230km Across the West MacDonnell Ranges: Our Larapinta Trail Journey

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The Larapinta Trail is on Arrernte Country. I acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of this area and their connection to Country, and pay my respects to their Elders past and present.

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Central Australia has pulled on our hearts since we first visited parts of Tjoritja (West MacDonnell) National Park back in 2017. For years, we discussed hiking the entire Larapinta Trail.

We almost hiked it in 2022 but Alice Springs was booked solid and flights were non-existent. In hindsight, failing to get there was a blessing.

Between the post-COVID crowds and the literal plague of mice chewing through tents and boots, 2022 wasn’t the year to be there. By the time we actually stepped onto the trail, the ‘armies of mice’ had vanished.

I think I may have spotted a single, lonely mouse scuttling away from our tent once, and that was it.

The extra year of waiting gave me more time to mull over the logistics and get a bit fitter—which turned out to be necessary for a trail this unforgiving.

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THE LARAPINTA TRAIL: QUICK STATS

OUR LARAPINTA LOGISTICS

Here’s a quick overview of how we divvied up the 230 km trail:

• Direction: West to East (Redbank Gorge to Alice Springs)
• Sections: 11 (skipped Section 12)
• Duration: 16 (15 hiking days + 1 rest day)

We had already hiked up Mount Sonder previously so chose to skip for our Larapinta hike. Allocating 16 days was enough time to do the trail with the flexibility we needed.

OUR 16-DAY ITINERARY: THE SECTION BREAKDOWN

The below is not our planned itinerary but what actually happened on the trail. The first six days went more or less as planned but from then the timing and distances took on a life of their own.

Distances are from the “Larapinta Trail” guidebook by John Chapman. In reality you’ll walk much more since you lose the trail, take photos or backtrack, so you end up walking a lot more than what any trail markers or books might tell you.

If the table above is too overwhelming for you, I’ve written up the actual day-by-day in my trip reports for Sections 11-10 (Redbank Gorge to Ormiston Gorge) and Sections 9-8 (Ormiston Gorge to Serpentine Gorge).

As is normal, our itinerary shifted constantly.

We needed to camp at Finke River because we had a backpack to fix before we could move on. Hermit’s Hideaway wasn’t planned but we stayed for the shade on a hot day instead of pushing on. We wanted to camp at Ellery Creek North but with bad weather coming, we decided to move on. At Standley Chasm, we waited until lunchtime for the rain to stop and only made it as far as Millers Flat that day.

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THE HIKE: 16 DAYS OF DESERT, DUST AND RAIN

One of the first questions friends and family asked when we returned is ‘would you do it again?’, and both of us have the same reaction: ‘yes, in a heartbeat’!

The Larapinta Trail is a breathtaking hike that takes you through some of the most incredible desert mountain ranges you’ll ever see. You’ll also quickly learn that the desert can be hilly. Quite hilly.

PHYSICAL TOLL: ACHES & BLISTERS

On the whole, things went well.

I had no food issues, almost no headaches, no heat exhaustion and very little anxiety. My immune system basically held it together for the hike.

My foam roller (yes, we carry one), kinesiology tape, muscle rub and magnesium supplements managed most of my muscle aches, knots and skin chafes. Both of us only got a blister on the very last day!

I attribute mine to wearing damp/wet socks for the last few days, then switching to a dry but hardened pair on the very last day. I ignored the hot spot on my toe—a big no-no—because we were almost back in Alice. By the time we’d actually finished, I had a nice full-blown blister on my right little toe.

GEAR FAILURES & DESERT RAIN

We did, however, have equipment failures (the husband’s backpack, my sleeping bag zipper and my Nemo mat) and atrocious weather for about three, four days. Crossing Brinkley Bluff (Section 4) I was frozen to the core and it took hours to warm up again.

Hiking in the rain and freezing cold is no fun, hiking in the rain when you’re in the desert and don’t expect rain of such magnitude is even less fun. Packing up wet gear in the rain and wearing wet boots is even less less fun.

UNDERFOOT: DEALING WITH THE QUARTZITE

Our hiking boots worked well. The husband had bought a new pair of Merrells last minute due to ankle problems and luckily had no issues. My Oboz Bridger boots were well-worn anyway but now look suitably more “shredded” than they did before.

The Larapinta is no walk in the park—the ground is rocky, hard and sharp. Quartzite is no friend to boots or clothes.

TERRAIN: THE MYTH OF THE FLAT TRAIL

We weren’t expecting an easy trail, and it wasn’t.

While some stretches are almost flat, the trail is actually undulating. Sections that look like they’re flat on the maps, are generally not flat. They’re up and down little hills which get pretty tiring when you’re not a 25-year-old bouncy pony anymore.

You’ll also spend plenty of time in dry, rocky or sandy creek beds—slow and painful after a while—and boulder scrambling through gorges—always easier up then down, especially with a heavy pack.

