightseeing around Alice Springs, sorting out any last-minute glitches, dropping off your car at the storage if you didn’t have time yesterday.
Sections 12 and 11
Day 1: Track Transfer to Redbank Gorge, set up camp, explore Redbank Gorge (3km/1.9mi).
Beautiful Redbank Gorge
The water is icy, but there is a swim of about two hundred metres through the narrowest part of the gorge. We considered this but a hiker told us he became hypothermic on the swim out, something to remember if you decide to explore.
Day 2: Redbank Gorge to Mt Sonder Return (14.2km/8.8mi with a 700m/2300ft climb and descent)
Long before you reach the top, the views are vast.
Camping is not permitted at the top of Sonder, so you can plan your day around arriving at the top at sunrise, sunset or, as we did, lunch time!
The most popular time is sunrise, but on our way up we met around thirty people returning — it’s a popular day hike — plus a school group who passed us on the way up, and the space at the top is small. Be ready for a less-than-serene experience! If you are keen for pink sky on Mt Sonder, you might prefer the sunset option which is reportedly less busy than sunrise. Instead, we enjoyed a peaceful lunch by ourselves (the kids had been and gone) and scanned the horizon to look at what lay ahead of us, anticipating sunrises and sunsets on hill tops where we would camp.
Day 3: Redbank Gorge to Rocky Bar Gap (11.1km/6.9mi) or Hilltop Lookout (15.8km/9.8mi)
Hilltop Lookout with Mt Sonder behind
The hike to Rocky Bar Gap is straightforward and you can collect water there. We arrived at lunch time, so decided to top up with water and continue on to Hilltop Lookout (where there is no water). That made it a much tougher day with a steep long climb at the end. We enjoyed the sunset at Hilltop and slept peacefully anticipating a beautiful sunrise the next day. If your heart isn’t set on a high camp, staying at Rocky Bar Gap is preferable for slower hikers.
Day 4: Hilltop Lookout to Finke River (10.4km/6.5mi) or Rocky Bar Gap to Finke River (15.1km/9.4mi)
Plenty of time for a refreshing dip in the Finke!
This is an easy downhill day and you arrive at Finke River for an early lunch and a paddle in the afternoon. Slower hikers who have elected to stay at Rocky Bar Gap will have had two days more evenly weighted in distance and effort. Glen Helen Resort is a couple of kilometres south off a spur trail but was closed for the forseeable future when we hiked.
Section 10
Day 5: Finke River to Ormiston Gorge (8.9km/5.5mi)
Evening light in Ormiston Gorge
The trail is initially flattish — the flat parts of the Larapinta are rarely truly flat — before you traverse a series of hills and arrive at Ormiston Gorge. The hiker camp is enroute, about 200m west of the main facilities, so set up camp when you get there. You should have plenty of time to visit the cafe afterwards for some junk food, and to explore the gorge. You’ll also restock from your resupply box, charge electronics, do laundry, etc. There are hot showers!
Day 6: Rest Day Ormiston Gorge or optional Ormiston Pound Circuit Walk (8.5km/5.3mi)
Water hole on the Pound circuit walk.
You’ve only been on trail for five days, so many slower hikers will be up for the marvellous circuit hike. Order your pies or sausage rolls before you leave on your day walk: they sell out early. Alternatively, consider some of the shorter day hikes such as Ghost Gum Walk. And fill up on focaccia, pies, scones and ice cream!
Section 9
Day 7: Ormiston Gorge to Hermit’s Hideaway High Camp (12.5km/mi) or Mt Giles Lookout (13.7km/8.5mi) or Waterfall Gorge (15.7km/9.8mi)
Sunset from Hermit’s Hideaway
Today initially follows the southern foot of the Heavitree Range before climbing steeply to the ridge. Once you reach it, you follow it for a couple of kilometres, passing first Hermit’s Hideaway tucked under sheltering trees just south of the escarpment edge, before reaching the more exposed spots at Giles Lookout about 1.5km/0.93mi further on. From there, despite the deceptively short 2.1km/1.3mi, it is a steep, slow descent and rocky climb to Waterfall Gorge… and it is at the end of a long day.
