Here is my initial 18-day itinerary for the Larapinta Trail. Originally, it included more side trips, but I had to reduce the number due to hip issues leading up to the journey.
The Distance and Elevation columns are based on John & Monica Chapman’s book, Larapinta Trail, but they don’t entirely match the actual measurements since the track has been re-routed in some places. For example, my Garmin watch recorded Day 4 (Jay Creek to Standley Chasm) as 14.7 km with 616 m of ascent and 589 m of descent. The elevation changes reflect the maximum and minimum points rather than the total terrain covered, which should be considered in your planning and training.
| Day | Section | Start | End | Distance | Elevation Up/Down |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Alice Springs – Telegraph Station | Wallaby Gap | 13kms | 300m / 240m |
| 2 | 1 | Wallaby Gap | Simpsons Gap (Via Scorpion Pool & Fairy Spring) | 11.7kms | 150m / 190m |
| 3 | 2 | Simpsons Gap | Jay Creek (via Bond Gap & Mulga Camp) | 25.4kms | 300m / 180m |
| 4 | 3 | Jay Creek | Standley Chasm (via Low Route & Millers Flat) | 14.3km | 390m / 370m |
| 5 | 4 | Standley Chasm | Brinkley Bluff (Via Bridle Path Lookout) | 10.2km | 560m / 110m |
| 6 | 4 | Brinkley Bluff | Birthday Waterhole | 9.8km | 80m / 580m |
| 7 | 5 | Birthday Waterhole | Fringe Lily Creek (Via Paisley Bluff Lookout) | 10.2km | 450m / 360m |
| 8 | 5 | Fringe Lily Creek | Hugh Gorge (Via Upper Hugh Gorge) | 8.5km | 110m / 150m |
| 9 | 6 | Hugh Gorge | Rocky Gully | 15.3km | 230m / 220m |
| 10 | 6 | Rocky Gully | Ellery Creek North | 13.8km | 80m / 160m |
| 11 | 7 | Ellery Creek North | Serpentine Gorge Campsite | 12km | 130m / 80m |
| 12 | 8 | Serpentine Gorge Campsite | Serpentine Chalet Dam (Via Counts Point) | 16.6km | 450m / 380m |
| 13 | 9 | Serpentine Chalet Dam | Waterfall Gorge | 13.2km | 280m / 220m |
| 14 | 9 | Waterfall Gorge | Ormiston Gorge | 16km | 410m / 610m |
| 15 | 10 | Ormiston Gorge | Finke River | 8.9km | 100m / 130m |
| 16 | 11 | Finke River | Rocky Bar Gap | 14.7km | 390m / 350m |
| 17 | 11 | Rocky Bar Gap | Redbank Gorge | 11.1km | 40m / 40m |
| 18 | 12 | Redbank Gorge | Mt Sonder (Return) | 15.8km | 710m / 710m |
Down Under Treks 