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THE HIGHS AND LOWS: OUR SECTION HIGHLIGHTS

We really loved the whole trail.

Some hikers dismiss Section 6 as a boring valley crossing but we found it amazing. Crossing the valley floor offered a unique perspective of the Chewings and Heavitree Ranges—though the constant up and down does get tedious toward the end.

This section is entirely exposed. In full sun on a hot day (anything over 25°C), it would probably be less than pleasant.

THE HIGHLIGHTS: SECTION 9 AND 5

Section 9 is one of the hardest but most breathtaking parts of the trail.

We broke the 29km stretch into two days, which was the right decision. We loved every kilometre until the final two, when heat and lack of water meant I’d had enough of the exposed trail. There’s not that much to see once you’re past Inarlanga Pass.

Section 5 turned out to be another favourite.

I didn’t much like the swim in Hugh Gorge through icy water but it was only short and I was clean again. Upper Hugh Gorge is simply stunning as are the views from Razorback Ridge.

THE CHALLENGES: SECTIONS 6 AND 4

There really aren’t any bad sections on the Larapinta Trail.

Some sections, or rather parts of sections, are less enjoyable than others (usually the final two kilometres, which always seem to drag on beyond what they rightly should!) but on the whole the entire trail is really fantastic.

We didn’t really appreciate the end of Section 5 too much when we were going through Rocky Talus (a steep boulder-strewn creek bed) and Spencer Gorge (equally boulder-strewn and requiring a lot of rock navigation skills) in the rain. Every step in the creek bed and gorge was onto more slippery rock, it was cold and clammy, and we were starting to get really wet.

In normal conditions, I imagine Spencer Gorge looking quite wonderful in the early morning but our experience was less than fun.

For me, Section 4 was the hardest and least appealing because the conditions were horrendous. We crossed Brinkley Bluff in pouring rain, strong icy side winds and subzero temperatures. It’s the highest elevation on the trail after Mount Sonder and in very windy conditions it’s downright dangerous.

The ascent from Section 4/5 is steep and the trek across Brinkley can feel very, very long in bad conditions.

The trail narrows in some sections, and became slippery. Low visibility due to fog made it hard to actually see the trail. We lost the markers several times, adding significant stress to an already physical day.

I’d go back in a heartbeat to do it again so I can revise my opinion of Brinkley!

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POST-HIKE ANALYSIS: LOGISTICS AND REALITY

Post-hike, you’re always smarter.

While our months of planning paid off, the “unpredictable and crazy” weather event that gave us almost a week of incessant rain proved that you need to be prepared for anything.

A Note on the Desert Rain Reality: It does rain in the desert—even in winter—but it’s usually light and only for a day. So pack at least a lightweight rain jacket and a dry bag for your electronics. Our weather experience was a bit more of a freak event that affected the entire top half of Australia.

If you’re just after the full equipment list, you can find that here, but for the reality of what worked and what we’d change:

1. DIRECTION: WHY WEST TO EAST (W2E) WORKED

We started at Redbank Gorge and walked back to Alice Springs. This is the less popular option but we have no regrets, even though we walked ‘away’ from Mount Sonder.

• Anxiety & Easing In: Starting from Redbank Gorge meant we could ease into the hike and take it slow for the first few days. We had a few shorter days and less food to carry until our first food drop at Ormiston Gorge. Walking back toward “safety” and civilisation was also very soothing for my initial anxiety.
• The Sun & Wind: Walking into the morning sun wasn’t an issue because you rarely actually walk due east. More importantly, the prevailing southwest winds were at our backs rather than in our faces—a big bonus given the frequently icy breezes on the trail.
• The Verticals: W2E means some steeper ascents and a few more gradual descents. Since we both “prefer” a steep climb to a knee-shredding downhill, this suited us perfectly.
• Mount Sonder Factor: We skipped Section 12 this time because we’d already done it on a previous trip. We just didn’t “feel the need” to climb it again this time, and would have had to stay the first night at Redbank Gorge. But if you’ve never done it, don’t miss it.

2. PACE: WHY 16-DAYS WORKED

We spent 15 nights on the trail, which allowed for a weather-induced rest day and side trips like Upper Hugh Gorge.

• Flexibility: A longer itinerary meant we had time and wouldn’t need to rush through the longer or tougher sections. If we did it again, we would spend 16 days again or even longer so we could climb Mount Sonder, add the Ormiston Pound walk (again) or explore the trail towards Glen Helen.
• Physicality: While ultra-light hikers might hike the trail in far less time, our pace allowed us to enjoy the campsites, have time for side trips, and reduced our risk of injury.

3. CAMPSITES: WHERE WE STAYED

We enjoyed a fairly quiet camping experience on the whole. We had four busy campsites (15+ people—Rocky Gully had 25+), three sites entirely to ourselves and the rest with between one and five other hikers.

