The Larapinta Trail Challenger's Trek 5D4N, Fully Guided

From A$2,995.00 Per Person, Twin Share

At a Glance

Challenge yourself to six of the toughest sections of the 223km Larapinta Trail on this adventurous guided trek for experienced hikers.

This camping based trek gets you close to the real action of the trail, where you are completely encapsulated by the rugged beauty of the Central Australian desert. This trek is designed to challenge both seasoned walkers and fitness enthusiast alike; asking you to dig deep to tackle the best 'gutsy' stages of the Larapinta. Carrying just a day‑pack you will walk up to 30kms each day, passing over remote ridges and canyons, whilst winding your way along the West MacDonnell Ranges.

All luggage and camping gear is transported by our professional support crew, freeing you to enjoy the diverse desert scenery, revel in the camaraderie of like‑minded travellers and focus ...

Trip Highlights

  • Learn about the trail with your expert guide
  • Experience wilderness camping under the stars
  • Challenge yourself to the toughest sections of the Larapinta trail
  • Fully suported small group of 8 people per departure
  • Trek with like minded, adventurous hikers
  • Enjoy 3 course evening meals after a big day of trekking
  • View a spectacular sunrise from the top of Mount Sonder
  • Luggage is transfered from campsite to campsite & daypack only

What's Included

  • 5 breakfasts, 6 lunches and 5 dinners
  • Catering & eating utensils
  • Off‑road transport from Alice Springs
  • Vehicle supported camping throughout
  • All National Park and camping fees
  • Comprehensive group first aid kit
  • Professional wilderness guide and support staff
  • 5 nights camping including tents and swags for sleeping (but not sleeping bags. Sleeping bag is hireable at $20 each)
  • Emergency radio/sat phone

Itinerary

Day 1 Standley Chasm to Birthday Waterhole
Camp
Lunch, Dinner
Day 2 Birthday Waterhole to Hugh Gorge
Camp
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 3 Serpentine Gorge to Serpentine Chalet
Camp
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 4 Serpentine Chalet to Ormiston Gorge
Camp
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 5 Mount Sonder - Return to Alice Springs
None
Breakfast, Lunch

Dates & Prices

Please contact us for private departures. No scheduled departures for 2021. 

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How To Get There

- The departure point is Alice Spring NT
- Major commercial flights provide convenient access to Alice Spring

Walking Distance

Day1: Approximately 15 km
Day 2: Approximately 19 km
Day 3: Approximately 16.5 km
Day 4: Approximately 19 km
Day 5: Approximately 31 km
Day 6: Approximately 16 km

Weather & Climate

In the Red Centre, the four traditional seasons are more distinct and temperatures are extreme, plummeting below freezing on winter nights (June to August) and soaring to the high 40°C (105 F plus) on summer days (December to January). Trekking on winter days is often pleasant with mild daytime temperatures (15-25°C, or 60-80 F) and light winds. Please make sure that you prepare for the cold evenings on winter treks, there can be frosts most evenings from June - August.

The shoulder seasons of April-May and September are mild with some warmer days. Night frosts are unlikely and daytimes are warm and occasional hot days may require an adjustment to the itinerary (ie: less walking, more swimming).

Rain is not common in the desert but it does rain on occasion, please be prepared for wet and windy conditions on all trips. Palm Valley Climate Statistics

FAQ's

Pickup & Drop-off
Pick up from Alice Springs accommodation between 7-7:30am on Day 1.
Drop-off Alice Springs accommodation at approximately 4-5:00pm on Day 6.

Larapinta Trail Map
Click here to download.

How much weight, and what do we carry?
This is a fully supported trek. You will need to carry just a day‐pack with your water bottles, jacket, camera and other personal items. You should carry at least 3 litres of water each and every day.

Your luggage will be transferred by the support vehicle between campsites. Please keep luggage to a soft duffle bag per person. Please do not bring hard suitcases or extra large duffles as these are hard to transport.

What to Bring
We will provide you with a gear list after booking.

