Dr Gwo takes us through a day by day diary of his experience
on the 2022 WomenCan Larapinta Trek.
Read on and get a behind-the-scenes look at this once in a life time journey through his eyes.
Upon arrival..
The adventure of lifetime begins!
My journey to the red centre, Australia starts with my duffle bag and a big step out of my house. I am already estatic and ready to go on the Larapinta trek!
As we landed on the site, my fellow peers and I walked alongside the Todd River and wondering "Where is the water?"
Later that evening, my fellow trekkers and I met up with an Elder from the lands traditional owners, the Arrernte People, for a Welcome to Country ceremony. We learnt about the history and significance of the local area and the people who lived on it and also received his blessing to walk on the land.
Meet the fellow trekkers: [R to L ] Duncan McPherson OAM (whose wife died of ovarian cancer 13 years ago), Eileen (her sister died of ovarian cancer at age 50), Kate (part of the other fundraising group for SisterWorks), Lee Roberts (whose wife also died from ovarian cancer), Beth (from SisterWorks), Oliver and Jacinta (husband and wife - Jacinta has ovarian cancer and are celebrating 3 years since Jacinta's diagnosis), Jane (her younger sister died from ovarian cancer), Ken (his son is ANZGOG's Research Manager), Allison (Medical Oncologist from Hobart), Hamish and Yoland (Yoland is a senior Medical Oncologist and Cancer Geneticist from Melbourne), Josh (our team media person), Sally (Alison's 80+ year old mother), George (our second media person), me, Catherine (Ken's friend), Robbie (our guide for the day) and Michelle (Gynae Oncologist from Darwin).
All set for my first walk. I forgot to wear my garmin to track my steps. Oh well!
Euro Ridge - Billions of years ago, the flat land of central Australia cracked under pressure and created a massive ridge that spans from east and west.
The ridge is made up of large slabs of granite tilting at a 45 degree angle, and it plays a significant role in the aboriginal dream time legend, "Mandya and Urdlu" (the Euro and the Kangaroo).
It may looks small but the drop from the edge of the ridge goes a long way down!
Ellery Creek - After a long bus ride we took a well-deserved break and cold bath at Ellery Creek, a speccular waterhole, which cuts through the gorge and the West MacDonell Ranges. The water was icy cold .... not for the faint hearted, but very medicinal for the sore muscles and joints.
There are some dead fish in the water due to lack of oxygen and many months without proper rainfall and oxygen. But I figured the dead fish added some herbal quality to the water!
Base camp - After recovering our joints and muscles from the long walk, we arrived at our campsite in Ormiston Gorge, right in the heart of the Western MacDonell Ranges.
By nightfall, we were exchanging stories by the campfire, slept under the stars in our swags and tents, taking in soothing sounds of the dessert.
I noticed there was a empedemic of mice amongst the grass. So, watch out for them!
They scattered amongst my belongings and my bags - fortunately, I was given a proper bed to remedy the situation of the mice.
A narrow gap in the West MacDonell Ranges and it's scared site to Western Arrernte Aboriginal people.The gorge is associated with the dreaming story of the Carpet Snake.
For me the Serpentine trail is one of the hardest treks - or even on par with Mount Sonder trek - with harsh terrains with steep climbs and descents.
It was an early start to climb to the summit of Mount Sonder - getting out of bed at 1:30 am. The air at this time of the morning was freezing, but it allowed us to have a head start before the sunrise.
Mount Sonder is known traditionally as Rwetypeme - in local Arrernte legend, she is depicted as a pregnant lady whose eternal doom is to lay on her back and look at the sky.
Although the ascent to the mountain was challenging, we were awarded with pananoromic views of the Australian outback. We even watched the sun rise from the east of Mount Sonder while simultaneously watching the moon set in the west!
Day 5
The Pound Walk and Trig River crossing.
Our last day of hiking - 9.3km walk over 4 hrs and 392m ascent
Orchre Pits
Day 6
Farewell Dinner
Walking the Larapinta trek with WomenCan was one of the best experiences in my life, especially being with such wonderful people for 5 days in one of the most beautiful places on earth.
We walked, talked, laughed, and bonded during our long walks through the breathtaking wild outback. Nothing beats sharing a few drinks and stories with amazing people after a long walk over the campfire under the amazing starry sky.
I would not miss this once in a lifetime opportunity.
Has Dr Gwo inspired you?
To find out more about how you can join the WomenCan Larapinta 2023 Trek, hit the button below or contact Jane from WomenCan on 1300 786 300 or jane.galloway@anzgog.org.au
