The Larapinta Trail
361694
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Trek for Rights 2024

Need to know

  • Dates: 1-6 June 24
  • Tour duration: 6 days
  • Group size: 10–14 travellers
  • Challenge grade: 3/5
  • Accommodation: Twin Share in 4-star hotels and comfortable camping
  • Minimum age: 18 (younger ages considered on application)
  • Fundraising Target: $3,000 per person
  • Registration fee: $495

Tour from AUD: $2,999*

*Subject to change. Refer to Soulful Concepts Terms and Conditons. Book now

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    Enter your details below and receive the in-depth information pack and booking details via email

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      Trip at a glance

      Join UN Women Australia on the Larapinta Trail, as you Trek for Rights to support initiatives that empower women and promote gender equality.

       

      Get ready to immerse yourself in the rugged beauty of the West MacDonnell Ranges.

       

      Located in Australia’s Red Centre, on this six-day adventure, you’ll trek sections of the iconic Larapinta Trail, one of the most popular wilderness walks in Australia. Following the red rock slopes of the West MacDonnell Ranges, you’ll explore the breathtaking landscapes that make this world-renowned trek a National Geographic favourite.  

       

      From awe-inspiring gorges and expansive plains to towering mountains and snaking rivers, you’ll trek scenic paths to the heart of the Red Centre and experience a connection to Country unattainable anywhere else in Australia.

       

      To ensure you experience the inimitable majesty and rich history of the Red Centre, we’ve curated a quintessentially Outback adventure that takes in the best sections along the trail. 

       

      By day, you’ll explore significant sights, including the limestone hills of the Finke River, the unique natural amphitheatre that is Ormiston Pound and climb to the summit of Mount Sonder (1,380m) for incredible, panoramic views of the surrounding mountains, plains, valleys and salt lakes below. At night, you’ll retreat to a bush camp and spend your evenings sitting around a campfire with like-minded adventurers before falling asleep under a star-filled sky.

       

      Most importantly, the funds you raise from the Trek for Rights will help women in Australia and across the globe have a second chance at an education, creating pathways to quality jobs and helping to lift them out of the cycle of poverty. 

       

      A truly soulful experience, you will reminisce on this once-in-a-lifetime adventure for years to come. 

       

      Give back

       

      What if you could make a difference in the world while exploring new places and having the adventure of a lifetime? This is where the concept of travel with purpose comes in.

       

      Unfortunately, the world we live in is far from perfect. Still today, half a billion of the world’s illiterate adults are women. This trend has not changed in 20 years. We know that during conflict, girls are 2.5 times more likely to drop out of school than boys are and 48% of girls who are out-of-school today are unlikely to ever enrol in school.

       

      Women who have missed out on an education due to humanitarian crisis, poverty, early marriage and discriminatory norms, face immense barriers accessing training and job opportunities and participating in the digital world. The lack of access to quality adult education and learning opportunities for women has detrimental knock-on effects. In the last decade, the exclusion of women from the digital world has shaved $1 trillion from the gross domestic product of low- and middle-income countries.

       

      When education benefits women and men equally, it delivers unmatched outcomes:

      •         Educated women are more likely to be healthier, have higher earnings and exercise greater decision-making power within the household;
      •         Educated mothers are twice as likely to school their children;
      •         Every year of education increases a woman’s wage by up to 20 per cent; and
      •         Children of educated women are 50% more likely to survive. 

       

      UN Women’s Second Chance Education Program works to reach women who have missed out on an education due to cultural barriers, gender-based violence, conflict and early marriage and childhood pregnancy. The program provides face to face, online and blended adult learning and skills training for women who need it most to ensure we leave no one behind.

       

      The funds you raise on Trek for Rights 2024 will support the UN Women Second Chance Education Program, working to ensure women in Australia and across the globe can have another chance to access an education and the opportunity to gain quality employment and a living wage, helping to lift them and their families out of the cycle of poverty.

       

      Itinerary

      Day 1 — Arrival to Mparntwe (Alice Springs)
      Welcome to Mparntwe. With its stunning landscapes and rich history, “The Alice'' is sure to inspire success for the adventure ahead. Please make your own way to the hotel.The Mercure Alice Springs Resort is located at 34 Stott Terrace, Alice Springs NT 0870. 

      Your local guide will meet you in the hotel foyer at 4:00pm and walk with you to (5 mins) the Olive Pink Botanical Gardens. Where you’ll attend an introduction to Country to pay respect to the past, present and future Traditional Custodians of the region, the Arrernte people, and their connections to land and community. The Arrernte people have a significant stake in the management of the Larapinta Trail and the West MacDonnell region, and continue to practise their culture, language and customs here. Followed by a welcome briefing to discuss adventure logistics with your guide.

      You will arrive back at the hotel around 6:30pm for a 7pm dinner (at own expense), where you will get a chance to get to know your fellow adventurers.


