Conquering Mt Gillen - Alice Springs

As our first exercise after weeks of Coronavirus confinement, we picked a local hike from Flynn's Grave to the trig point on Mt Gillen.

Well, we thought this would be a gentle 90 minute return sortie. The climb got steeper and steeper. 

We paused for numerous water breaks, photos of wonderful views, getting breath back, lunch, and just leaning on our walking sticks.

Rocky trails and slippery stones underfoot led us to a vertical rockface. We need to climb that? Mimicking inept mountain goats we hauled up vertically, with a final notch and a helping hand to reach the flat top.

A simple walk then took us to the trig point with views to East and West Macs and Pine Gap domes of the hush hush listening post.

Going back down was more of an inelegant slide on the bum exercise. The weather was cool and bright. We saw a pair of perky, dusky grasswrens skipping ahead and were suitably chastened by superfit climbers sailing past, even one hero running downhill.

Having assumed a breezy hike, it was a case of hold our beer, then 4 hours and 40 minutes later, we returned shattered and triumphant.

Back at the campsite, we nursed aching muscles for two days spent collapsed and prostrate.

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Mt Gillen, Alice Springs, Northern Territory, NT