Mount Sonder walk at sunrise is worth the 3am start

Climbing to the highest point in the West MacDonnell Ranges is no walk in the park, as this hiker learnt first-hand - but is it worth it? Absolutely. 

There’s a reverent hush in the back of the troopy as we drive out under a star-studded desert sky to Rutjupma – Mount Sonder, 156km west of Alice Springs. Some in our group are still waking up, others contemplating the test of a pre-dawn hike to the summit of the Northern Territory’s fourth-highest peak.

 

It’s 3am when we arrive at Redbank Gorge with just enough time for a final gear check and last-minute visit to the long-drop before beginning the 8km ascent. Climbing from the gorge in single file, we pick our way over rattling shingle and rough stone stairs, eyes fixed on the feet of the hiker in front lit by the glare of the headtorch as leader Vic sets a steady pace.

Mt Sonder looms over the Red Centre desert landscape.

Reaching the ridge, we settle into the grind of gradual gradient drawing us east to the 1380m summit. Fierce wind gusts rally higher up the ridge line, roaring through the dark like the waves of a storm-whipped sea.

Around the 6km mark, we descend abruptly along sharp switchbacks to the base of the Shark’s Fin, a jutting rock outcrop offering shelter from the swirling winds. The mountain chill kicks in and we layer up with every extra item of clothing we have.

Told to hike the final 2km “at our own pace”, I set off up the narrow rocky path, the headlamps of other hikers my only guide to staying on the trail. A false summit or two presents before the empty space at the top finally appears, the rich raspberry glow of pre-dawn spilling across the eastern sky, the silhouettes of fellow climbers stark against the rising light.

Sunrise on Mt Sonder in the MacDonnell Ranges. Picture: Tourism Australia

The wind drops as the sun finally shows its dazzling face over the horizon, warming us instantly as the vast vistas unfold. The spine of the West MacDonnell Range stretches east flanked by the wide sandy channel of Australia’s oldest desert river, the Finke, and topped by the distinctive cap of Mount Giles. To the west, the dramatic upsweep of Gosse Bluff and the ridges of Mount Edward and Mount Zeil, eroded from 850-million-year-old quartzite to form the Northern Territory’s highest peaks.

Turning for the descent, we retrace our steps down the exposed ridge line to the Shark’s Fin, benevolent without the angry wind and inky night.

Shedding layers as the morning heats up, we reach the final 2.6km, a difficult downhill for tired legs before crossing the sandy bed of the Redbank River to the troopy. It’s a long drive back to Alice but the truck is filled with excited chatter. Greeting the sun from top of the Territory is one heavenly way to start the day.

The writer travelled with World Expeditions at her own expense as part of the Larapinta End-to-End trek.

Part of the Larapinta Trail. Picture: Tourism NT

What to know before you climb Mt Sonder

Best hiked in the cooler months (May-August), Mount Sonder is a challenging grade 4.

Allow six hours for the 16km round trip and start climbing no later than 3.30am to summit for sunrise.

Carry water, warm clothing and headtorch. Mount Sonder is often hiked as the first or final day of the Larapinta Trail, so transfers from Alice are available.

Originally published as Mount Sonder walk at sunrise is worth the 3am start