      Accommodation: Mercure Alice Springs Resort

      Day 2: Mparntwe (Alice Springs) to Wallaby Gap
      Waking up bright and early, today is the first day of your trek along the Larapinta Trail. Beginning from the outskirts of Mparntwe (Alice Springs), the first leg of our adventure is a casual, 14-kilometre walk through the majestic and rugged West MacDonnell Ranges, considered to be the best there is in Australia. This region is rich in natural wonders and traditional culture, which we’ll experience firsthand as we relax into the rhythm of our trek and immerse ourselves in the magnificence of the region. Following the spine of Euro Ridge, enjoying spectacular views along the way, we arrive in Wallaby Gap where we meet our ground support vehicle and transfer to our remote camping location. The true desert experience starts tonight as we rest our heads in a region synonymous with the Dreamtime (Alcheringa) of the Western Arrernte people.

      Accommodation: Bushcamp

      Meals: B,L,D

      Trekking distance: 14km grade 4 (moderate to difficult)

      Day 3: Kwartatuma (Ormiston Gorge) to Tjoritja (Glen Helen Gorge)
      This morning, after breakfast, we set off to hike Section 10, the shortest section of the Larapinta Trail. This breathtaking part of the Red Centre winds through rolling limestone hills at the headwaters of the Finke River, one of the oldest river systems in the world. Trekking this section of the trail, we’re rewarded with the opportunity to take a dip in sensational waterholes at both Ormiston Gorge and Tjoritja (Glen Helen Gorge). Tjoritja is a well-known and popular spot. It is surrounded by towering sandstone and has views of Rwetyepme (Mount Sonder), which is known to change colour with the light. After a long, yet rewarding day, we transfer back to camp for a hearty meal around the fire and some rest and relaxation before tomorrow’s demanding ascent.

      Accommodation: Bushcamp

      Meals: B,L,D

      Trekking distance: 12km grade 3  (moderate)

      Day 4: Rwetyepme (Mount Sonder) ascent
      Today we set off around 2.30am for a strenuous return trek to the peak of Rwetyepme (Mount Sonder). Reaching the summit of Rwetyepme as the sun rises, we’re rewarded with dazzling views in all directions, making the early start well worth the effort. Ranges, plains, valleys and salt lakes combine to create magnificent vistas highlighting the grandeur of the desert landscape. Be sure to keep an eye out for local plants and wildlife as we descend, including the grey-headed honeyeater, the desert mouse, long-nosed dragon and the bright pink flowers of the mountain hakea.

      Accommodation: Bushcamp

      Meals: B,L,D

      Trekking distance: 8km each way (16km return) grade 4 (hard)

      Day 5: Ormiston Pound circuit walk to Mparntwe (Alice Springs)
      After breakfast, this morning we transfer to Kwartatuma (Ormiston Gorge) where we spend our final morning of trekking on the Ormiston Pound circuit walk. Starting from the Visitor Centre, the trail winds around some low peaks before descending into the “pound”, a flat area enclosed by mountains forming a natural amphitheatre. There are numerous species of birds and mammals, such as wallabies, that can be seen in the gorge. It takes 3–4 hours to complete the circuit via another waterhole, and we finish the trek back at the Visitor Centre by mid-morning. After lunch, we pack and break camp for the last time, returning to Mparntwe (Alice Springs), where a hot shower awaits! Our guides bid farewell after dropping you back at the hotel. The last night of our adventure ends surrounded by new friends, reminiscing about our journey through the Red Centre over a refreshing ale or cool drink at one of the Alice’s classic Outback restaurants. 

      NB: transfers to and from Epilogue Lounge are not included, please contact the hotel for assistance to book a taxi.


      Accommodation: Doubletree Hilton

      Meals: B,L,D

      Trekking distance: 9km grade 3 (moderate)

      Day 6: Depart Alice Springs
      For those heading home, you’ll need to organise a transfer to the airport for your return flight. And for those who aren’t quite ready to say goodbye to the beautiful Northern Territory, you are free to continue your onward adventure through the Red Centre.

      Meals: B

      • What's included:
      • Twin-share pre- and post-tour hotel accommodation and camping in a tent while trekking
      • Larapinta professional wilderness guide
      • All meals and snacks as listed in the itinerary, and all catering equipment
      • All camping equipment, including sleeping bag, tent, pillow, bed linen and swag (if requested)
      • Transportation with hotel pick up and drop off for trekking days
      • All camping and national park entry fees
      • Welcome to Country
      • What's not included:
      • Flights to and from Alice Springs
      • Return airport transfers to and from the hotel
      • Single supplement
      • Transfers from dinner on the last night
      • Travel insurance and ambulance cover
      • Items of personal nature
      • Other services not listed in the inclusions

      * Travellers are responsible for valid visas throughout the duration of the trip

      View full itinerary  
      Book now  Download the info pack  

      Need to know

      • Dates: 1-6 June 24
      • Tour duration: 6 days
      • Group size: 10–14 travellers
      • Challenge grade: 3/5
      • Accommodation: Twin Share in 4-star hotels and comfortable camping
      • Minimum age: 18 (younger ages considered on application)
      • Fundraising Target: $3,000 per person
      • Registration fee: $495

      Tour from AUD: $2,999*

      *Subject to change. Refer to Soulful Concepts Terms and Conditons. Book now

        Find out more

        Enter your details below and receive the in-depth information pack and booking details via email

        Subscribe to Soulful e-newsletter

          Find out more

          Enter your details below and receive the in-depth information pack and booking details via email

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