We therefore strongly recommend that slower hikers choose Giles Lookout, with Hermit’s Hideaway an option in windy weather if you can’t make it to Waterfall Gully. You’ll need to carry water for the night and breakfast, before topping up at Waterfall Gully early the next day. Serpentine Chalet Dam is another 16.7 km with a decent amount of elevation gain and loss including sections of steep terrain, definitely out of reach for slower hikers in a single day from Ormiston Gorge.
If your bowels are amenable, avoid pooing at High Campsites.
Day 8: Hermit’s Hideaway to Serpentine Chalet Dam Campground (16.1km/mi), from Mt Giles Lookout 14.9km/9.3mi, or from Waterfall Gorge 13.2km/8.2mi)
Extraordinary landforms beckon you on throughout the day
Today comprises 1.2km/0.75mi to Giles lookout before a steep, rocky descent of another 2 km/1.24mi to Waterfall Gully. This is followed by a long, steady ascent through a valley before you cross south through the bouldery Inarlanga Pass (no camping). Once through, it’s just 2km to the campsite, unless you decide to take the 7.8km/4.8mi out and return to the Ochre Pits, for a total of 23.8km/17.4mi, which is likely too far for slower hikers with the slower terrain of the Pass and descent from Giles Lookout.
Section 8
Day 9: Serpentine Chalet Dam Campground to Serpentine Gorge Campground (17.2km/10.7mi)
Today you’ll pass yes, that view.
Today’s hike takes you through hills and up a spectacular valley before a steep climb, passing several emergency wild camp spots on shelves, takes you back onto the Heavitree Range. Pop your packs down at the junction at the top and take the spur trail west to Count’s Point from which all those iconic photos of the trail are taken; you’ll look westward all the way to Mt Sonder and marvel at how far you’ve already come. There are a few small designated campsites at the top around Count’s Point.
Backtrack to the junction and follow the ridge eastwards, with marvellous views all the way with a peek at the gorge at the end, before the steep and rocky track takes you down on the southern side of the range.
Once down, the terrain is much easier. You’ll pass the food resupply, so you’ll need half an hour or so to repack everything, and then it’s through the carpark and back north towards the range. Set up camp at the campground, then take a daypack for the out and return to Serpentine Gorge. If you have energy left, there’s a short lookout walk on the eastern face of the gorge.
Section 7
Day 10: Serpentine Gorge Campground to Ellery Creek North (12km/7.5mi)
Leaving the folds and rolls of Serpentine Gorge behind
From camp it’s just a couple of kilometres to the junction branching north through a gap to Ellery Creek North, or straight ahead to Ellery Creek South. When you emerge from the gap, the track follows the northerly face of the Heavitree Range, across a wide plain with grand views, and a tiny hillock to climb. You’ll see your destination as a break in the range for many kilometres.
The hut is some distance out from the gorge with campsites around it, but many people prefer to camp under the trees on the sheltered sandy banks closer in.
Day 11: Rest Day Ellery Creek North
Another spot to relax on sunwarmed rocks at Ellery Creek North
As well as spending time exploring the pools with their darting fish, going for a swim in Ellery Creek Big Hole and watching the midday sun set the gorge on fire, take a walk along the picturesque creek where you’ll find shallow swimming spots north.
Section 6
Day 12. Ellery Creek North Campground to Rocky Gully Campground (13.6km/8.5mi); we wild camped further along between Rocky Gully Campground and Ghost Gum Flat (for a total of 18.1km/11.3mi)
Tired but happy at the end of a big day.
Although the terrain north of the Heavitree Range looks flat on the topo map, the plain today comprises numerous dips into drainage lines and rocky little rises and we found it unexpectedly demanding. Had it not been for the forecast hot day tomorrow, we would have stopped at Rocky Gully, and recommend you do so. However, on any day you can do as we did to alter your daily plan for safety/wellbeing reasons. We saw a number of acceptable campsites for use with tyvek or a groundsheet for added protection from the rocks, though they were fewer than you might expect in such terrain.
