Not the Larapinta Stage Race - Day 4

Tuesday, 21 August 2018

We had different plans for today, but I was feeling decidedly average in the morning so we abandoned our plan to do a 20k steep and rugged jog-hike and figured we'd just head out to see the sights and see what happened.

First we drove the 30kms out to Standley Chasm. Amazingly we had it pretty much to ourselves while we were there.  It was the only attraction we've had to pay for as it is privately owned.

After walking through the Chasm, we hiked straight up to a lookout to see it from above.

Then we drove 10kms down the road to Simpson's Gap - it was also spectacular, and also quiet:

After a quick lunch, we decided to head off on the Woodland Walk.  It is an 18km loop walk from Simpson's Gap that I wasn't sure I'd feel up to doing all of, so Jon's plan was to walk for a while with me, then run ahead and follow the Larapinta Trail all the way back to Telegraph Station just outside of Alice Springs where I'd pick him up.  I was either going to do the full loop, including 7.5kms on the Larapinta Trail, or simply turn around and head back the way I came.

The trail was really nice and quite flat and not very taxing.  After 5kms of walking I still felt pretty good so I decided to complete the whole thing. I let Jon go ahead (as he had a long way to go), and then I jog-hiked the rest of it. It was great!

I arrived back at the car pretty happy about my Larapinta experience today!

While I ran, then drove back to Alice Springs, then showered, then made some phone calls, then visited the botanical gardens, then drove out to Telegraph Station, Jon ran. He ran and ran and ran and after 44km he turned up in the park where I waited, looking decidedly tired!  He didn't have many words to spare (beyond 'do you have water'), but I've got a few pictures from his phone..

 He is now having a well deserved pre-dinner nap. If he was able to respond I'm sure he'd say he'd had a good day out on the Larapinta Trail today too.