Penny, Stephen, Trudy, Anne, Karen, Bob (behind), Ron, Marie, Jan, Gernot
Penny, Stephen, Trudy, Anne, Karen, Bob (behind), Ron, Marie, Jan, Gernot
We get started on our Larapinta adventure: Karen, Stephen, Mary,
Trudy, Bob, Penny with Ron behind her, Jan and Gernot taking the
picture. We pick up our day packs and leave our camping packs on the
car; Penny together with Anne will be driving it to our camping
destination.
While normally carrying day packs, Day 6 requires overnight packs. Early
in the morning we are picking up our
big packs and are ready to start off the 2-day walk. On the left, Marie
and Ron (who will start the section from the other end and will meet us
at camp in the evening) watch the others (Jan, Gernot, Trudy, Bob and
Karen in the left picture, Stephen, Gernot and Karen in the right
picture) getting their (today much heavier) packs ready.
Some like to take a shortcut right at the beginnning: Ron waiting for
the next train.
Trudy experiencing knee problems sets her hopes on a magic pair of
spring-loaded poles. Later she is comforted for the calendar ticking
over yet again...
Trudy went overboard here trying to make up for Gernot rarely
appearing in his own pictures...
We mostly walk behind each other, following the track closely in order to
avoid unnecessary impact on the environment. But frequently the
ground is so rough and rocky that any ever so slightly imprinted path is
a welcome aid for walking and navigation.
Along the way, we are hitting some major — quite literal —
milestones:
Camping together is competing strongly with walking in this remote area
for the prime spot in our hearts:
Lunch, while it might always have been highly appreciated, frequently
often was bedded not on roses but on rocks!
Logistics: we not only had a dedicated driver in Penny, but also a
professional stower in Jan:
And it all works best in front of an appreciative audience
Our trip had the whole gammut: walking, camping, cultural events
with the local community, communal ritual feet washing, ...
