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Larapinta Trail, NT, Australia


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Home Forums Campfire Member Trip Reports Larapinta Trail, NT, Australia

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  • #1307193
    nick beaudoin
    BPL Member

    @nick_beaudoin

    Locale: Palmy

    This past July my good friend James and I completed the 230km Larapinta Trail in Australian red centre. We walked west to east in 8 days, with one food drop at the halfway point. We started everyday in the dark and ended everyday in the dark. We had some cold clear conditions the entire trip with no rain. We were pretty dialled in with our set up, even though neither of us do much arid walking. We were always on the edge of hydration and always finished the day dry. We blew out most of our bladders but made it to the end. We saw few hikers along the way and enjoyed a bit of solitude. Here are a few pictures of an amazing trip.

    JD

    First high camp

    MT Sonder

    Mt Sonder Sunrise

    Ormiston gorge

    Heavy tree range

    Heavy tree

    Cold mornings

    2nd night camp

    Looking west

    Heavitree valley

    Sunrise

    Valley

    JD

    rocky

    Afternoon drag

    Flys

    Ghost Gum

    Nick

    Steep

    Steep 2

    Nick

    .

    JD

    Breaky

    Gorge

    Last night

    Alice Springs

    #2020858
    Roger Caffin
    BPL Member

    @rcaffin

    Locale: Wollemi & Kosciusko NPs, Europe

    Hi Nick

    Good photos. In many cases, I think we camped at exactly the same places as you did. It is really very different. But it is dry there, ennit!

    Cheers

    #2020861
    nick beaudoin
    BPL Member

    @nick_beaudoin

    Locale: Palmy

    It was very dry, even my Alice standards. We saw very little water in the permanent holes and never drank from them.

    What did surprise me, was the "not positive" reaction by traditional hikers on our pace and style of walking. What better place in this country then up there to be UL. Oh well, one day they will realise just much easier it all is.

    Nick

    #2020865
    Roger Caffin
    BPL Member

    @rcaffin

    Locale: Wollemi & Kosciusko NPs, Europe

    > one day they will realise just much easier it all is.
    Why bother? Just cruise past, waving goodbye.

    Cheers

    #2020882
    Rod Lawlor
    BPL Member

    @rod_lawlor

    Locale: Australia

    Looks like a great trip. Any plans to add a few more words and/or a gear list?

    What tent is the green mid?

    #2021239
    nick beaudoin
    BPL Member

    @nick_beaudoin

    Locale: Palmy

    Hi Rod,
    The green mid is a Bearpaw PyraNet 2. I had jigged a bit to fit the trailstar and over the last year when needed it has been a great set up for 2 in bad weather. On this trip we mostly used the inner alone and loved the quick and easy set up after very long days.

    As for the rest of the gear we both ran Zpacks Zero's with rool top closures and front pockets. We both used full length eva foam pads as frames and when sleeping we coupled the foam with inflatable torso pads and down quilts. We used esbit and fires for cooking with 550ml Ti pots with all meals FBC made by JD and I at home in dehydrators.

    We both wore shorts, wool t shirts, Inov8 trailroc 245's, windshirts and down jackets. We used one sawyer squeeze for water treatment and blew up almost all bladders by the end of the trip, even an evernew bladder. We carried water bottles on our shoulders straps and used Nuun tablets with every refill.

    I really would't change anything that we brought, we were both happy and used everything that was in our packs.

    This was our trip,

    Larapinta Distances Trail Notes

    Saturday 29th Day 1
    1. Redbank Gorge to Rocky Bar look out = 17km Easy Carry Water from Rocky Bar
    CAMP 17km Rocky Bar Gap/Lookout

    Sunday 30th Day 2
    2. Rocky Bar Look out to Glen Helen JTC = 14km Medium Climb
    3. Glen Helen/ Finke River to Ormiston Gorge = 9.5km Medium Flat
    4. Ormiston Gorge to Waterfall Gorge = 15.5km Hard Climb and Carry water to Waterfall Camp
    CAMP 34km Waterfall Gorge

    Monday 1rst Day 3
    5. Waterfall Gorge to Serpentine Chalet Dam = 13km Hard Undulating Hills
    6. Serpentine Chalet Dam to Serpentine Gorge = 13.5km Hard Climb & Descent
    CAMP 26.5km Serpentine Gorge

    Tuesday 2nd Day 4
    7. Serpentine Gorge to Ellery Creek = 14km Hard Flat, pay to Get through this section
    7. Ellery Creek to Rocky Gully = 15.5km Medium Flat
    CAMP Rocky Gully 29.5km

    Wednesday 3rd Day 5
    8. Rocky Gully to Hugh Gorge = 16km Medium Undulating
    9. Hugh Gorge to Fringe Lily Creek = 8km Very Hard Small Climbs
    10. Fringe Lily Creek to Birthday Waterhole = 8km Very Hard Big Climb/Big descent
    CAMP 32km Birthday Waterhole

    Thursday 4th Day 6
    11. Birthday Waterhole to Brinkley Bluff = 7km Very Hard Biggest/ Steepest Climb
    12. Brinkley Bluff to Standley Chasm = 10km Very Hard All Descent
    CAMP 17km Standley Chasm

    Friday the 4th Day 7
    13. Standley Chasm to Jay Creek = 15km Hard Climb + High route
    14. Jay Creek to Mulga Camp = 11km Medium Flat
    CAMP Mulga Camp 26km

    Saturday 5th Day 8
    15. Mulga Camp to Simpsons Gap = 14km Medium Flat
    16. Simpsons Gap to Wallaby Gap = 11km Medium Undulating
    CAMP 25km Wallaby Gap

    Sunday 6th Day 9/Fly out
    18. Wallaby Gap to Telegraph Station = 14km Medium Undulating
    Alice Springs 14km

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