Travel Insurance
Travel insurance is a compulsory pre-requisite of the trip and we strongly recommend that you take out travel insurance at the time of booking. If you are organizing your own travel insurance, please ensure that you have adequate cover for cancellation costs and additional expenses incurred due to unforeseen circumstances and travel changes etc. If you are planning to rely on the travel insurance provided by your credit card, you should, before travelling, obtain written confirmation that you are covered (source the policy number and emergency contact number) and exactly what the insurance covers you for.

Accommodation On The Trip

During the trip we camp with swags and tents; a true Australian Outback experience. Your guides will prepare all the meals and run the camp, however you will be asked to contribute by putting up your own tent and rolling out your swag. Participation around the camp will make for a more enjoyable experience for everybody.

A swag is comprised of a three‐inch thick foam mattress with a canvas cover to keep it clean – they are very comfortable! Your swag contains a pillow with pillow cover and one sheet.

Swags are rolled out inside Mozzie Dome style tents, these offer sleeping under the stars while protecting from bugs. They convert to weatherproof tents in case of rain.

Most groups are made up of a mixture of single participants and couples. Tents are given out as per person or couple, there is no need to share with people you do not know.

Sleeping bags are essential for warmth. You can bring your own or hire from us for $20; please contact our reservations staff if you require a sleeping bag. We ask that you provide your own inner‐sheet if you hire a sleeping bag.

There are toilets at each campsite. There are even a couple of places on the trek where we have the option to have a hot shower! Your guides will let you know at the briefing when this will be.

Meals During The Trek

You will be provided with high quality, interesting and nutritional meals. Where possible fresh local produce is used. All the food is sourced from the best providers and carefully selected, stored and transported so as to maximise freshness and quality. The guides have remarkable wilderness culinary skills and pride themselves on the variety, quality, nutritional levels and presentation of their meals and their ability to cater to a wide range of dietary requirements. Each guide is able to select their own menu for the destination with plenty of opportunity for special flourishes and tasty surprises.

As A General Guide:
Breakfasts: ranges from cooked to continental. Usually a selection of cereals, fruit, bread/toast and quality coffee and tea.

Lunches: depending on the trip, you may prepare your lunch such as wraps or sandwiches in camp before the days trekking. Or more usually we will have a picnic style lunch with a wide selection of bread rolls, wraps, deli-meats, sandwich and salad ingredients to prepare a tasty lunch how you like it.

Dinners: usually 2 or 3 courses. The main meal is usually a classic outback style meal such as grilled barramundi, camp-oven roast, or perhaps tasty stir-fry or pasta dish.

Snacks: there is always plenty of trail snack available such as muesli bars and fresh fruit. In the evenings we often serve hors d'oeuvres around the campfire while dinner is being prepared.

No alcoholic or beverages included.

Dietary Requirements
Provided we are advised in advance of your departure we are able to cater for vegetarian diets and can assist with medically recommended diets (allergies and intolerances). Please ensure you discuss your requirements with us well in advance (at least 1 month prior to your trip) to determine whether we can cater to such dietary requirements on your chosen adventure. Please note that options are likely to be limited in very remote locations or alternatives may be more expensive or unavailable. There may be times when those with special requirements may need to provide their own food. We strongly encourage that travellers with life‐threatening or severe allergies take all necessary medical precautions to prepare for the possibility of exposure. Passengers must travel with all necessary medications for food allergies and be capable of self‐administering these medications.

Other Information

Onlyluxe Travel acts as travel agency and work with different tour operators.

Payment Detail
All pricing is in Australian dollars and are quoted on a per person twin share basis. A supplementary price is available (see below). Bookings are not confirmed until full payment and the signed Booking Form has been received by Onlyluxe Travel.

A non-refundable 30% deposit is payable within 7 days of your booking, with the final balance due 90 days prior to departure. If a booking is made 90 days or less before departure, the full payment is payable immediately. Last minute bookings are payable before arrival. Failure to pay on time may result in automatic cancellation of a booking with cancellation penalties payable to Onlyluxe Travel. If you pay by credit card or PayPal a surcharge will be added to the total price.

Single Supplement
All accommodation is twin share. Single guests will share with someone of the same gender. If a single room is demanded, a supplementary price of will apply. The supplementary price refers to our quotation and needs to be stipulated at the time of booking.

