The Larapinta Trail – 6 Nights – 5 Day Walking Journey

Headlight or torch, wide brimmed hat, sunscreen, insect repellent, fly net, water bottles (min. recommended capacity 3-4 litres total), walking shoes/boots, warm clothing, personal items such as toiletries and medications and towel. BYO alcohol (see note under inclusions).

Please note temperature variation is great in Central Australia. You will be required to carry all clothing required for that day and should plan accordingly. Temperature variations ranging from 0 – 30 degrees Celsius can be experienced each day.

All other clothing and luggage will be transported by the ground crew. Any items not needed for the trek can be stored at your accommodation in Alice Springs.

Due to the nature of this tour, the minimum age accepted for children is 12 years. Private Charters can be arranged by request and tailored for children’s needs accordingly.

Many hotels provide courtesy buses that meet most flights. To take advantage of this, you must call the hotel at least 24 hours before your arrival and provide your flight details and arrival time. Otherwise a taxi will cost approximately AUD$30. The airport shuttle costs AUD$15 per person and meets every flight, and will also take you directly to your hotel.

We like to camp in style and comfort which involves sleeping in enclosed swags or in large, wilderness style tents. A mattress, pillow, -5CC rated sleeping bags, sheets, woollen blankets are provided. A hands free headlight/torch is thoroughly recommended for after dark activities. Please note you will be required to carry your own day pack on this walk. All other equipment will be handled by our ground crew.

Please note that itineraries that include visits to Indigenous sites may change at short notice, due to the cultural and ceremonial obligations of our Indigenous hosts and guide.

**Departure dates lists refer to your arrival days into Alice Springs and your night of accommodation. It is not the first day of trek.

It’s very important for all participants to prepare properly for all of our Northern Territory adventures including our Larapinta Trail, Kakadu and Litchfield adventures.

The correct equipment and hiking gear and preparation is critical for a safe and successful trip.

The Northern Territory’s weather can vary from minus 2 in the morning to plus 40 degrees and 90% humidity in the afternoon, so it is best to prepare for all conditions.

Its important that you undertake a training program that encompasses lots of long walks, hills and stairs. The ground in the Northern Territory is generally rocky, hard and dusty.

We can be walking in excess of 20km a day on hard and rocky ground so it’s important that you up your training schedule to suit the conditions. The more you train the more you will enjoy the trek.

You will also be required to carry a day pack which could weigh up to 8kgs, so it’s important to train with a pack.

It is essential that you have a good pair of walking boots that are worn in, comfortable and have a good grip.

Foot care is important so make sure you have good socks and take adequate precautions to prevent blisters. I find using a small amount of Vaseline on my feet helps to minimise blisters.

It is important that you get use to the heat as dehydration can be an issue on the Larapinta Trail and our Northern Territory adventures. It’s important to use a recommended hydrolyte like Trek Fuel.

Kokoda Spirit and Wild Spirit Adventures has an excellent reputation when it comes to developing the fitness and preparation of our clients.

We are proud of the success rate of our trekkers! You do not have to be super fit or an Olympic athlete to complete the Larapinta trail, Overland Track, Kokoda, Everest Base Camp, or indeed any of our tours but you do need to have excellent endurance and stamina along with a strong cardiovascular system and a desire to complete one of the world’s great journeys.

The advantage of having a suitable fitness level lies in your ability to complete the trek, safely and enjoyably and interact with locals, go for a swim or take a side trip to a waterfall AFTER the days trekking is completed. Training also provides enormous health benefits and improves your general well-being.

The type of training you undergo should reflect the activity that you will participate in. In this case a trek involving several hours daily walking up steep ascents and walking down equally steep descents.

The intensity that you expect during the Trek should be reflected in the training program. That is, several hours of walking each day for several days on end.

To gain a training “effect” you must overload the various “systems” within your body. That is, your cardiovascular, muscular-skeletal systems etc. Overload is achieved by increasing distances, decreasing time taken or increasing pack weight.

Is a good indicator of intensity. You should not exceed your maximum heart rate. To obtain your max H/R; Subtract your age from 220; For example. If you are 40 years old, then your max H/R is 220 – 40 = 180

It is important to allow your body to recover from the stress that hard physical training places on it. Vary the intensity of your training by alternating hard sessions with slightly easier ones. This will help prevent over-use injuries.

