Tanti’s Gypsy Wagons

Bungle Bungles Piccaninny Gorge Trek

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All content by World Expeditions

5 days (Kununurra)

Destinations visited: Australia, Kununurra, World

Grading:

Moderate level

Grading Definitions

Discovery & Cruising

These are our least demanding trips. These journeys of discovery and cruises involve little or no extended activity and are suitable for people with a basic level of fitness and good health. The itinerary may take place in remote areas (with basic facilities) and may involve long travel days on various types of transport. Sightseeing may be conducted on foot and all participants should be capable of carrying their own luggage from vehicle to hotel rooms. These adventures do not go above 2500m and rarely involve camping.
Suggested preparation: Once or twice a week, we recommend you walk on undulating terrain for an hour, for at least 2 -3 months prior to departure.

Adventure Touring

Suggested preparation: Two or three times a week, we recommend you walk on undulating terrain for an hour or more, for at least 3 months prior to departure.

Introductory

These trips involve trekking or walking, cycling, rafting or sea kayaking for up to five or six hours a day at a slow but steady pace and should never be misinterpreted to mean they are easy trips. These trips do not spend time at altitudes above 4000m and are usually a week in duration. You will need a reasonable level of fitness and good health.
Suggested preparation: 30 minutes of aerobic type exercise, (either cycling or jogging) three times a week for three months leading up to your trek. For trekking, hill walking with a daypack in variable weather conditions is also recommended. For a cycling adventure, road cycling twice a week for three months prior to departure is recommended.

Introductory to Moderate

These trips involve a combination of what is described in our INTRODUCTORY and MODERATE levels. The emphasis is on introductory activity with several moderate stages

Moderate

These adventures involve trekking, cycling, rafting or sea kayaking for up to 6 or 7 hours a day at a steady pace. These trips may spend successive days at altitudes not generally exceeding 5,500m and are usually between 10 and 15 days in duration. You will need a good level of fitness and be in good health.
Suggested preparation: 45 minutes of aerobic type exercise, three to five times a week for the three months leading up to your trek. Hill walking with a pack in variable weather conditions or road cycling is also recommended depending upon the activity you plan to undertake.

Moderate to Challenging

These adventures involve trekking, cycling, rafting or sea kayaking for up to 6 or 7 hours a day at a steady pace. These trips may spend successive days at altitudes not generally exceeding 5,500m and are usually between 10 and 15 days in duration. You will need a good level of fitness and be in good health. Suggested preparation: 45 minutes of aerobic type exercise, three to five times a week for the three months leading up to your trek. Hill walking with a pack in variable weather conditions or road cycling is also recommended depending upon the activity you plan to undertake.

Challenging

These adventures involve trekking, cycling or rafting in remote areas in variable weather conditions for up to 8 to 10 hours a day (possibly more subject to weather conditions and altitude). This may include spending successive days at altitudes not generally exceeding 6000m. These trips may often be over three weeks in duration. You will need an excellent level of fitness, be prepared to carry a daypack weighing up to 8kgs (and in some cases a full pack) and be completely comfortable in adverse weather conditions.
Suggested preparation: One hour of aerobic type exercise, four to five times a week for three to six months prior to departure. Hill walking with a pack in variable weather conditions or on/off road cycling is also recommended.

Entry Mtn/Exploratory Treks

These adventures are classed as expeditions. They involve either extreme trekking and or basic mountaineering. Expect remote and poorly defined trails in variable weather conditions for up to 12 hours a day (possibly more subject to weather conditions and altitude). This may include a number of demanding high pass crossings and evacuation may be difficult from remote areas. Suitable for first time mountaineers wishing to take the step from trekking into the realm of mountaineering. Prior experience trekking at altitude is preferable but not essential and you should be comfortable in adverse weather conditions. Prior technical mountaineering experience is not necessary. Terrain will involve low angle snow slopes. Ropes may be used during treks for glacier travel and steeper sections of ice and snow. When mountaineering, basic mountaineering instruction is given by our mountaineering guides.
Suggested preparation: For grade 8-10 mountaineering expeditions you will need to be very fit and healthy. A minimum of 1 hour of aerobic exercise per session, four to five times a week is essential. Running and cycling in hilly areas is particularly beneficial as are multi day walks on the weekends. This is the ideal time to try out your boots and other gear to make sure you are prepared and ready for your expedition. If you are considering Intermediate or advanced level trips, you will need to discuss your preparation leading up to the trip with our expert staff.

Intermediate Mtn Expedition

Participants should be competent and self sufficient in the outdoors and have experience in multi day trekking at altitude. Prior experience on an entry level mountaineering expedition is highly recommended. The terrain will involve low to moderate angle snow slopes and traveling on crevassed glaciers. Experience using ice axe and crampons is preferred but not essential.
Suggested preparation: For grade 8-10 mountaineering expeditions you will need to be very fit and healthy. A minimum of 1 hour of aerobic exercise per session, four to five times a week is essential. Running and cycling in hilly areas is particularly beneficial as are multi day walks on the weekends. This is the ideal time to try out your boots and other gear to make sure you are prepared and ready for your expedition. If you are considering Intermediate or advanced level trips, you will need to discuss your preparation leading up to the trip with our expert staff.

