Indigenous Community Volunteers (ICV) Inspired Adventure to Larapinta

Sunday 8 July – The group arrives in Alice

With one of our flights with 3 people on board being diverted to Uluru airport (and finally onto Alice Springs), the ICV Walkabout for Change trekkers have now all arrived and are meeting each other for the first time. After a beautiful Welcome to Country and a gracious thank you from fellow trekker and ICV CEO, Stephanie Harvey, we had a team briefing and our tour leader Belinda explained what was in store for the week ahead. We are all very excited to start walking. Only 5 out of the 17 Trekkers have trekked before so this is to be a walkabout that would challenge the best of us, but the enthusiasm is palpable and the group camaraderie is clear from the start. Some know each other, one is a second-time Inspired Adventurer, most have come as individuals, but all have a come together after raising valuable funds for a charity which amongst other things provides opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to develop community and human capacity to improve their quality of life, health, social and economic wellbeing and inclusion within Australian society (see www.icv.com.au). The trekkers are also here to experience and learn more about this culturally-diverse part of Central Australia.

Trek Day 1 – Monday 9 July: Ormiston Gorge (7km) We left early from the hotel and were waved off by Jenny and Nina, staff from the ICV Alice office. The drive took us to the far end of the West MacDonnell Ranges some 135kms west of Alice Springs by road. We drove straight to the start of our first trek of the week; the stunning Ormiston Gorge.

Ormiston Gorge (Larapinta Trail)

It was a moderate walk with the group staying together and getting to know each others’ stories. We stopped for lunch under the shade of a tree on the sand near an ancient creek and found two logs to act as our table. Belinda prepared a lunch fit for a king – it was to be the first of many of the same. Belinda’s ability to lug a 15kg pack up the mountains and ridges in order to provide us with such niceties as fresh salad wraps, tea and biscuits, was truly admirable. Refreshed from lunch, we precariously made our way through the gorge marvelling at the range of rocks and stones both under foot and all around. Five of us trailed behind the main group to accompany a very determined Glenda who had ‘screwed up knees’. We helped Gelnda across the rocks but also took delight in naming them everything from ‘raspberry ripple’, to ‘that one looks like its been sprayed with gold paint’ and the one ‘that looks like a fossil’, or as Bri put it ‘well it’s a something anyway’. The gorge spat us out at a rock pool which either needed crossing or climbing over. It was interesting to watch as the group split into teams of climbers or swimmers. Both groups were as brave as each other as the climb was across the face of the gorge, and the water was extremely cold. The climbers watched from above as the swimmers stripped off to take the plunge below. There were gasps and much more, with Jodie wanting to turn back half way, Glenda turning the air as blue as the water and Mike showing modern day chivalry in the form of 5 dashes back and forth as he carried others back packs across on his head in his undies! Our reward the other side was to see two dingoes drinking from the creek up ahead and a chance meeting between Lynne and a friend… a true whodathoughtit moment.

Finally we got back to camp around 5pm and were treated to stir fried chicken and noodles – again, the first of many campfire delights that we would sample this week. And who could forget the fire toasted marshmallows which were eagerly consumed like we were all kids again.

Trek Day 2 – Tuesday 10 July: Mount Sonder (16 km round trip to the summit) 

A chilly -2° crawl out of our tents at 4am started our big day – the climb to the top of Mt Sonder (the tallest mountain in the Northern Territory). With thermals, beanies and head torches on we first ate Belinda’s amazing porridge to give us fuel to snake our way up the ridges and across the deceiving five knolls to the top of this mountain known as ‘the Pregnant Lady’.

Mt Sonder ('The Pregnant Lady')

