3 day Larapinta Trail Experience review
Trek Larapinta donated a 3 day Trek Larapinta guided tour to the AFLNT Thunder Juniors in Alice springs in 2017.
I was lucky enough to win the volunteer of the year award for Thunder Juniors, and the prize for that was the Trek Larapinta 3 day guided tour. A couple of weeks ago I went on the trek and it was simply amazing.
Day 1
Trek Larapinta picked myself and 7 other people up from various locations in Alice Springs. The first stop was Simpsons Gap for a briefing on what to expect over the next 3 days. After a quick stop we headed west to Ormiston Gorge. The Ormiston Gorge and Pound walk was a great introduction to the beautiful county we were going to cover over the next 3 days. We visited the look out over the pound and then trekked down in to the pound where we stopped for lunch and on through the Ormiston Gorge.
The Camp Site
We stayed at one of Trek Larapinta’s semi permanent camp sites, they set this up at the beginning of every season and then remove it at the end of the trekking season. The camp site was second to none, the kitchen area is where the trek Larapinta guides cook up breakfast and dinner every day of the trek. The food was something that could have easily been served up in a 5 star restaurant. They supplied sleeping bags, swags, pillows, and even a tent if you wanted to hide away from the beautiful night sky’s that Central AUSTRALIA can produce. This was home away from home.
Day 2
Today we explored section 8 of the Larapinta Trail that starts at Serpentine Gorge and goes through to Serpentine Chalet Dam. This trek takes in the stunning Counts Point which words can’t explain and photos do not show the beauty of the spectacular views. Again lunch was supplied along the way with all of the fresh bread/wraps, cold meats, fresh salads and fruit.
This is something that you have to see for yourself. It is approx 16km trek from start to finish.
Day 3
Section 12 of the Larapinta Trail – Mt Sonder.
This was an early start with a departure from the camp at approx 3am, we travelled to red Bank Gorge. At about 3.45am we headed off with only the light from head lamps to show us the way, we started the trek towards the summit. This is approx 3 hours of steady climbing but you don’t realise how much you actually go up until you start the decent in the daylight. Once at the top it makes it all worth while, you get the first glimpse of daylight and then the views of the sun rising from Mt Sonder. The 360 degree views are awe inspiring with uninterrupted views of Mt Zeil and a number of other peaks in the area. The shadow created by the rising sun on Mt Sonder was something else. I have never seen anything like it.
Thank you Holger
I would like to thank AFLNT Thunder Juniors in Alice Springs and especially Holger and the team at Trek Larapinta for the donation of this magnificent 3 day Trek. They are a very professional and helpful team, I spoke to them a number of times over the phone leading up to my trip and nothing was to hard before or during the Trek. I had a great time and would highly recommend this trek to anyone who was thinking of completing some of the Larapinta Trail.
Thank you.
Mick Newman.
