I left just before first light, crossing town and making my way up the dry river bank to the trail head. My starting point was the old Alice Telegraph station, several Km north of town.
It was light by the time I reached the trail head. It was also very cool, but by that point I was used to the cool Aussie mornings. My goal for the day was to complete the near 24Km first section of the trail as far as Simpsons Gap.
I'll be honest, I really had no idea what to expect setting out. I was in for the long haul. Set to travel light. Set to travel fast. Leaving behind the majority of my gear, including my camp stove and water filter, I was traveling with more weight in water and emergency rations than gear! Not quite what I expected "light" to feel like.
Climbing out of the river banks, I set up across the rocky hillside, entering the West MacDonnell Mountain Ranges.
I remember thinking after the first two Km or so, "If it's all like this, I'll be out and back in no time." But I quickly found out that it definitely was not going to be that easy. The beginning of the trail is somewhat deceiving compared to what lay several Km in. But this hasn't been ranked as one of the worlds premier hiking trails for nothing. In fact, I had no idea what lay in store for me... not at all.
I would definitely urge anyone interested in hiking this tail to obtain a copy of the trail info pack (available online and at the Info Center in Alice Springs), and study it well. I had a copy. I glanced at it the night before setting out, read a few of the pointers they outlined, and tucked it away. I figured I would wing it for the most part. The trail was marked out... sort of. I had my bearing... West... ish. After all, whats adventure without a little surprise?
I had decided to pull up and make camp on the first day for lunch and a short rest at Wallaby Gap, about 13Km in. The hike to Wallaby Gap after crossing the Stuart Highway (what I considered to be my real entry into the wild from Alice) had been a constant slow ascent until reaching the base of Euro Ridge. It was quite a climb to the peak, where I had a great view of Alice Springs and the surrounding desert and mountains. What a view. Sitting with my feet dangling over the 750m cliff, I tried to work out where the path on the next ridge would lead down to my next rest point, and lunch! At Wallaby Gap.From there the terrain flattened out a bit more, and it was smooth sailing for the next few Km before the push to reach Saddle Hill Hat. The ridge marked the final stretch of the day, with a gradual descent to Simpsons Gap.
The effects of the wildfires which had torn through the ranges were wide spread in every direction. But rather than just one constant strip of scorched hillside, what I experienced was huge patches of burnt area, followed by several hundred yards of fresh green growth, then more burn area. It definitely made for an interesting trek. Lots of areas (like the one shown in the picture to the left) are covered in chard shrubs shooting out of a bed of white ash, which completely covered the ground in areas. I was exhausted when I reached the gap, dehydrated and ready for a solid nights rest. I knew I hadn't drank nearly enough water over the day, in fact no where near enough.
Until this point The Outback and I had been on fairly even ground, I had handled the terrain and changing elements well. But the West MacDonnells were quickly shaping up to be a whole new ball game. My toughest challenge yet? You bet ya! I hadn't felt this out of shape the whole trip, and considering it was only the end of day, it was seeming as though it was going to be quite a battle.
Sunset over the Gap that night was certainly a spectacle to behold. Similar to Uluru, the Ranges here turn amazing colours as the sun sets.
I bunked in as the sun went down to look over the next days route and see what lay in store. I'd be looking to make at least 25Km before sunset. The majority of the day would be ascent, with the exception of the last 3Km, descending to where I'd hope to make camp for the night.