We mostly camped at the trail heads (though we never slept in the shelters, I prefer our tent) or campgrounds with water tanks. However, our five dry camps provided the best views and most peaceful experiences:

• Hilltop Lookout: Busy, but offers incredible views of Mount Sonder.
• Hermit’s Hideaway: Our favourite site with stunning ridge views.
• Fringe Lily Creek: A very nice, quiet spot.
• Stuart’s Pass: A great site, though we had terrible weather there.
• Millers Flat: Would have offered steep valley views if the weather had been amenable.

4. HYDRATION: WATER IN THE DESERT

We filtered everything.

While we mostly relied on the water tanks, we also drew from rainwater pools at Fringe Lily and Stuart’s Pass, and Hugh Gorge Creek. Relying on rainwater is not a given in a dry year—it just so happened that we had a freak rain event so we were confident we’d find rainwater.

5. FOOD DROPS & “SNACK FATIGUE”

We organised three food drops: Ormiston Gorge, Serpentine Gorge and Standley Chasm.

• The Boxes/Gear Retrieval: Serpentine Gorge and Standley Chasm included gear retrievals, allowing us to swap out power banks, camera batteries and fresh socks. Not to mention leaving gear behind that we no longer needed. I would organise gear retrievals for each box next time to allow us to leave unwanted gear and food behind (I tend to overpack…).
• The ‘Freebie’ Boxes. All food drops had ‘giveaway’ boxes where I left plenty of snacks. But we also picked up tissues that I’d forgotten and a couple of other small items. They’re like mini ‘swap meets’. 🙂
• The Mistake: As common mistake but I seem to be particularly affected (even after many hikes). I packed far too much food, especially muesli bars. I ended up giving away chocolate and treats or leaving food behind in our gear retrieval boxes.

6. EQUIPMENT FAILURES: THE “FIX-IT” REALITY

Gear will fail on a 230km trek. The husband needed to make three major, “creative” repairs:

• Backpack: A broken harness strap on the husband’s pack on Day 1 (temporary fix).
• Sleeping Bag: A broken zip on my trusty “fluffy” down sleeping bag on Day 5 (required a very slow “worming” technique for the rest of the trip).
• Sleeping Mat: An unfindable leak on Day 10. The husband had to re-inflate the mat every two hours for the final six nights. Ended up being a product fault, not a puncture, and a straightforward warranty replacement.
• The Takeaway: A comprehensive “fix ’em” repair kit isn’t optional—it’s a necessity for the Larapinta.

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LARAPINTA LESSONS: WHAT WE’D DO DIFFERENTLY NEXT TIME

Aside from the gear failing, here are the random lessons we picked up along the way.

• Don’t bother taking a book. Neither of us read a single page. We were either too busy hiking, sorting out food drops, exploring the area, talking to other hikers, prepping for the next day (e.g. filling up water bladders, sorting out snacks), setting up the tent, taking photos, fixing equipment, trying to stay warm or making endless cups of tea. 
• Don’t bring freeze-dried strawberries. They just make a mess. Dried pineapple, however, worked great and I’m so glad I included it in my daily snacks. I could have eaten kilos of it.
• Don’t bring too many snacks. For each day, I allocated 2x muesli bars, 1x 50g portion of gummy snakes, 3-4 dried pineapple rings, 1x afternoon treat (lamington snack ball or similar), 1x dried chickpeas for something salty and 2x peanut butter corn thin sandwiches. I could not eat all this every day, and ended up ditching a lot of the snacks (mostly muesli bars) in our food drops or gifting them to hikers on the ‘not enough snacks’ spectrum.
• Don’t pack too many treats in your food drops. I packed a lot of treats for our food drop nights, from oranges (great choice!) to rice crackers with cheese, chips and more. Again, it was too much to eat in one night and too bulky to carry along. I left a lot of treats behind.
• Hiking poles are a must. But they do take getting used to and can put a strain on your shoulders since you’re suddenly hiking “with” your shoulders as well. If you have no shoulder or neck issues, you probably won’t even notice.
• Take a belt or some rope to keep your pants up. I had lost so much weight by the end that my pants literally fell off my hips. Luckily my shorts are elastic so they stayed up somewhat better.
• If you do double sections, your body really feels it. Unless, of course, you’re ultra-fit or a 25-year-old bouncy pony. Single sections or our average 15km were fine, anything above 20km put too much strain on my body; my feet and legs would really feel it.
• We carry a personal locator beacon (PLB) and a GPS (mostly for elevation information) on our outback adventures but together they’re quite heavy. It’d be more efficient to ditch the GPS or get something like the Garmin InReach that combines the two. They’re smaller and lighter.

Happy Larapinta Trail planning,

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