Larapinta

Trail in the red heart of Australia

By World Wild Places

February 5^th, 2017

The Larapinta Trail is a 231 km hike in West Macdonnell Ranges. At one end is Mt Sonder, the Northern Territory’s fourth highest peak. At the other is Alice Springs, a town situated in the centre of Australia. The trail showcases a stunning, unique desert landscape. It offers expansive views of long mountain ranges and rocky ridges that twist and turn across open spinifex filled plains. Some of the trail passes along those ridges, while other parts take you over wide, dry creek beds and to beautiful gorges and waterholes. While there are designated campsites with water tanks and toilets, campers have the freedom to camp almost anywhere along the trail. There are also numerous opportunities for off track exploration. There are a few road accesses to the trail and a few areas with trail drop offs and pick ups. At Standley Chasm and Ormiston Gorge there are tourist kiosks and showers.

Alice Springs to Jay Creek

Jay Creek to Standley Chasm

View from Lorettas Lookout to Brinkley Bluff

Going down from Chewings Range to Mesic Gully

Brinkley Bluff

Side trip to Paisley Bluff ( one day there and back from Birthday Waterhole )

View of Razorback Ridge from Paisley Bluff

Going down to Fringe Lily Creek from Razorback Ridge

Hugh Gorge

Walking the plains from Hugh Gorge to Ellery Creek

Saddle near Ellery Creek

Ellery Creek Big Hole ( the biggest in West MacDonnell Ranges )

Sunset at Trig Point

Orche Pits

Serpentine Gorge

Sunset at Counts Point

Inarlanga Pass

Inarlanga Pass to Mount Giles Lookout

Mount Giles Lookout

Ormiston Gorge

Side trip to Mount Giles.

Mt. Giles was the main highlight of the trip. It is about one day off track walk from Orminston Pound (one way). The route to the top is on the southern side after the third gorge. It is good idea to give yourself time to explore the those gorges too.

Amazing gorge at the base of mt. Giles. It is called the Spring in John Chapman's book and it really was the only area at Larapinta that had a spring with flowing water ( and it did not rain a for a few days before we get there ).