With only a week up her sleeve, Caro Ryan squeezes in the best of the Larapinta Trail’s wild swimming holes, classic ridgetop hikes and a summit sunrise that leaves her longing for more.

In my dreams I find myself out in the wilderness, taking on one of Australia’s long-distance hiking trails, The Larapinta Trail, in a single, unbroken journey. But, like so many of us, the realities of life dictate that my adventures are squeezed into bite-sized chunks of week-long forays, book-ended by a frantic rush to prepare, followed by an Everest of washing.

So, while the 223 kilometres of the Northern Territory’s Larapinta Trail can be swallowed whole in 14 to 20 days, I’m content with just six days and a taste of the best the Larapinta Trail has to offer.

Day 1 – Alice Springs and Section 10 (Ormiston Gorge to Finke River)

Piling into a minibus in Alice Springs, I take stock of my group for the next six days: an eclectic mix of Aussies aged between 40 and 60, including a few solo hikers, a married couple and a pair of friends who do a week-long hike together each year. We’re the types who love to feel the earth under our feet and to connect with wild places in a way that leaves our bodies feeling like they’ve moved, climbed or scrambled. It’s not long before we’re sharing stories as the van rushes west along the Namatjira Highway.

Arriving at Ormiston Gorge, we hit the trail along Section 10, which – at just 9.1 kilometres ­– is the shortest of Larapinta’s 12 sections. It’s a good introduction to this big sky country with a gentle ascent to a great lunch spot at Hilltop Lookout.

It’s late in the April to September hiking season so, after a few hours walking in 34°C temperatures, sliding into the cool, calm waters of the Finke River – the first of many wild-swimming opportunities – is the respite everyone has been waiting for.

Later, at basecamp, with our bellies full after three delicious courses, I fight heavy eyelids, trying to stay awake to watch just a little more of the star-heavy sky as it presses down on me. Just one more satellite; one more shooting star. Fortunately, I still have five nights in the swag to take it all in.

Day 2 – Serpentine Gorge to Serpentine Chalet (section 8)

With three litres of water in our daypacks, we hit the trail before 8 am for the first real ascent (350 metres) up to the Heavytree Range. This is my type of hiking: skimming along broken, rocky ridgelines with 360-degree views that zigzag until we reach Counts Point lookout; the perfect little lunch spot. Here, our guide interlaces geological stories about how the landscape came to be with those of its traditional owners, the Arrernte people. Somehow, from up here, it all makes sense.

We finish up at one of the chillier swimming holes. Brisk, but not bracing, the now-familiar ochre cliffs keep the setting sun at bay.

Day 3 – Serpentine Chalet Dam to Inarlanga Pass and the Ochre Pits (section 9)

Conscious of the pre-dawn wakeup call tomorrow, we spend a gentle morning walking to Inarlanga Pass, learning about the ceremonial site’s significance along the way. A mildly technical (and fun) rock scramble leads us through a high-walled, open-sky tunnel, birthing us out into the vast channel between two ridges of the Tjoritja/West MacDonnell Ranges National Park. We return along the Arrernte Walking Track and a trailhead at the Ochre Pits, with its earthy rainbow-stained walls evidence of the site’s 40,000-year-old history.

By now, we’re used to having a post-walk swim and today delivers a chilly dip in the reed-edged waters of Glen Helen Gorge. Not content with simply an aquatic refreshment, we stop in at Glen Helen Homestead for the classic outback pub (and grub) experience (the works burger and a cold beer hits the spot).

Day 4 – Mount Sonder Sunrise

We’ve been ambling along towards Mount Sonder (the western end of the Larapinta) for the past four days, listening to the Arrernte stories of how she is a reclining pregnant woman, and today is our moment to finally meet her. With fresh batteries in our head torches, beanies on and jackets zipped to brave the surprisingly strong cold wind, we start the 8-kilometre, 680-metre ascent at 2.45 am. We make the summit just in time to see the boiling red sun start her ascent across the Territory sky. Only after turning my back do I see my favourite view of the entire trip: the bold dawn light has cast Sonder’s feminine shadow across the plains below.

Day 5 – Ormiston Gorge and The Pound Walk

Not strictly part of the Larapinta Trail, the seven-kilometre (3-4 hour) Ormiston Pound circuit walk is one of the best day walks of the West MacDonnell Ranges. Refreshed after yesterday’s lazy afternoon, we set off in an anti-clockwise circuit. Upon summiting the lookout, I ponder the pound’s bowl-like structure and notice the harsh, vibrant colours of the desert mixed in with the soft pastel mauves of an Albert Namitjira painting. The circuit ends by leading you through (yes, through) the chilly waters of Ormiston Gorge and back to the hubbub of the campground and kiosk.

Day 6 – Drive to Alice Springs via Ellery Creek Waterhole

The end of the trip and my Everest pile of washing is sadly not too far away. It’s just under a two-hour drive back to Alice Springs, but we’re not leaving without stopping for a final dip. The popular Ellery Creek Big Hole (waterhole) provides my final wild baptism, inspiring me to return one day to walk the full length of the epic Larapinta.

Details

Getting there: Virgin Australia flies to Alice Springs from Adelaide, Darwin and Brisbane, while Qantas flies direct from Darwin, Uluru, Sydney, Adelaide, Melbourne and Perth.

Staying there: You can bush camp along the full length of the Larapinta Trail at 29 designated campsites. All trailheads have a water supply and some have free gas BBQs.

Several tour companies provide semi-permanent base camps as part of their itineraries. Check out Trek Larapinta, World Expeditions, Walking Country and Epicurious Travel.

Eating there: Independent trekkers must bring all their own supplies, with food drops and logistics available. Fully guided tours provide all meals and snacks.

Hiking there: End-to-end trekking along the Larapinta Trail is for fit, experienced and well-equipped hikers only. If in doubt, go with a licensed tour operator for a shorter guided journey. The best time to go is during winter; be prepared for day temperatures in the mid-30s and cool nights of around 5°C. The trails consist of uneven, sharp and broken rocks that are unforgiving on shoes. Good hiking boots with quality soles are essential.

Always, always carry plenty of drinking water.

For more information read our outback survival guide and this Larapinta Trail safety information sheet.