General Cancellation Policies
- Outside of 90 days monies will be refunded less 30% of full fee
- Within 90 days prior to arrival all monies will be forfeited
- No refunds will be given in the event of non-arrival, any unused services or unused nights due to flight or weather disruption
- We strongly recommend guests protect themselves with travel insurance and medical insurance

Please Note: Cancellations must be advised in email and will take effect from the date they are received.

Liability
The participant agrees to indemnify Onlyluxe Travel, and its servant, tour operator and agents, in relation to any liability, loss and damage which the tour operator, or its servants and/or agents may incur as a result of the participants, negligence or misconduct during the tour.

Smoking is not permitted on the bus, or in tents or in other accommodation being used by tour operator at the time that a trip is being conducted.

Child Policy
Please consult travel consultant on age limit.

Changes to Itineraries
Local conditions may necessitate changes to sightseeing, walking and driving routes, camping and accommodation locations. While every effort will be made to provide the services and experiences as offered in our brochure, on our website, and in our trip letters, we reserve the right to vary your itinerary. In the event that we are forced to change your arrangements, substitute arrangements of a similar standard will be provided. The tour operator will not be liable where interruptions to itineraries are caused by weather conditions, technical problems to transport used by the tour operator, industrial action, political or civil commotion or other circumstances beyond our control. We refer you to the conditions regarding travel insurance.

Changes in Prices
While we will do its utmost to honour its pricing unforeseen circumstances may mean that prices may be subject to change without notice.

Pre-Existing Medical Conditions and Age Limits
You need to advise Onlyluxe travel and the tour operator on any pre-existing medical condition, mobility impairment and/or disability that might reasonably be expected to increase the risk of your requiring medical attention, or that might affect the normal conduct of a trip and the enjoyment of other trip members. Onlyluxe Travel and the tour operator may require an assessment of your medical condition from a qualified medical practitioner. If you fail to adequately notify the tour operator of any pre-existing medical conditions and/or disability, the tour operator reserves the right, at its reasonable discretion, to cancel your participation in a trip at any time, including after the commencement of your trip, with no right of refund if your medical condition, mobility impairment and/or disability could be reasonably expected to affect the normal conduct of the trip and the enjoyment of other trip members.

Cancellation by The Tour Operator
The walks take place in very special wilderness settings. The tour operator is at the mercy of nature in all her beauty and all her fury. The tour operator will under no circumstance knowingly place at risk the health and well-being of our guests and guides. In the case of natural threats, acts of God and the like (e.g. bushfires, impassable snow, etc) the tour operator may need to cancel a walk with very little notice. In some cases, this can occur after the walk has commenced. The tour operator reserves the right to cancel any walk up to 60 days prior to departure if a minimum of 4 walkers are unable to meet for a tour. If the tour operator needs to cancel for any reason, the cost of the walk or any other costs associated with travel to the designated pick up point, overnight accommodation, meals, etc will not be covered by the Onlyluxe Travel and therefore we strongly recommend travel insurance be taken out prior to travel.

Force Majeure
'Force Majeure' means (without restriction) any event which Onlyluxe Travel or its third party providers could not, even with due care, foresee or avoid. Force Majeure covers events such as, but not limited to, adverse weather conditions, fire and all similar events beyond our control. In the case of Force Majeure Onlyluxe Travel will not accept liability, and reserves the right to change and cancel trips.

Evacuations
In rare circumstances, due to injury or unforeseen illness, the tour operator may need to evacuate you from a remote part of the walk. Helicopter evacuations are expensive and in most cases will be at a cost to the customer.

For Australian residents, under the Australian Government Medicare Act, it is prohibited for any domestic travel insurance product to provide any financial reimbursement with regard to ambulance or air ambulance services. We therefore strongly advise our customers to take specific ambulance cover through their health insurance provider. Evacuation cost will not be covered by the Onlyluxe Travel and therefore it is also strongly recommended that our customers take out travel insurance to cover (amongst other things) the costs associated with evacuation.

Travel Insurance
In view of the heavy cancellation penalties applied to cancelled reservations in certain circumstances, we strongly recommends suitable travel insurance be purchased at the time the holding deposit is paid. We recommend insurance cover that covers any loss which may be suffered due to cancellation. We also strongly recommend comprehensive travel insurance against loss of baggage and medical expenses.

Product Code : EAUNTLTC05