Day 13: Rocky Gully Campground (15.3km/9.5mi) or Wild Camp (10.8km/6.7mi) to Hugh Gorge Campground
Today you continue north across a wide expanse of plains, small hills and floodplains to Hugh Gorge in the Chewings Range. Ghost Gum Flat, with a couple of campsites and a sleeping platform/table, is roughly halfway between Rocky Gully and Hugh Gorge, so it’s an optional stop if you need to split a day.
However, you’ll need to carry water as it’s a dry camp, and this is the resupply with the longest food carry, so rather than planning to stop here, use your extra food stash if needed. You’ll have the opportunity for a refreshing dip in a rockpool near camp late afternoon.
Because tomorrow’s hike through the gorge is strenuous and slow, your best way to even out the day regardless of where you have come from is to finish at Hugh Gorge Campsite. This gives you a full day tomorrow to traverse the gorge, do the side trip to the waterhole, and finish at Fringe Lily Campsite.
Section 5
This is the section that many people underestimate, deceived by the distance of just 14.9km/9.3mi from Hugh Gorge Campsite to Section 4/5 Junction. Parks suggest this section takes 9.5 hours; it took us 13.8 hours including rest stops and the 1.8km/1.1mi return side trip to Hugh Gorge Waterhole (which is extra to the parks figure of 14.9km/9.3mi). Although the distance is similar to what we have done on previous days, the terrain is vastly different. We strongly recommend that slower hikers — perhaps even most hikers? — stop at Fringe Lily Campground in line with Parks advice.
Day 14: Hugh Gorge Campground to Fringe Lily Campground (9.1km/5.7mi)
Beautiful rock pools at Fringe Lily.
Despite today’s relatively short distance, the bouldery terrain through the spectacular gorge is slow going. You have a swim/wade through one pool, drying off and doffing and donning clothes and boots, a bit of easy scrambling and a pack haul, which all take time, plus the 1.8km/1.1mi return side trip to Hugh Gorge Waterhole. It’s a beautiful section, not to be rushed. After you leave the gorge you have a steady climb to Rocky Saddle, and the last part of the day is downhill zigzagging along a creekline.
At the Junction of the spur trail to the waterhole are a couple of small campsites to use if you’re desperate or injured, but logistics for the following days ideally see you finishing at Fringe Lily tonight.
If you think this will be too difficult, you can omit the spur trail to Hugh Gorge Junction. We don’t recommend that you stop at the junction campsite with the aim of finishing at Section 4/5 Junction tomorrow because the the trail between Fringe Lily and Section 4/5 Junction is also very slow going (we took the same amount of time for each).
Day 15: Fringe Lily to Section 4/5 Junction (7.6km/4.7mi)
Today’s spectacular hike takes you on a long, scrambly climb up the aptly-named Razorback Ridge. Although it is precipitous, pictures (not ours, it was foggy!) make it look worse than it really is: there is no actual climbing, and the razorback, while daunting, is sufficiently wide that you’re unlikely to plummet anywhere if you slip; we found Spencer Gorge more demanding, perhaps because we were descending. Both are slow going.
The terrain opens and flattens out right at the end of the day, and pretty Birthday Waterhole is 900m/0.56mi away for an out and return of 1.8km/1.1mi from the campground. Or you can camp there.
Section 4
Once again, distances are misleading. You have steep climbs, and the equal second highest elevation gain for entire trail. If you don’t stop at Brinkley Bluff, you have 600m of elevation gain followed by 670m of elevation loss over rocky track to reach Standley Chasm, and you have just had two demanding days in a row.
Slower hikers are better off planning to stop at Brinkley Bluff in all but the wildest weather; ensure your tent has guylines attached and you know how to anchor it in and for wind in ground that does not allow pegs to penetrate.
Day 16: Section 4/5 Junction to Brinkley Bluff (7.9km/4.9mi)
The climb begins!
Today begins easily enough following the wide river flats. You pass wild campsites near Stuart’s Pass and might have considered stopping here instead of at the Junction, but the water supply is not reliable, which means you need to carry two nights’ water after topping up at Section 4/5 hut: might as well stay at the designated site.
