2021-03 NT Proposed Chewings Range Highlights walk (Chewings Range)
near Glen Helen, Northern Territory (Australia)
Viewed 1499 times, downloaded 34 times
Trail photos
Itinerary description
Proposed trip for May 2021.
Click the full-screen icon to enlarge the map. Select the "Satellite" background to see the landforms, or the "Open Cycle Map" background to see contours. Other options such as Google Maps are not useful. Click "View more photos", click the full-screen icon, and use the arrows on your keyboard to scroll through the photos and their captions.
The distance shown is understated because the direct path is not always viable, and side-trips are not all shown. It will probably be about 200km total.
Sorry that the markers are missing for Red Walls, Bowmans Gap and Canyon of the Thirteen Pools - it seems that Wikiloc limits the number of waypoints you can upload.
Click the full-screen icon to enlarge the map. Select the "Satellite" background to see the landforms, or the "Open Cycle Map" background to see contours. Other options such as Google Maps are not useful. Click "View more photos", click the full-screen icon, and use the arrows on your keyboard to scroll through the photos and their captions.
The distance shown is understated because the direct path is not always viable, and side-trips are not all shown. It will probably be about 200km total.
Sorry that the markers are missing for Red Walls, Bowmans Gap and Canyon of the Thirteen Pools - it seems that Wikiloc limits the number of waypoints you can upload.
Waypoints
Waypoint
2,467 ft
Ochre Pits (start)
Waypoint
2,887 ft
Diagonal Gorge camp
Waypoint
3,385 ft
Diagonal Gorge
Waypoint
3,446 ft
Upper Portals Gorge
Waypoint
3,066 ft
Lower Portals Canyon aka Freezing Gorge
Waypoint
4,222 ft
The slow part
Waypoint
3,429 ft
Rockfall Gorge
Comments (4)
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This looks absolutely epic. Is this a proposed route or have you already completed it? What an incredible adventure!! The Red Centre - my favourite part of the world.
Hi Esbern, we completed this trip today, in 14 days and mostly along the route shown here. Epic is the right word for it! Fortunately I was accompanied by some very skilled scramblers who helped me get to places that I have not previously reached. My favourite spots were Diagonal Gorge, Portals Gorge, the Canyon of Defiance, the Upper Springs above Giles Yard Springs, and camping overnight on the summit of Mt Giles.
But this is harsh country, with lots of very steep ascents and descents on loose rock, and lots of sharp spinifex and bushes that stick into you and rip your flesh. Two of our party received injuries when rocks broke. So it's not a trip to be undertaken lightly.
Big congratulations on an amazing achievement! What fascinates me is the thought that many of these places that you name are so unknown and would have been explored by so few - you certainly can't google them and find some pictures of what they look like. If you are going to upload some more pictures I would love to see them.
I have spent many days exploring sights around the West Macs and the Centre, but always with the comfort of a campsite base to return to. I would love to take that next step one day and do some multi-day hikes that require careful planning and good navigational skills. As beautiful as it is, the country as you say is harsh and demands respect!
Hi Esbern, I researched this area by reading trip reports from old issues of the magazines of many bushwalking clubs, and talking to other walk leaders, but even so some of the areas were unknown to me before we got there. I also did a lot of shorter walks in advance to confirm some of the passes and the water sources. I will probably upload some photos in a few months, but right now I'm preparing for some more NT adventures before I leave the NT in August. I'm sure you will enjoy any future multi-day walks that you do. A great one to start with is Ormiston Gorge to Bowmans Gap (2 days), then you can do Ormiston Gorge to Mt Giles summit (3 days). The national park has a free fact sheet and map for those walks (search Google for "Ormiston Gorge Overnight Walks").