Being that it was so dark, we left 3 people (including ‘Bridgie’ the hand puppet) at the water tank but they soon caught us and up, up, up we went. In fact looking up at the group in front it was hard not to mistake the head torches from the stars with comments such as ‘oh my, the group ahead is a looong way up! Oh no nevermind, that’s a star!’. Being that we were a diverse bunch ranging in all ages and ability, inevitably some division in the group needed to happen to get us all to the top of this small, but challenging, mountain. Glenda made a good effort but the knees took their toll and she reluctantly turned back after a valiant effort, as did Frances who turned back just before the final ascent. Both had witnessed the reason for our early start though and that was the amazing 7am sunrise and oh wow; what a beautiful rise it was as it skirted around the ranges below and above us. We warmed up with coffee a-la-Belinda and then regrouped to make the final ascent to the top. What greeted us was a spectacular 360° of the surrounding ranges and a feeling of elation that we’d made it. There was a visitors book at the top and Dennis, being a man of few words, simply wrote ‘ampile boson’ (ample bosom) referring to the place on which we were standing. We arrived at the top at 10:30am and after a one-hour stop for morning tea, we began the long descent back down the Pregnant Lady’s hands and belly to our truck below. The ‘wow factor’ view at the top inspired a team photo and Bridgie the puppet wasn’t excluded! We had a couple of ‘open air mountain clinic’ stops on the way down to treat blisters. We also nearly lost Desanka off the edge (ok, not quite). We all managed to arrive safely back down by 2:30pm where another refreshing lunch greeted us. We then headed back to our campsite to relax and help prepare our evening dinner – BBQ steak with salad, potato bake and the most delicious kangaroo I have ever tasted. And as extra special treat, Belinda even baked us apple crumble with custard – it’s amazing what can be cooked on a camp fire! Two of our younger trekkers, Alisha and Lynne, had won places on the trek compliments of the Australian Government Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (www.fahcsia.gov.au) who endorsed the trek as a way of engaging youth (18-25 yo) with Indigenous Affairs. This evening, both girls agreed to share their ‘Closing the Gap’ winning entries with the group. By the end of their recitals there wasn’t a dry eye in the camp and we all congratulated them on such amazing work. It gave us all hope that future generations will see a narrowing of the gap that currently exists between indigenous and white Australians. Check out their entries:

• Lynne Duthie: ‘Our Gap’
• Alisha Nelson: ‘Bridgie Gap’

Trek Day 3 – Wednesday 11 July:  Ormiston to Glen Helen (12 km)

It was a more leisurely start this morning with bacon ‘n’ eggs for breakie and a short drive to what was to be one of the most beautiful walks of the week. We started through the bush, went up and over ridges and knolls to make the final climb to a breathtaking view. The trek had been punctuated with beautiful flora and Mellisa did the dutiful deed of taking a photo of almost every plant, tree and flower for us all. Lunch was served on top of a windy hillside and was complemented by another 360° perspective, looking down on the only resort around – Glen Helen. It was 7km between us and what was to be our first shower and well-deserved drink of the trek. Off we trekked to get there before sundown. Tim lead the way and a very determined Glenda made up the rear making the full journey back to the truck and the final ride to the resort. We even saw a snake (ok a legless lizard) on the way! The shower was the best and the laughter afterwards was even better – the group has really come together with firm friendships being made and lots of ‘six degrees of separation’ being realised along the way. We live in a small world. It was back to the campsite where Nonie and I got down to chopping up chicken ‘n’ veggies with penknives for our meal tonight; risotto -  all 4kgs of it. It was incredible. The freshly made damper was too.

Trek Day 4 – Thursday 12 July: Counts Point, Alice Valley (14km)

After porridge and a massive fruit salad it was off to do a big 1150 metre climb up to the top of Counts Point – a natural valley between two ridges (or a ‘bowling alley’ as Mellisa called it). It really was quite an incredible sight and we spent quite a long time there in awe of it. While there we also created what has now been named the ‘Scarpa tree’ – where Belinda had the great idea to get everyone who was wearing Scarpa boots to hang them on a tree for a marketing photo shot. Sue even made up a song for the occasion too. Team ICV are a resourceful bunch and what happened next was even better…. Led by Fiona, we did a team singalong to the tune of YMCA but for ICV – check out the video on You Tube! (coming soon!). Frivolities over, we began the long march back down the ridge and home. There were a few hiccups along the way but nothing Nurse Belinda couldnt handle and although it made walking slow, before we knew it, we had all regrouped back down at the base. A great effort by all the team. Being our last night in camp, Belinda, Bec and Rhett cooked us a delicious roast pork ‘n’ beef dinner with a self-saucing chocolate pudding for afters. With the stars above, we felt like we were in heaven! The marshmallows came out again with Sara practicing some childhood skills of setting them alight, but nothing was to be as funny as the end of the evening when Belinda invited us all to sleep under the stars in our swags. Most of us accepted and school kids giggles continued to abound til late into the night, with the Milky Way turning to blamanche through the tears of laughter while Dennis found his beanie and jokes flowed.