Once you’ve crossed the river, the climb begins, with grand views north and west and the Bluff itself looming ahead of you. The trail has — oh joy! — actual switchbacks as the terrain steepens until, quite suddenly, you emerge on the crest, immediately surrounded by campsites.
Consider current and forecast wind direction when choosing a campsite, and pitch securely whether or not it is forecast. At elevation, we had 30kt+ winds despite the forecast for calm conditions for the wider region because of the shape of the terrain.
Day 17: Brinkley Bluff to Standley Chasm (9.9km/6.2mi)
Views from the ridge
After your big climb yesterday, it’s time for knees to get another workout on the descent, but the views that reveal themselves both behind and ahead of you are fantastic. In the last kilometre the track follows a gradually widening and flattening rocky creekbed, or take a shortcut that involves a climb over a small saddle before the final few hundred metres beside the road.
You camp on the lawn opposite the cafe: slower hikers will see plenty of tents there.
Day 18: Rest Day Standley Chasm
A happy little vegemite fuelling up at Standley.
Our knees were incredibly grateful to have this rest day! Time to enjoy hot showers, pack your resupply, do some washing, rest tired legs (other than a short out and return to Standley Chasm outside peak tourist hours) and eat lots of the famous burgers.
Section 3
This is the third section where the distance to Jay Creek might mislead slower hikers. It’s officially 13.6 km and 5.5 hours (6.5 hours for the High Route), but we took 10.2 hours.
The section immediately east of Standley has some of the trickiest scrambling, and if you wish to enjoy the high route alternative as we recommend, you have significantly more elevation gain and loss with extra scrambling. However, you are coming off a rest day, with several alternate campsites between Standley Chasm and Jay Creek, so you have plenty of flexibility if you carry enough water for a dry overnight camp.
Day 19: Standley Chasm to Millers Flat (5km/3.1mi), High Camps (6.6km/4.1mi - 7.6km/4.7mi approximately) or Tangentyere Junction (9.6km/6mi).
Scrambling east of Standley Chasm
Today is another spectacularly rugged section. After a steep climb out of Standley Chasm, you’ll descend steeply… and climb, and descend again through narrow valleys and gorges, encountering some of the most challenging — but never technical — scrambling on the trail. You pass semi-permanent Fig Waterhole from which you can collect extra water if it is present.
The valley widens and you reach Miller’s Flat Campground. This is where you’ll decide whether to take the more demanding high route, or the low route through a rocky valley. You have plenty of options whichever route you take. You can stop at Miller’s Flat now, and continue through to Jay Creek tomorrow via either route. Or, if it’s still early, you can continue through the valley if you think you can make it to Jay Creek.
If you take the high route along the Chewings Range, you pass multiple small campsites scattered along the top of the ridge should you need them, but they are exposed so unsuitable for windy weather. If you are forced to stop on the top — it’s a big descent and still a long way to Jay Creek today — you’ll probably stop at Jay Creek tomorrow.
You pass a few more wild campsites on shelves lower down and on Pravda Spur. We continued past them as we still had juice in the tank, and descended all the way to Tangentyere Junction with wild but well-established campsites: there was no way we could make Jay Creek. This makes tomorrow’s hike to Jay Creek or, more likely, Mulga Camp.
We recommend that slower hikers stop at designated Miller’s Flat when they arrive, then the following day do the High Route all the way to Jay Creek (8.5km/5.3mi).
We’ve described these options in detail because it’s all too easy for newer hikers to get locked into a rigid itinerary. We had not planned to take the High Route but, after a rest day at Standley and a relaxed lunch in the shade at the start of the climb, I felt up to it.
Consider the flow-on effects for subsequent days/distances that might become stupidly short or long, water carries etc, but don’t hesitate to adapt your itinerary on the day. All of this flexibility is only possible because you have extra food, water, and contingency days at the end.
Day 20: Tangentyere Junction to Mulga Camp (14.4km/8.9mi) or stop earlier at Jay Creek (4.6km/2.8mi)
Beautiful Fish Hole (no swimming or camping permitted).
