by Kirren

We added words like ridge, saddle, junction, bluff and pound to our vocabulary! Here are a few more words that capture our action-packed experience on the Larapinta Trail.

Fashionistas

8 bright shining Diamonds at the airport in our flame-coloured merino – looking superb in Alice Springs. We hit the town not long after arriving to meet our guides for the briefing and the locals were very interested in what we were doing (and wearing!) A yummy dinner at Sporties then a maxi taxi back to the hotel for a good night’s sleep and an early start required for the next day. Our indigenous-themed gaiters and buffs were made good use of each day on the trails.

Flying

The trip over went smoothly – we were on and off the plane pretty quick ready to tackle our big trek. The briefing in town was really helpful but what we really took note of were the gorgeous native birds flying around. They were mesmerising and oh so beautiful.

Feet

Our feet took a battering – no doubt about it. The terrain was very different each day. We were prepared for “rocks” and there were, plenty of them. We walked over so many rocks - loose rocks, little rocks, slippery rocks, boulders, pretty rocks, wet rocks, rocks that hurt your feet, gravelly rocks and rocks that tripped you up. I would say the team developed a fondness for them as we clocked up those kilometres!

Fear

Feel the fear and do it anyway! Yep, the line from the song “ain’t no mountain high enough” could have been our theme song. We climbed many, many mountains along the trail and felt the fear. Coming down also tested us. Looking back and seeing what we had conquered had us feeling traumatised a few times. Not for the faint-hearted!

Fumes

Our feet became pretty whiffy as did we without showers but in the spirit of comradery, we took this in our stride. The camp toilets, however …..

Flora and Fauna

Various wildflowers along the trails had us stopping to admire them. We did learn about different species and their stories. Purple seemed to be the predominant colour and these beautiful flowers provided a chance to briefly rest as we took photos. Not much fauna- a few birds here and there. Spinifex, however, was plentiful and I’d say we all got spiked at one point during the trip.

Sleeping under the stars in our cozy swags.

Furry Friends

Yep, plenty of these little cuties at the campsites. Michele took a particular liking to one and tried to capture a little mouse in her bag to bring home…or maybe it took a liking to her! Pretty surreal watching mice crawl over the top of your tent at night. We had to be careful to pack away anything that they may have wished to nibble. This meant careful and considerate packing at the end of a big day of trekking. The other furry friends were the Meerkats first seen at Ellery big hole. These meerkats were making a guest appearance and not native to the area. They came about, as each day we selected a card from a pack, which had our daily ‘spirit’ animal. We selected dolphins, bats, and cheetahs and one day made ourselves meerkats, as it felt like that when you thought you got to the top of a mountain – you would look around like a meerkat then just keep going along the ridge to the next mountain top. Meerkats always have someone looking out for the group.

Falls

Yep – we had our fair share of falls, myself, Leanne and Michele on the first day. As this day we did an out and back Michele had the opportunity to recreate hers. Sue G incredibly broke her pole (using her face) along the rocks so very lucky as this could have been so much worse.

Fitness

We had all worked consistently on our fitness and being ready for the trip, as Michele had reminded us that it was going to be hard. It was. Each day brought a new challenge, but we conquered these with a smile on our faces. If the itinerary said 16 kms, it usually meant more like 22kms. Lots of ups and downs, rock scrambling, and “technical” became our new buzzword. We went rock hopping, climbed up and down multiple mountains with one day the elevation being over 1200m. We added words like ridge, saddle, junction, bluff and pound to our vocabulary as we were rewarded by stunningly spectacular views everywhere we looked. The history along the trails, the country and its’ vastness is truly unforgettable.

Food

Wow – the food was fabulous, bountiful breakfasts, sumptuous lunches, and delicious dinners. Snacks galore, all prepared for us. Each meal was appreciated and not much in the way of leftovers.

Freezing

How cold is cold? The last day was a day that pushed us to our limits as we began the climb up Mt Sonder (1380m) at 3.30am. 8 kms up! Our nighttime training came in handy as we donned our head torches. We knew it was going to be cold. It was painfully COLD. -5 degrees at the top and exceptionally windy – we were all digging deep. After a TimTam breakfast washed down with a celebratory Baileys at Sunrise (approx. 7am) it was every trekker for themselves as we made our way back down in the bitter conditions totalling 16 + km before a feast back at camp.

The cold got us a couple of other times as we crossed water and even one intrepid diamond took the opportunity for a dip at Ellery Big Hole. Nights we found ourselves cozy in our swags. One night it rained – all night. We packed up our wet gear in true diamond high spirits and became pretty good at setting up our tents and flies by the 7th night.

Friends

This inspiring mob of diamonds looked out for each other; encouragement always came just at the right time. I really appreciated each person on this trip, sharing a friendship and experience that will never be forgotten. Thank you to Michele, Leanne, Ali, Terese, Sue, Sue and Shelley. I’ll be forever thankful for your support and being part of this trek. Thank you to our amazing guides Abby and Nicci!