Trek Day 5 – Friday 13 July: Wallaby Gap to Telegraph Station (Section I/13km) 

None of us can believe that it’s the last day already – the week has flown by. It had been decided that due to several factors, the last part of our trek would be to walk Section 1 of the Larapinta Trail back into Alice. So after rolling up our swags, collapsing our tents, putting our bags on the truck and eating campfire porridge for the last time, the group set off for the drive back towards Alice Springs. The sun was coming up and we played music, sung and generally reflected on what a wonderful few days we had had. One of the songs we played was ‘I can see clearly now…’ and for me at least, it seemed to be the perfect metaphor for what this week had represented.

It was a beautiful ridge walk looking over the plains from Euro Ridge towards Alice and beyond. Such an amazing view with even the odd Euro kangaroo sighting too. We slowed the walk down to take in the last few kilometres as a complete group and we walked across the finish line altogether. I call it a line because the ICV team from Alice had strung up a finish line at the official end of the trip.

The Old Telegraph Station and had champagne waiting our arrival – it was a great finish to an awesome trek through incredibly beautiful countryside. We’ve learned so much about the country we trekked through and the local cultures and beliefs. Our respect has grown, our eyes have been opened and our feet have trodden gently through this rich and historic land. We will leave with renewed hope that the gap in this country will narrow through the generations to come. The day was completed with a hot shower back at our hotel and a lovely group dinner at which two very tired tour guides, Belinda and Bec, joined us. It was a great celebration at what had been achieved on many levels, both personally and for ICV.

Saturday 14 July: Titjikala Community Visit (1.5 hrs dirt road drive south east of Alice Springs)

The trek might be finished but our learning had not and today brought new meaning to what had been provided to ICV by way of the funds raised. ICV had arranged for us to visit an Aboriginal Community where over many years volunteers have helped to establish an Art Centre for the display and sale of local artworks (where all sales go back to the artist’s family). It was a wonderful to experience and the whole group gained so much from the visit including the purchase of lots of beautiful art and crafts. We were able to meet the artists and even engaged some of the local women to take us on a tour around the community. Lunch was provided to anyone wanting to join in and it was so nice to experience the community coming together to enjoy our visit with us. A memory we will all savour and cherish I’m sure. Thank you to all for making us feel so welcome.

Tonight really was our last night together and we had arranged for a special celebratory dinner under the stars at Simpsons Gap. We shared the evening with famous aboriginal artist, Tommy Crow, and our chef for the night, Bob Taylor, who cooked an amazing array of food including roasted macadamias, emu, pumpkin soup, kangaroo, and Quondong (a native Australian fruit) with white chocolate and wattle seed steamed pudding for dessert. In total, we’ve trekked almost 70kms, climbed the Territory’s tallest mountain, walked 133,694 steps (confirmed by Kaely – and she’s only got little legs!). Steve the Starman also gave us a lesson in stargazing which was really enjoyable and informative too. The stars really are quite incredible from this part of Australia. Some of the local ICV staff and volunteers and guests joined us and a great final evening was had by all. To keep Dennis happy, we even managed to finish it off with a brave few making it to the infamous Bojangles back in town for bevvy or two.

It was a both a privileged and a pleasure to walk these stunning lands with such an incredible group of people – go Team ICV! You all achieved great things.

TEAM ICV 2012:

Indigenous Community Volunteers (ICV) Inspired Adventure to Larapinta

13 July 2012: Twitter updated from Indigenous Community Volunteers

“The #Larapinta trekkers are on the final leg, Simpsons Gap to Alice, taking in the spectacular euro Ridge along the way. @inspiredadvntrs“ @IndigenousCV

12 July 2012: Update from Helen

“The ICV trekking group has made it to the top of Counts Point, Alice Valley, NT 1150mtrs. Go team ICV!”

