Larapinta Trail - Updates

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Updates for 2008 Larapinta Trail guide book by John Chapman and Monica Chapman.

General Recent rainfall in 2011 has increased grass growth and exploded the mice population. Any food left in tents will attract these animals and you can expect holes to be eaten through to any food. On our June 2011 trip we put all food into our packs then hung all packs in trees each night and had no problems with mice.
P 30
Under either Personal or Group Equipment should have included Sunscreen - we carry and use it and forgot to put it in the list.
P 38 1:50,000 NATMAP topographic maps now exist from Alice Springs to Ellery Creek, they are Alice Springs, Simpsons Gap, Brinkley, Ellery and Chewings.
P 39 Food Drops - As described on page 43, the long awaited lockable food storage facilites are now a reality. A $50 deposit applies to a key from the Tourism office in Gregory Terrace, Alice Springs. This provides access to locked room at Ellery Creek (in the toilet block), Serpentine Gorge (the old shed is now locked) and also the storage room at Ormiston Gorge is now locked. Private arrangements must still be made with the kiosk at Standley Chasm if a drop is to be left there.
P 44 In box, total climbing should be 280m
Jay Creek (page 66 and 73) - day 4/5 junction. A toilet plus a shelter hut with water tank, gas cooker and a sleeping platform has been constructed.
P 130 In box, total climbing should be 330m, total descent should be 540m
P 134, 135 The 700m road bash into or out of Ormiston Gorge has been replaced with a walking track that parallels the road.
Ormiston Gorge (page 135 and 141) - kiosk is closed.
Glen Helen Junction (page 140 and 149 - parks call this Finke River Trailhead) - day 17/18 junction. On east side of junction, a toilet plus a shelter hut with water tank, gas cooker and a sleeping platform has been constructed.
P 158 Transport Adventure Tours, tel (08) 8132 8230, www.advenutretours.com.au, also provide charter transport to all access points
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John Chapman, PO Box 5042, Laburnum, 3130, Australia
Photographs and text are copyright 2008-10 John Chapman
Last updated : July 29th 2011