This day should really be titled Brinkley Buff as really that was the focus of the day. The trail from where we were at 4/5 junction would go along a dry river bed for a few km before a steep climb up to Brinkley Buff where most people stop to camp and watch the sun set then the sun rise from the top of the hill. The route then proceeds along a ridge for 5-6 km descending down to the only privately owned site on the trail Standley Chasm.
Having had such success in camping off the beaten track we had gotten quite used to enjoying our own space out in the outback and with the numbers of people coming the opposite way along the track being well over 20 everyday we weren’t sure we wanted to camp up at Brinkley in such a crowd. The other thing is there were no toilets up there so all these people (not just that night) would have to do their business in a responsible way. Hmmm
Anyway we thought what we would do would be to load up with water for the two days which would give us the option to stay and then head off and see how we went.
We woke up at dawn and there was a heavy dew and mist in our valley but it wasn’t cold so we packed up and had a cup of tea and some breakfast and heaved on our heavy packs and set off up the track. It was a nice start to the day as it was a relatively easy first 3km and it was a nice way to warm up.
The mist and cloud still hadn’t lifted though as we started our steep climb up the mountain. The going was slow but we just kept plodding along and soon enough we had reached the first saddle but still couldn’t really see anything much.
Just as we descended into a small valley before our last climb the clouds lifted and we were treated to some pretty spectacular views and realised that we were further up than we thought. Spirits buoyed we headed up the last steep climb and arrived on the top at Brinkley’s Bluff in perfect sunshine with no wind.
We sat down in our Helinox Chairs and made a cup of tea and enjoyed just taking in the view it was a pretty spectacular moment.
Being up high also meant we got a little reception so we had a check of the weather and saw that while the forecast for the next few days was going to be warm the forecast for the next day was for clouds in the morning so if we stayed we wouldn’t get great views in the morning. If we left however we would get great views for the rest of the day and if we arrived at Standley Chasm before 4pm we would be able to get a burger and chips…real food!!!
It was going to make the day about a 20km hike up and down a mountain but we were feeling pretty good and the weather was stunning so we decided to carry on.
It was a superb decision as the vistas we enjoyed on the way down were magnificent and the hiking was great too. A little challenging going along the ridges but overall really enjoyable.
As we got closer to our final destination and the potential of food we started to watch the time a little more closely. Could we make it in time? Also we had heard that the opening hours weren’t always kept so all our effort might be for nothing and we might end up eating dehydrated food anyway.
Still we kept up the pace and even managed to charge through a last chasm which we thought for sure would delay us but no we arrived at 3:45 and very sweaty and smelly and still wearing our packs we joined the queue to order. I must apologise to all the other diners who were there on day trips and had to smell us but that was one of the best burgers I have ever had. This was followed by a shower in one of two of the more disgusting of shower cubicles we have used (which is saying something) but again was perfect for us and left us feeling fed and clean!
Unfortunately as I mentioned before Standley Chasm was the only privately owned campsite on the trail and while it offered a cafe and two showers and some toilets it was an incredibly packed campsite. We were all told to camp in a tiny space all wedged in. We all tried to make light of the situation but there were few if any flat sites and we ended up on quite a slope.
Anyway we certainly didn’t let it spoil our night and picked up our last food drop and packed our bags and got ready to head off on our last segments. The most amazing feeling we had that night was that even though it was our 14th day straight of hiking and camping we both felt really good and our bodies felt as though they could keep going and going! T