Larapinta Trail - Day 12 - Counts Point to Mt Giles Lookout

Dawn on the top of Count’s Point was incredible - definitely one of my trip highlights. I felt like I was on top of the world! And I really felt like I was on the homeward stretch now - I could see the end in sight!

I’d had the worst night’s sleep of my trip. The wind up here was something else. I was convinced my tent was going to rip, the gusts were so strong. I’d been very lucky that I’d only really had two restless nights due to wind - my high point camps were much less windy than I’d been expecting. Thankfully! I’m not good with little sleep, haha!

Descending from Counts Point was quite a different environment to what I’d previously seen. A couple of years prior to my trip, the national park experienced devastating fires - I could see evidence of a lot of burnt trees but the regrowth was also well and truly underway. The rain this season really helped with regeneration. However, the walk down from Counts Point was very dry and burnt. The evidence of fire here was still strong. I’m not sure if this were from more recent fires, or if regrowth here is just slower due to the environment. Either way, the landscape was very stark.

I made my way to Serpentine Chalet Dam very quickly that morning - arriving in time for a mid morning snack, a big drink of water and a chat to the ranger from Ormiston Gorge, who’d come to do some maintenance and cleaning at the shelter.

I continued on my way at around 10am - I’d already done 6.3km that morning, had a 45 minute break and was now beginning Section 9.

Section 9 was one of the longest sections, totaling 29km all the way to Ormiston Gorge. My day was finishing after walking 15.5km of Section 9, up to Mount Giles Lookout (bringing my days total up to around 23km).

I’d quizzed the ranger as to whether there was water at Waterfall Gorge - just before the ascent to Mount Giles lookout. If I was able to fill up my water there, it’d save me carrying 7l of water for 6 hours or more. I would just carry a days supply (3l) and top up before my ascent at the end of the day. I’d then only have to carry 5l or so from Waterfall Gorge for the last 2km up to the Mount Giles Lookout at an altitude of around 1050m (an ascent of around 350m over 2km). This would keep me going overnight!

Water supply at Waterfall Gorge was notoriously unreliable - even after periods of rain, it was known that it didn’t hold water long. Unfortunately for me, Section 9 was the last section to be cleared by rangers and remarked for the start of the hiking season. So, the ranger was unable to confirm if there was water there or not and I’d passed no other hikers to check.

So, I set off with 7l of water. My heaviest water carry yet, and I was feeling it.

My section 9 did not start well. I couldn’t find the trail after leaving the shelter. Literally within 20 metres I’d lost it after leaving the Serpentine Chalet Dam shelter. I ended up scrambling over rocks with my ridiculously heavy pack, and ended up at the old Dam wall. Realising that couldn’t possibly be right - I wasn’t climbing over a cliff - I had to drop my pack and get the maps out. I returned the way I came, pretty much back to the shelter, and realised the trail crossed the creek, not went up it. I’d just ended up following a worn pathway for those people who wanted to go and check out the dam. A feat of engineering - I’m glad I saw it! But, in my fluster, frustration and heavy-pack-ness, I neglected to take any photos. After waddling around in the gorge area for 45 minutes (yes, really, what an idiot), I ended up back a the creek next to the shelter.

I finally began to walk on Section 9 when I heard voices. I looked back and waved hello to a couple coming toward me. I blurted out my woes and how I’d ended up stuck in a gorge for too long but I’d now found the trail - they could thank me later for showing them the way and preventing them from the same misfortune!

Turned out it was a couple from Darwin, heading to the same campsite I was for the night. YAY, walking buddies! They’d started their trek that morning and had a few days to walk to Redbank Gorge. In my mind I was thinking they were starting really late in the day for a first hike day up the top of a big mountain. It would have easily been 10:30am by this point, probably later - I’d lost track!

After my mini ordeal, I was feeling a bit flustered and uncomfortable so I let my new hiking pals lead the way whilst I stumbled around at the rear. It took a few minutes but eventually I found my rhythm again and overtook them. After an hour or so, I found Inarlanga Pass - it was very slow going up there, with lots of big boulder hopping and a bit of a slow ascent. I was struggling with my pack weight and balance so I stopped for a rest stop and snack where I could see the gorge widening out.