Today’s hike has plenty of variety as you follow a flower-filled valley that gradually opens out to a plain, before ducking north through a gap with a little scrambling to the beautiful Fish Hole and a series of pools. On the other side is Jay Creek campsite off a short spur trail. Collect water here.
It’s delightful walking and you’ll likely arrive quite early if you’ve overnighted anywhere past Millers Flat (10:45am for us) so you’ll probably continue to Mulga Camp.
The terrain opens out again past Jay Creek and the track is smoother and less rocky until you reach Spring Gap, another spectacular waterhole (again, no camping permitted). You’ll have a little scrambling through the gap, and then the trail continues gently downhill along drainage lines for another two kilometres to reach Mulga Camp: no shelter but with a toilet, water tank and picnic table.
Day 21: Mulga Camp to Simpson’s Gap (16.9km/10.5mi - including a 500m/0.3mi side trip to Bond Gap)
Approaching Simpson’s Gap, with an annoyingly circuitous “Are we there yet?” track.
Today the track follows the flanks of ridges and crosses undulating terrain broken by wide impermanent watercourses. Follow a short spur trail to visit pretty Bond Gap, then return and continue to Simpson’s Gap, which you can see for miles. The trail here takes a strangely and somewhat annoyingly circuitous route so that it seems to take forever to reach camp, perhaps to make it interesting for day hikers on the Woodland Circuit Walk.
When you reach the gap you’ll find a rotunda and barbecue area but the campsite is tucked a little higher up the hill. Set up camp and visit the Gap now to see the rock wallabies, or in the morning. You’ll find public toilets and a satellite phone dish so you can make calls from here to alter bookings in Alice Springs if necessary.
Day 22: Simpson’s Gap to Wallaby Gap (13.6km/8.5mi inclusive of side trips to Simpsons Gap, Fairy Springs and Scorpion Pool)
Heading towards Hat Hill early in the morning.
The terrain has gradually become more undulating rather than steep, but the climb out of Simpson’s Gap over Hat Hill and the final flanks of the range will have you warmed up in no time. After grand views from the saddle, you follow the flanks of the range, followed by hills and valleys, with wide southerly views much of the time. You can also see Heavitree Gap behind Alice Springs: your destination is in sight! Fairy Springs is off a short spur trail, your last sheltered little rock pool of the trail, but much of the time the walking is exposed.
Wallaby Gap is your last campsite; it has a covered rotunda and two sleeping platforms but no hut. In good weather, it’s the perfect opportunity to spend your last night under the stars.
Day 23: Wallaby Gap to Telegraph Station (13.9km/8.6mi) or walk all the way into Alice Springs (approx and extra 4 km/2.5mi
Along Euro Ridge, pause often to look behind you along the way you’ve come, with the ranges stretching to the horizon and Mt Sonder, all those days ago, just a blip on the horizon.
Your final day. From what you’ve read, you might expect the terrain to be open but, although it’s less rugged than the ranges further west, you start with a long and exhilarating climb out of camp and then along the edge of Euro Ridge with marvellous views the entire way. Once you descend, you gradually begin to see railways, roads and bridges, and to hear traffic. Nevertheless the last few kilometres into Telegraph Station offer new landforms and geology, with mica sparkling like glass everywhere you look. It’s a delightful way to ease out of a hike.
Day 24: Contingency Day 1: Collect car, Collect Resupply Boxes, explore good cafes and restaurants, return resupply key.
Day 25: Contingency Day 2: Spend a second day exploring around Alice Springs or head home (if using own car).
Day 26 Fly or Drive Home.
The Larapinta is every bit as uniquely wonderful as everyone says: it is THE iconic Australian Trail. Geoff and I are born in Oz, accustomed to the local arid environment, and the incredible variety of this ancient landscape nevertheless amazed us both. The images in these introductory two blogs are only a tiny taste of a veritable sensory banquet. The only way to fill your heart is to hike this track. Start Planning!
For more detail on each day and your options, check back for the daily blogs, coming soon, or subscribe to be notified.
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.
A banner memory: walking through cloud waterfalls on Brinkley Bluff
