Day 305 | Brinkley Bluff: on top of the world
Larapinta Day 7
There’s rare days in life when things turn out in a completely unexpected, positive, way.
Yesterday climbing the high variation of the trail was one, the view along the jagged Chewings Range a total shock: man it’s rugged.
Today was the same, a couple of hours plodding up another creek bed until finally bursting out onto the top and following a razor backed ridge for a couple of hours until finally making it to the top of Brinkley Bluff. This was named, and climbed, by John McDouall Stuart, the first guy to finally successfully traverse Adelaide to Darwin, back in 1860, (the climb). Or was it 1862? (the traverse).
The pass just below, Stuarts Pass, has the unnamed creek with a few shiny waterholes showing there are a few remaining pools from the rain 5 weeks ago.
It’s a 360ยบ view, back to the sharp ridge just negotiated, and way in the distance yesterday’s peak. Looking forward is the remainder of the Chewings Range as far as Mt Giles apparently, I can’t distinguish it in the waves of hills.
There’s an official campsite up here, of a sort, hacked out in the midst of the rocks, for the intrepid. It’s been pretty windy, almost blowing me off the edge, but it’s calmed a bit and there is one decent site, verging on the horizontal, on fine gravel, scratched on the lee side.
Looks like a great spot to perch and watch the sunset.
And sunrise.
I’m on the top of the world and loving it.
Nice surprise.