Advanced Mtn Expedition

These are our most challenging expeditions. Clients must have prior mountaineering experience. Most are participatory expeditions & involve load carrying, setting up of camps, cooking and campcraft. Altitude is generally greater than 6500m. Some of these expeditions also involve “technical” climbing and are for experienced alpine climbers / mountaineers only. Technical expeditions involve steep climbing at high altitude (including rock climbing). Participation on one of these expeditions is subject to acceptance by one of our high altitude mountaineering guides.
Suggested preparation: For grade 8-10 mountaineering expeditions you will need to be very fit and healthy. A minimum of 1 hour of aerobic exercise per session, four to five times a week is essential. Running and cycling in hilly areas is particularly beneficial as are multi day walks on the weekends. This is the ideal time to try out your boots and other gear to make sure you are prepared and ready for your expedition. If you are considering Intermediate or advanced level trips, you will need to discuss your preparation leading up to the trip with our expert staff.

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Trek deep in to the heart of the Bungle Bungles, exploring the spectacular canyons of Australia's most remote World Heritage wilderness.

The Bungle Bungles (Purnululu) have legendary status as one of the most unique and remote natural wonders in Australia, if not the world. This splendid isolation is a great attraction to trekkers and with specially chartered flights we can avoid the long drive, allowing us to trek deep in to the heart of the Bungle Bungles. Our expedition exploring the Picanninny Gorge offers trekkers an achievable expedition style bushwalk. This 5 day trek follows the gorge as it winds its way between the red and black beehive domes. We establish a base camp for a few nights, freeing us to leave our big packs behind and make lightweight exploratory walks high in to the upper gorge. We'll walk, stopping at waterholes and caves, soaking in the wild seclusion as the domes transform with the light of the day. Our ultimate destination is the fingers, five sandstone chasms made for rock hopping and sun soaking, looking to discover the mysteries held within this ancient and weathered land. On our final day we trek out to Cathedral Gorge before a short transfer to the airstrip and a stunning scenic flight over the Bungle Bungles and the Kimberley back to Kununnurra.

Highlights

Wilderness walking
bush camps
Indigenous culture
Scenic charter flights from Kununurra to Bungle Bungles Return
4WD transfers from airstrip to Picanninny Gorge
Bungle Bungles

Itinerary

Day 1 Scenic flight from Kununurra to Bungle Bungles airstrip, 4WD transfer to base of Picaninny Gorge and begin trekking (13km)

Early starts are normal but today begins with accommodation pick up (5.45 am) for a break of dawn 6.30 am, 1 hour flight passing over the Ord River and Lake Argyle into Purnululu National Park. You’ll never forget your first sight of the Bungles from the air, a maze of thousands of domes that seem impenetrable were it not for Piccaninny Gorge. We jump on the transit vehicle and travel 45 minutes seeing the Bungles slowly surround us. After a healthy breakfast and last minute pack alterations we begin our full pack exploratory walk aiming to travel deep into Piccaninny Gorge base camp where we will camp in solitude deep in the heart of one of the world most remote wilderness areas.

Days 2-3 Explore the Picanninny Gorge System (5km +, scrambling and rock hopping)

Sheer rock walls surround us on all sides, within which there is so much to discover with the light bouncing off worn and stained sandstone. This can lift the soul and inspire your walking feet. Taking only day bag with basic supplies we disappear into the many fingers of the gorge allowing plenty of time for nature appreciation, rock hopping, photography and maybe even a dip into a cool and isolated rock hole. During these days we can go as hard or easy as the group requires allowing the most chance of immersing ourselves into a truly pristine environment where people are few and nature is boundless.

Day 4 Trek towards Cathedral Gorge (9km)

Today we break camp and put on the full pack again retreating out of the gorge and past “the elbow” now having another opportunity to appreciate the vast formation of domes surrounding us. We will camp in another remote location on Piccaninny creek where the light on the domes at sunset is dramatic and silencing.

Day 5 walk to Cathedral Gorge and finish trail. (5 km). Fly back to Kununurra return to your accommodation around 3 pm.

A good walk around after dumping the packs allows for our final detour. They say the acoustics are better than the Sydney opera house inside the walled, natural theatre of Cathedral gorge. After soaking in the sounds of the gorge, we take our final leg of the trail to meet up with the transit vehicle, which drives us to the airstrip where we catch our scenic flight around and out of the Bungles passing over Piccaninny gorge and our walk, Argyle diamond mine and Lake Argyle and finally Kununurra. This is an inspiring way of wrapping up the trip and possibly one of the most beautiful scenic flights anywhere in Australia.

Additional Information

Inclusions

5 breakfasts, 5 lunches and 4 dinners
professional wilderness guides (2 guides)
all National Park and camping fees
all group camping equipment including mosquito net, sleeping mats, ground sheet (tarpaulin), stoves, catering and dining utensils
emergency communications and group first aid kit
scenic private charter flights from Kununurra to Bungle Bungles and return

Summary

4 nights camping

Trip Main Activities

Trekking with a Full Pack
4WD
Swimming
Day walks

Group Size Min

Group Size Max

Accommodation Summary

When trekking in the Top End dry season our camping arrangements are delightfully lightweight. As we dont have to worry about bad weather we can make the most of the clear skies and sleep under the stars. Each trekker will carry a groundsheet, self-inflating mattress and a mosquito net. We will string a line between trees and hang the mosquito nets. The guides will carry lightweight group tarps that will act as shade or shelter in the unlikely event of unseasonal rain.

Equipment Required

Specialist gear required include walking boots and full-size pack (a comprehensive gear list is provided in the pre-departure information provided on booking).

What You Carry

The Bungle Bungles Picaninny Gorge trip is a full pack unsupported trek. You will need to carry all your own personal equipment. This includes your sleeping bag, sleeping mat, ground sheet and mosquito net, plus a small proportion of the group food. On average this works out to be 15-17kgs. Your guides will conduct a gear check to ensure you are not carrying too little or too much!

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USD$2,690

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