Chewings
Range
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Introduction
The Chewings Range is part of the West MacDonnell Range and extends
from Alice Springs through to Ormiston Gorge. The Larapinta Trail
follows the eastern half of Chewings Range from just north of Alice
Springs through
to Hugh Gorge and is an axcellent 8 to 9 day walk. The western half of
the range is untracked and is what this web page describes. Note there
is always an issue with notes for untracked areas - these notes will be
brief and are suitable only for expereinced walkers as they will not be
very detailed. Water sources are the key to walks in this area and they
will be provided along with rough times between them. You will still
need to be able to navigate using basic maps. Most walkers follow the
base of the range and explore the gorges and creeks as they are passed.
The area tends to be rocky and covered with grasses and animal tracks
are sometimes useful. Expect to meet plenty of spinifex, a grass with
needle sharp leaves. Waterholes vary greatly in quality, one dead
animal can make a water source undrinkable and conditions can vary
greatly from season to season. Some water is fairly salty but still OK
to drink and in dry years expect some waterholes to be empty. In 2011
there was plenty of rain and all waterholes were full - the
spinifex and other grasses were tall making off-track walking
slow in places.
Access
If you dont know how to access this range then you should not be
walking
here. We strongly suggest to walk the Lrapinta Trail before venturing
into this range.
Maps
There are two new maps which cover most of the national park. They are
'West MacDonnell National Park - Map 1' (western half) and
'West
MacDonnell National Park - Map 2' (eastern half). They are at
a
1:100,000 scale, GDA94 and both are needed for the Chewings Range. I
have checked coordinates below to match the new maps. When we first
walked here there were no detailed topographic maps and we had to make
our own from a variety of sources. They were rough but did
the
job as off-track navigation is very easy.. You essentially walk using
your eyes to pick the best route through the rocks and light scrub
along the edge of the range rather than blindly follow maps or a GPS.
Information and Track Notes
The notes here are as brief as possible and are designed to be used
with the above contour maps. There is more than enough information
here, if you require more then I suggest that you do not attempt to
walk in this range. Note - some have asked for GPS coodrdinates in
lat/long coordinates for the entire route - yes we
did use a GPS for spot points but if
you are unable to walk without a GPS crumb trail then you should not
enter this area, enough said!
From Hugh Gorge, a day trip (5 to 6 hours) to point 1232m, 2km west of
Hugh Gorge is
worthwhile - this can be climbed following the steep spur west from
Hugh Gorge Junction. Alternatively from the camp at the base of Hugh
Gorge, head
north for 500m then head left (north-west) when the valley divides,
follow the creek for 1.5km then turn right to the base of a waterfall.
The steep spur on the right (east) can be used to get onto the tops and
eventually the summit, there are excellent views to the west of the
untracked Chewings Range.
From Hugh Gorge, follow the Larapinta Trail south-west for around 2km
out onto the plains then head west, basically avoid the long spurs that
run down from the range. Its about 3.5 hours walk through to a
waterhole at
Bulldog
Gorge (GR 175778), then another 1.25 hours to the next waterhole (GR
157780) which we called White Gum Creek. More walking west along the
base of the range, 1.5 hours leads to Mulga Gorge, water (GR 139783),
another 2 hours, leads to a dry waterfall in a gully (GR
107794). Continue west passing two more small gorges for 2 hours to a
rocky
creek on the plain - water (GR 076789) - this waterhole is sometimes
dry! Continue along the base of the
range for another 4 hours to Ellery Creek. From here you can either continue
west along the southern base or use Ellery Creek to access the northern
side of the range which is what most groups do. Follow the creek bed
north
through the gap for 30 minutes to where the creek divides, good camping
on sand 100m
up the right hand stream.
If Ellery Creek is dry then water can sometimes be collected from Milton Park
Gorge (GR 021812), 1 km east (1.5 hours return). Continue by following
the left branch of
Ellery Creek as it winds through a beautiful gorge. Leave it at (GR
997821) and follow the side creek north-west, keep right when it
divides and follow the narrowing valley (water in deep slot) then
scramble
up on the left and back into the creek at a small waterfall. Continue
west-north-west following the base of the range over several saddles
passing Red Gorge and several shallow chasms to the base of Portals
Canyon (GR 936852),
water and good campsite, 5 hours from Ellery Creek junction. Portals is
a true slot canyon filled with water, a good daytrip is to scramble up
on the left and descend back above the slot and explore the surrounding
short canyons. Most groups then continue following the northern base
of the range westward to the low gap before Mt Giles, water is often
found at GR870845 on the north side, 5 hours from Portals. A 1
hour climb and descent south leads to a rocky creek bed on the southern
side
of the range.
For very experienced walkers, there is an exciting, difficult
alternative. From the base of Portals Canyon, climb up on the left and
descend back into the creek above the slot of Portals Canyon. Continue
following the creek upstream passing many waterholes (there are some
difficult scrambles) to the base of another impassable slot canyon which ends in a waterfall. Collect water
for camp, return 200m downstream and climb up on the south side until
above the cliff, over a
knoll and back to the creek floor, a short sidetrip right leads into
the top of the slot canyon. Continue upstream to a waterfall at a creek
junction (water sometimes found in a deep hole in the rockface),
continue
up the left hand creek then climb into the main saddle, an exposed
campsite, 5 hours from base of Portals Canyon. Good views at
sunset/sunrise from the knoll to the
north-west. Next day, head south then south-east following the creek
downstream for 2 hours to 45 Degree Canyon (GR 916838). While short,
ledges provide
a spectacular route through. Almost immediately the creek becomes
scrubby, climb steeply up and over a spur on the right to get onto the
plains. Continue west along the base of the range to join the other
route in the rocky creek bed just below the low point of the range
before Mt Giles, 3.5 hours from 45 Degree Canyon.
From the creek south of the low point of the range, continue for 1 hour
west over
a saddle to the next creek system - Giles Yard Spring, water
(GR855833). This is a permanent creek and camping is not allowed.
Collect water and follow the creek downstream 15 to 30 minutes to a
fence and
campsite (GR 851830). Continue by following the creek south-west, head
west 2km then follow another creek north-west towards Mt Giles. Pass
Giles Spring 2 (GR810832) and go over saddles to Giles Spring 1, 3.5
hours from Giles Yard Spring camp, water
and campsite (GR 795829). The sidetrip to Mt Giles up the spur to the
east of the spring takes 1.5 hours up and 1 hour down, there is a log
book in the summit cairn, of course the view is excellent.Water is also
sometoimes found further west at Giles South West Spring (GR
783830). Follow the
creek
south-west crossing into the next creek system to Ormiston Creek (GR
776818) -[ in reverse from Ormiston Pond, this is the second major
creek coming off the range, walk up the creek and half way to the
range cross over the low ridge into the next creek]. There are plenty
of
great campsites along the creek, 1.5 hours
from Giles Spring 1, and after rain water
is sometimes available in the deeper waterholes but cannot be relied
upon. The
remainder of the walk simply follows Ormiston Creek
downstream into Ormiston Pound, about 4.5 hours to the tourist track.
Turn left and follow the tourist track over the ridge and down to the
road and camping ground, 1 hour. The alternative walk to the right
through the gorge is sometimes blocked if there is water in the gorge,
it
is then a deep cold swim.
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Snail Mail Address
John Chapman, PO Box 5042, Laburnum, 3130, Australia
Photographs and text are copyright © 2016-2021 John Chapman.
Last updated : October 12th 2021