Tricky terrain in Inarlanga Pass

A random desert frog I spotted in a rock crevice not long after leaving Inarlanga Pass

I’d expected the first few kilometres toward Inarlanga Pass to be the hardest of the day until I reached the ascent at Waterfall Gorge. I was wrong. Yes, the first section of my day was difficult. But, that long 11km stretch from here to Waterfall Gorge was KILLER. Without a doubt, the hardest part of the whole trail. Long, exposed and not flat at all (which I was expecting).

I’ve learnt that managing expectations are everything for morale on this walk! If I expect ease, I quickly realise that NONE of this trail is easy and I am sorely disappointed and my mood quickly plummets! Looking at the map, the terrain looked easy and flat. It was not! it was a slow series of ascents and descents. I did the same thing on Day 1 - I’d heard it was an easy day, and it turns out that it was not. The climb up Euro Ridge was killer for my first day with a full pack. This was no different - except I was carrying an additional 4-5kg of water and had a sore, swollen heel.

Just after Inarlanga Pass is the option to take a short side trip down to the Ochre Pits. This is not something I did on my Larapinta Trail Hike, but I visited the area by car in the time I had post-hike.

The detour down to Ochre Pits is not something I could have done with my schedule anyway, coming down from Counts Point that morning had taken any free time that I might have had for side trips. If you were starting the day from Serpentine Chalet Dam, walking toward Waterfall Gorge or Mt Giles Lookout, this might have been an option as an early morning side trip. (Allow an hour each way for the walk from the main trail to the Ochre pits, plus time to explore the Ochre pits themselves…. so maybe it would add 2.5 - 3 hours on to a day).

I visited the Ochre Pits on a very cloudy overcast morning, which was perfect shooting conditions for this spectacular rock display. The colours were their best whilst not in the glare of the harsh NT sun. Here’s a few shots - such a unique location that I really enjoyed shooting! And chatting to the budgies, of course.

Back to the trail!

Jane and Vaughn (the couple from Darwin) and I leap-frogged our way to Waterfall Gorge. All of us commenting on how difficult we were finding the terrain. The heat was a challenge for us too. As we approached Waterfall Gorge, I’d scouted a couple of potential campsites, just in case I hadn’t wanted to ascend to Mt Giles lookout for the night. I’d pondered maybe camping at Waterfall Gorge - if there was water there and the photographic opportunities were right I’d stay the night here instead, to capture the rarity of water in this gorge.

The trail was challenging coming in to Waterfall Gorge. The ascents around the gorge were steep to navigate around cliffs, and it felt like we were going back on ourselves a couple of times. Eventually we saw pools of water at the bottom of a steep hill, where the trail was taking us again. We were walking together at this point - feeling tired and a little bit beaten by that long stretch. It definitely took time. I’d guess maybe close to the 5 hours as guided by the maps. My walking times were generally quicker, but I was finding the need to rest and remove my pack much more frequently - I was challenging myself to keep pushing on and have breaks every 45 minutes or so. That way I knew I was covering pretty much 3km an hour - walk the 3km in 45 minutes, and then a 10 minute break without the pack.

We DID find water at Waterfall Gorge, and I am SO glad for it.

It wasn’t the spectacular flow I’d been expecting. There were a series of pools, which weren’t flowing. A little further downstream the pools were slightly longer but not as deep. The water upstream was deeper and very clear.

I’d been conserving water as we had a good few hours the following morning without water. The heat of the day is obviously less in the morning so I drink much less, but I’d still need to have a good 1.5l for the morning to get me through to the tank at Ormiston Gorge. We all sat at the upstream-most rockpool for a good 45 minute break. A late lunch for the other couple, and a big snack and huge drink for me!

Jane and Vaughn were carrying 10l of water each - which in hindsight, if there hadn’t have been water in Waterfall Gorge, would have been a good amount to start that section with.

I was carrying a 3l Camelbak (which is what I was drinking out of whilst walking), plus 2 x 2l bladders. I transferred a 2l bladder of drinking water in to my camelbak and completely drank the other 2l bladder I had (it was clean, drinkable water). I was so thirsty and could really feel the heat of the day, so I had a hydralite here and a heap of snacks to get me up that last 2.3km up to the lookout. I refilled a 2l bladder and added a couple of water purification tablets.