Blog 2: From the Summit of Mt Sonder – Helen (Inspired Adventures) 10 July 2012 (Trek Day 2): Written on the top of Mt Sonder… It was early to bed last night for our 4am start this morning. The task – to climb Mt Sonder, the “Pregnant Lady”- all 1,380 metres of her.  It was -3 degrees last night and about 1 degree while we ate  porridge before embarking on the climb. It took 4.5 hrs to do the 8km walk up and we are about to start the 8km back down in a few minutes from now. The air is crisp, the view is stunning and everyone is feeling on top of the world. It was so worth the climb and I’m feeling very proud of team ICV!

Team ICV reaches the summit of Mt Sonder, 'The Pregnant Lady'

“Mt Sonder (‘The Pregnant Lady’) is one of the tallest mountains in the Northern Territory and is host to one of the most spectacular sunrises in the world. The climb up to the summit will leave you breathless and the 360° views will render you speechless.” Larapinta Destination Guide

9 July 2012 (Trek Day 1): The 17 strong ICV Walkabout for Change group rolled out of Alice at 8am yesterday in a Troupee and truck; swags on the roof, packs in the back and 80 litres of water and food to keep us going til Friday. First stop Ormiston Pound – a 9km walk through stunning scenery and rock formations. A rock climb and very cold water crossing got us to the end by 4:30pm and to our campsite at Glen Helen by 5pm. Swags set and fire ablaze we ate chicken stir-fry cooked in the camp stove. Amazing! Blog 1: From the coast to the Red Centre – Helen (Inspired Adventures) 8 July 2012: Here I am sitting on the tarmac at Sydney Airport about to fly to Alice Springs to start the Indigenous Community Volunteers (ICV) Larapinta Trekin a few days time. After not being in Alice Springs for 21 years, I was looking forward to seeing it again, but first I had to cross the desert… Flying from Sydney to the Red Centre reminds you just how vast and diverse this great country is. We quickly lost the blue and yellow coast line, to view the top of the green mountain ranges, which slowly turned to sandy plains, which in turn became the never ending red desert, punctuated with white salt pans of dried up lakes and rivers. The trees and towns disappeared and I found myself mesmerised by the ripples of red sand and little else below. Suddenly the wheels go down and you wonder what one will find in the middle of all this aridness; the answer is Alice Springs officially gazetted as so in 1933 (before that it was known as Stuart). The Alice as it is locally known is actually semi arid and has one of the highest rain falls in the country however, due to high evaporation and erratic rainfalls, it is classified as desert country.

The Alice 'Gap' - MacDonnell Ranges

Now with a population of 28,000 people, ‘The Alice’ didn’t seem to have changed since I was there all those years ago. Suddenly I felt like I was in the real Australia, where cultures and people collide and we all share the same footpaths and become one population. However,  it was still abundantly clear to me that as true as the famous Alice ‘Gap’ (the gap is shown at the end of the main street in the photo above – it’s a natural divide in the ranges and the main road runs north to south through it so the town is split into north of the gap and south of the gap), there is still a ‘gap’ in this outback society. Here I am tucked up in my warm hotel room when outside there are little fires glowing along the dried up river bed of the Todd River where some of the local Aboriginal families are outside trying to keep warm in what has just been announced as the coldest winter Alice has seen in 10 years. Some may say its their choice, but I don’t know enough to agree or not, all I can see is an inequality and it’s right here in the same country as where that big blue coastline exists. I decided before I came that I didn’t want to just repeat what I did two decades ago. This time I’d see something different and I chose Kings Canyon as my day-trip of choice. It was an awesome choice too; rising 270 metres from the desert, this canyon sits North East of its more famous cousin Uluru and the Olgas (the latter can be seen from a certain vantage point from the canyon). The canyon is spectacular and certainly has lots of wow factors.

Where a lake once was...