For a training program to be successful, you need to know where your starting point is. A training program for a trained athlete will be different than that for someone who has never undergone any training. The principles however remain the same.

To analyse if your training is successful, a pre- and post-test is required. (Using the same equipment and tester during each test is important to reduce error).

Local gyms have the equipment and expertise to determine your level of fitness. A small cost is normally involved. It will probably require a stationary bike test or similar. If this is not practical, your pre-test may be as simple as completing the “Harvard step test” outlined below.

This test can be used to give you an indication of your current fitness level. Throughout your training program you can re-do the test to evaluate the effectiveness of your training.

•1 x bench or stable box 45cm high •1 x stopwatch. You need to be able to take your own heartbeat; this is recorded as beats per minute (bpm).

Your heart rate can be taken at any spot on the body at which an artery is close to the surface and a pulse can be felt. The most common places to measure heart rate using the palpation method is at the wrist (radial artery) and the neck (carotid artery). Other places sometimes used are the elbow (brachial artery) and the groin (femoral artery).

To take your resting heart rate at the wrist, place your index and middle fingers together on the opposite wrist, about 1/2 inch on the inside of the joint, in line with the index finger. Feel for a pulse. When you find a pulse, count the number of beats you feel within a one-minute period. You can estimate the per minute rate by counting over 10 seconds and multiplying this figure by 6, or over 15 seconds and multiplying by 4, or over 30 seconds and doubling the result. There are obvious potential errors in using this shorthand method. You should always use your fingers to take a pulse, not your thumb, particularly when recording someone else’s pulse, as you can sometimes feel your own pulse through your thumb.

Ask someone to time you and count for you so you can concentrate on the task at hand (or foot!). At the signal to begin, step up with your right foot, and then bring your left foot up beside it. Follow the “up, up” with “down, down” to complete one step. Repeat at a rate of 24 steps per minute for three consecutive minutes. Then rest in a chair for exactly one minute before taking your pulse.

A torch (flashlight), a wide brimmed hat, sunscreen, insect repellent, fly net (summer), medication (if required), a water bottle (at least 1.5 litres), walking shoes/boots (we do a lot of walking/ climbing), day pack, warm clothing (winter), toiletries, swim wear, towel, camera (plus extra batteries/ memory cards), and a great sense of adventure. Passengers are welcome to bring their own beverages if they wish.

• Daypack 30/40 litres with good harness (Essential)
• Walking poles
• Sunglasses
• Buff (For Larapinta)
• Wide Brim Hat
• Head Torch (and spare batteries)
• Camp torch
• Water Bladder and Water drink bottles.
• A small shovel for emergency toilet use.
• Power pack 10000minimum. There are limited places to recharge
• Camera
• Solar charger (Suggested)
• Fly net
• Electrolytes Essential Dehydration is a potential problem on the walk. Trek Fuel
• Zip lock bags
• Antibacterial Hand Gel

• Medications as Prescribed by your Doctor
• Headache Tablets
• Strong Pain Relief
• Diarrhea Tablets
• Travel Calm Tablets
• Anti-Inflammatory medications
• Antihistamines (e.g. Telfast etc,
• Blister Pads (optional)
• Roll of strapping tape (finely woven)
• Vaseline (blisters)
• Large size band-aids (cloth type)
• Antiseptic lotion/cream
• Papaw ointment
• Stop Itch/Stingoes cream (for bites)
• Sunscreen

Any extra food requirements

Munchies (muesli bars, lollies, beef jerky, protein bars etc salted peanuts, trail mix etc)

• Walking boots with good ankle support
• Sandals/or casual runners and thongs
• Long cotton pants or equivalent and long shirt / thermal (for night-time)
• Rain jacket
• 2 x Shirts for trekking/sleeping
• 2 x Walking shorts or walking pants and sleeping
• Swimwear (for rivers and hotel)
• 3 x Pairs of woolen hiking style socks
• 1 x Jacket fleece/wind break Polar fleece etc.
• Beanie
• Comfortable underwear / bras (micro-fibre recommended)
• Gaiters essential
• Microfiber Towels
• Toothbrush
• Toothpaste
• Roll on deodorant (odorless recommended)
• Rolls of toilet paper
• Wet ones
• Moisturiser
• Small soaps
• Ladies hygiene products