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Hot
on the trail
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Adventurous
pay clerks climb along a narrow precipice ascending out of
a ravine during their Larapinta trail hike.
Photos by WO2 Peter Smith, AFSU
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One
of the natural archways found along the trail.
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Sweltering,
rugged, merciless and stunningly picturesque – Maj Andrew Cox
and Lt David Fagan head into Australia’s unforgettable outback
for the trek of a lifetime.
Most people think of Pay Corps (RAAPC) people as desk-bound number
crunchers up to their eyeballs in financial paperwork.
To dispel this notion, Army Financial Service Unit (AFSU) and RAAPC
members from 1 Bde recently conducted a military skills activity
on the Larapinta Trail in the MacDonnell Ranges, situated close
to Alice Springs in NT.
The main aims of the activity were to revise military skills, navigation,
fieldcraft and living in the field, and to provide opportunities
for junior leaders to further develop their leadership skills.
The
activity was also aimed at building fitness and providing a physically
challenging outdoor activity for all ranks, which it certainly managed
to achieve.
The Larapinta Trail runs west of Alice Springs for 225km over the
rugged MacDonnell Ranges, culminating in a climb to the top of Mt
Sonder.
All the trail information suggests this activity is for fit and
well prepared people, so participants were warned to train hard
in preparation.
A suggested training program was distributed and training commenced
in earnest. All members were required to pass a CFA barrier test
prior to being accepted.
But nothing can really prepare you for what you actually come across
on the trail itself, not the least being the number and range of
rocks encountered.
An entry in one of the logbooks along the trail says simply “Central
Australia rocks” and we now believe it.
The plan was to traverse the entire Larapinta Trail over a period
of 12 days and this was achieved.
The terrain covered each day would include climbing razorback ridges
with spectacular views, rock hopping along creek beds surrounded
by tall cliffs, travelling through rocky gorges, and the occasional
picturesque waterhole.
CO AFSU Lt-Col John Eddington says he was pleased with the way the
activity was conducted and the way in which the 22 participants
responded to the challenge of the Larapinta Trail.
“In our role with AHQ we don’t often get the opportunity
to take part in physically challenging activities in an outdoor
environment, or to provide these type of opportunities to develop
junior leaders,” he says.
“So I was very pleased with the outcomes and the spirit in
which the activity was conducted.
“Special thanks go to OC Centre Sqn Norforce, Maj Shayne Northover
for his invaluable assistance, and to 2HSB for providing medical
support in the form of LCpl Jake Morcomb, who proved to be an expert
on the treatment of blisters.”
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