Today was time to remind myself of some of the history which has been made here… The Royal Flying Doctors Service and School of the Air being just two if them – both of them inspiring and both just go to underline the differences in living in the remote outback of Australia. They make up the life of these far flung communities, making it possible for them to live safely and with a childhood education which people on the coast take for granted. So now it’s Sunday and half of my ICV trekking group are here already (the rest will arrive later today). Combined, they represent almost every State in Australia and will slowly touch down over the course of the day, finally meeting each other out our welcome briefing tonight. Tomorrow we will be off to begin our trek of 5 out if the 12 sections of the great Larapinta track in the West MacDonnell Ranges. It’s going to be cold at night but I’m looking forward to the camp fire conversations; the sharing of stories and cultures and the forming of friendships while we experience so of the most amazing scenery this country has to offer. Bring it on! Helen [Blog 1; Walkabout for Change; 8 July 2012]

TEAM ICV 2012:

Land of Salty Rivers and Dreaming Caterpillars

By Katie Camarena, Inspired Adventures Tour Escort extraordinaire

What do you get when you cross the landscapes depicted in the paintings of Albert Namatjira with an unforgettable hiking experience?

 The Larapinta Trail. There really is nothing like discovering your own back yard especially when you can explore sacred places created by Emu and Caterpillar Ancestors. Every part of this wild living desert will bring your senses to life and draw you closer to this diverse land steeped in history and legends.

This is the land of the Arrernte (pronounced ah-RUN-de) people; direct descendants of the Caterpillar beings. The Central Arrernte believe that their Caterpillar ancestors crafted the landforms that spread outward beyond Alice Springs. The Larapinta Trail is home to many sacred ancestral sites and the Arrernte welcome tourists to come and share their history and hear stories from their Dreaming. Though primarily a trek of a physical nature through sheltered gorges and across high ridgelines, Larapinta is also a place where you can allow your mind to wander freely fuelled by the feelings and emotions invoked by traditional folklore and Dreaming.

Officially opened in 2002, Larapinta starts in Alice Springs and finishes at Mount Sonder, 223kms away. Mount Sonder (‘The Pregnant Lady’) is one of the tallest mountains in the Northern Territory and is host to one of the most spectacular sunrises in the world. The climb up to the summit (1,380m) will leave you breathless and the 360° views will render you speechless. This experience may only be surpassed by sleeping under the stars below Mount Sonder’s protective watch and with the Yeperenye Hills (Caterpillar Dreaming) in full view. Another highlight of the Larapinta Trail is standing at the entrance to Ormiston Gorge and taking in the stunning waterhole that has its history linked to the Emu ancestors. This important ceremonial site is also one of the natural wonders of the West MacDonnell Ranges.

The name ‘Larapinta’ comes from a combination of words in the Western Arrernte language: “lhere” which means ‘river’ and “pirnte” which means ‘salt’. Put them together and you end up with ‘salty river’. This seems like a curious inaccuracy when Larapinta is the name of an overland trekking trail. However, Lhere-pirnte refers to one of the oldest watercourses on earth – the Finke River. Once-upon-a-time the Finke River area was home to a rich abundance of wild game and food plants that provided the inhabitants with a vast array of ‘bush tucker’. The Finke, like many other rivers in Central Australia, is an ‘upside-down’ river which flows below its dry bed most of the time. During the drought season, the Finke becomes saline which is where the Western Arrernte derive the name.

Whether you are drawn to the area by distinct images portrayed in the paintings of Albert Namatjira, or you come in search of the spirits of the Emu, Caterpillar and Kangaroo Ancestors, Larapinta will take you above and beyond all of your expectations and provide you with an unparalleled experience of the Australian outback which lays in your own backyard.

Inspired Adventures is offering two unique opportunities to trek the Larapinta Trail in 2012.

July 2012: Don’t miss this chance to see one of the most beautiful parts of Australia while supporting Indigenous Community Volunteers (ICV). ICV do vital work on human development projects for Indigenous Australians to improve their quality of life, health, social and economic wellbeing while creating a sustainable future and inclusion within Australian society.

September 2012: Challenge yourself and discover the living desert while helping Reach establish an Opportunity Fund for young people across Australia to access Reach’s programs. Reach has already had a positive impact on over 500,000 young people. Helping youth develop self-esteem, optimism and other life skills during adolescence is a great preventative measure for depression, homelessness, suicide and substance abuse later in life. Trekking Larapinta for Reach will inspire more young people to increase their self-belief and get more out of life.

 *NOTE: Image used in this profile is not from the Larapinta trail but an area close by. 

Read more trip stories from Larapinta or visit the Inspired Adventures Calendar and find a Charity Challenge perfect for you.