I’d underestimated how many of these tablets I would need for the hike, being so used to drinking all water in the Top End without purifying it - the water supply was much fresher and always flowing water, I was not used to these stagnant pools to drink from and I wasn’t taking any risks!

I bought my total drinking water back up to 5l for the last hour or the day and the following morning. That seemed like plenty! I would have been seriously dehydrated had it not been for the 2l I drank at this break stop.

I didn’t photography ANYTHING on the walk from Inarlanga Pass to Waterfall Gorge, nor the ascent to Giles Lookout. I was exhausted. From the heat and the kilometres with a heavy pack.

I’m very sorry for this long blog post with lots of words and no photos! I regret it now - I will have to revisit this section with fresher legs so I can photograph some of these areas.

Anyway - continuing on, again! This day of walking seemed never ending.

I left the waterhole a little before the other couple. I was very conscious of time slipping away if I wanted to get up the hill, put the tent up and eat before having time for photography. It would have been 4pm before leaving Waterfall Gorge, and the map said to allow an hour for the last ascent to the lookout. I needed to be there by 5pm at the latest to have time to shoot and I was definitely slow.

This was the most difficult ascent of the whole trail. And I was cursing myself for having this at the end of one of my longest hike days, on a hot day, with the heaviest pack I’d ever had to carry! It was steep, uneven terrain. The climb was more of a slow stumble up hill for me, by this point!

This was definitely one of the hardest ascents of the trail. Unexpectedly too! Expectations are everything…. haha! It was a very steep and very long ascent, exposed and difficult for my already tired legs.. and back, and feet… and everything else!

I eventually stumbled over the top of another rise - not realising it was actually the top this time! There had been a few different points I thought I was nearly at the summit, only to cross the rise to see further hills above!

I was exhausted!

I stumbled over the ridge, to hear a female voice - “Ahhhhhh are you Louise?!” I was a bit confused as to how they knew who I was. After the excitement of realising I had ACTUALLY made it to the lookout and my end point for the day - Mount Giles Lookout - AND I had more camp buddies - we figured out what had happened.

Ruby and Rhianna had begun their end to end hike one day later than me. I began on Friday 25th March, they on the Saturday 26th. At each section intersection, is a logbook where hikers record their names and itinerary plans. I’d been writing my name at every section and where my next night would be. Ruby and Rhianna had been behind me for my first few days, seeing my name at each logbook. And then, to them, I disappeared! On my 6th night, I’d camped off the trail at Birthday Waterhole. They’d over taken me, and then I had began to follow them - seeing their names in the logbook just ahead of me! I realised that on Day 8 when I saw the solo make hiker who didn’t want to talk, the two girls he referred to were this pair! And I didn’t see them because we were traveling in the same direction and I was slow taking photos, so I never caught up!

SO, this was them! We finally crossed paths at the top of Mount Giles Lookout.

Last light looking south from the lookout

It was late in the day for me. Probably 5:30pm by the time I arrived. I drank some water, set up the tent and ate my first processed meal of the trip. A backcountry “roast lamb”. It was an easy meal option for me as I was exhausted and in a rush. Every other night I’d had my own home-dehydrated meals full of goodness - veggies, beans and grains, all natural ingredients. The backcountry meals are terrible in comparison but I had a couple as emergency/backup meals - a). in case any of my concoctions failed, but also for nights when I was too short on water as they used less and I didn’t require any dishes to be washed!

After a quick dinner, I set about finding a sunset photography location. To be honest, I wasn’t too inspired. I was tired. But. I could see the potential for sunrise shots the following morning. I used the 3G phone reception I found and then turned in for a very early night…. (after a conversation about how aggressive the mosquitoes had been, and due to this we’d been in bed as soon as the sun had gone down!)

My longest, hardest and heaviest day I’d ever walked - all combined in to one day. 23km plus, down a mountain, across an exposed landscape and up another mountain with a 7l water carry… If I could do that, I could do anything! After a big sleep….!

Last light looking back toward Alice Springs

Sunset behind the end goal - Mount Sonder, creeping ever larger in the landscape!