Before starting on today’s hike, we went and checked out Standley Chasm. Amazing to think this land was formed 2.2 billion years ago. There was a great diagram showing how it started as an inland sea to mountains as high as the Himalyas to what we see today (I’ve added a dodgy photo of the very good diagram below). There’s evidence of the 2019 fires through the gorge so Jubble went and asked about them after I’d left. The lady was happy to talk about it and even put on a video. Apparently the fire came from the east over into the side of the gorge. The team worked super hard to save the kiosk. There are photos showing the fire burning right behind it. After the fires, the government offered 30 prisoners from a nearby jail to come and help with the cleanup. Within two weeks they were open for trade again!
Today’s hike started straight up a gully. They’ve put such a huge amount of work into this section of the trail. All the way up the gully, down the other side, then up and down again the trail was built of stone steps. In fact, this day can be characterised as one of stepping up, stepping down, climbing, clambering, scrambling and very little walking. It really wasn’t until the last 4km that l could really stride out and then it only lasted for a couple of kms.
Back to the beginning though. It was such a beautiful day of hiking. Up and down gullies, through creek beds, down waterfalls that I had to go down my bum on – I really wonder how you’d get up if you were going the other way. It was really slow going with lots of climbing up steep steps, clambering up or down rocks, walking along rocky creeks. Heart breakingly, along the way I met a girl whose partner had died in a plane crash 5 months earlier. I only discovered that because she started crying as we were talking. They’d been planning this hike together for two years. She was saying she doesn’t know if she can do 16 more days because she’s totally alone – she loves the hiking but there’s no one staying at the campsites with her and it’s the afternoons and nights that are toughest and loneliest. Setting out and going on that hike alone was fierce. That’s one tough girl. I hope she makes it all the way to the end.
It was a big tough climb to today’s summit at Lorettas Lookout, the highest point on the Chewings Range. Fires had clearly been most of the way along the top of ridge – it was rocky with burnt black tree remains. At the top the view was amazing. West back along to Brinkley Bluff and the entire range I walked along yesterday and off into the distance. In every direction mountain ranges with the MacDonnell Ranges to the north east, south and south west. You can be pretty lucky or unlucky with wind and today was my lucky day. The girl I met earlier said it was so windy on the ridge she thought she’d be blown off and catching up with Steve and Kate at the end of the day at Jay Creek hikers camp they said similar. There was almost no breeze at all when I was up there and it was the perfect spot for lunch.
From the summit there was a gentle stroll along the ridgeline for 1km or so. Amazingly at the end just before the trail made its way down the mountain, there was a little patch of unburnt trees, very green and very treey. It all seems so random – everything else burnt down but that little tiny patch on top of the world survived. Down was very steep with a combination of scrambling and switchbacks. My legs certainly got a great workout today.
At the bottom the track turned to flat dirt, perfect for really striding out and getting some good pace after spending a very slow day climbing up and down.
Just before the track made its way into a creek (sandy slow walking again!) I heard Jubble calling to me. He was up on top of a saddle looking down and watching out for me!
We followed the creek for most of the way to the hikers camp. When we arrived Kate and Steve looked so comfortable lying on the tent pads just chilling. What an amazing trip for them. In two days they’ll have hiked all the way from Alice Springs to Mount Sonder and back again! After a chat we headed off to our car. I was delighted to learn it wasn’t parked 4.5km away as expected, but 500m! It took over an hour to get back to Alice, funny given ititcwas much closer from the last place I hiked to. Jay Creek is accessed from the Stuart Highway north of Alice though, so it’s much further. We stayed in the same motel and ate at the same pub – hello steamed veggies and waffle fries. Tonight was trivia night and drew a big crowd. Bit sad to think that in two days my walk will be over. At the same time, it’s something I feel proud of achieving. 
Kerry's Hikes 
It sure has been an incredible achievement for you guys so far,
well done.
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