Larapinta Adaptive Traverse

Together we aim to be the first all-abilities team to walk the whole 237km spine of Tjoritja/West MacDonnell Ranges on the challenging Larapinta Trail.

The same team made the now legendary journey from the lowest point to the highest point in Australia - from Kati Thanda/Lake Eyre to Targangil/Mount Kosciusko. This cycle journey was 2221km and took 43 days. The Rummin film Lowest To Highest was a hit and screened all over the world winning numerous awards.

We will produce a similar film of this challenge also, same but different. Amidst the beauty and hardships of the trek our aim is to have have a series of campfire discussions about certain truths of disability. The discrimination as well as the hilarity, the attacks, both verbal and physical, the unavoidable unconcious bias and how it takes work to overcome it., And T.A.B.s (Temporarily Abled Bodied) – how almost everyone will find themselves disabled someday. This will be done with plenty of humour and customary hilarity, all amid the backdrop of the amazing landscape of the West MacDonnell Ranges. 

This campaign is for some pieces of camera equipment and post-production costs only.

The two Pauls are also making a three-part podcast documentary for Disability Voices Tasmania of the expedition.

The public will be able to follow us by an interactive ‘Spot Tracker’ on our blog daily. Plus, we aim to visit Alice Springs schools and talk to students about disability and adventure.

Team

1. Paul Pritchard – Author, adventurer and disability educator. AG Spirit Of Adventure Awardee - Brain injury with hemiplegia.

2. Paul Allen - Furniture designer/maker, author and comedian - Brain injury with working memory problems.

3. Walter Van Praag – Writer and Adventurer - Cystic fibrosis with 38% lung function.

4. Vonna Keller - RN medic - Lung cancer.

5. Conrad Wansbrough - Support - Safety Manager.

7. Melinda Oogjes - Support - Disability Advocate.

Timeline

3 July - Arrive in Alice Springs

5 July - Begin walking from Alice Springs

23 July - Finish on the summit of Mount Sonder

25 July - All back in Alice Springs

The track is accessible at several points along the route (see map below), though sometimes only by 4x4. Consequently, we plan to use a support vehicle for safety purposes and to carry Walters heavy nebulizing equipment. The vehicle will meet us at nine points during the nineteen-day hike. We are planning on two rest days and three overnight legs:

The first being Section 6 (Hugh Gorge - Elery Creek).

The second being Section 9 (Serpentine Dam - Orminston Gorge).

The third: Finke River – Redbank Gorge.

On these overnight legs we must carry two days water, food and camping equipment plus emergency kit and extra calipers for Paul, nebulizing equipment including solar charger and battery for Walter. These overnights will present the main challenge.

By trekking the West MacDonnells and filming it we are not saying “Hey, look at us, aren’t we special.” That would be doing a disservice to all people with disabilities (PWDs) who’s skills might lie in other areas rather than the physical, as well as perpetuating the superhuman narrative. No, hopefully someone who looks like us might see us and know that they’re not alone. That they too can have a go. That matters.

So in making this film our aim is to further normalise disability to address, in our own small way, the shocking unemployment and rate: in Australia some stats put it at 63% (It is a hazy situation were many PWDs are drastically underemployed). 

Added to this, by working together we will form a strong team, cooperating so each individual is able to go beyond their usual boundaries. In doing so, we will demonstrate how our disability does not define who we are and how co-operation makes us (everyone) whole. 

As previously stated, PWDs tend to be portrayed in just two lights: superhumans succeeding against all odds or victims in need of paternalism. There often is no middle ground. We aim to dispel that myth.

We prefer not to raise money for charities during our expeditions. Just walking the spine of Tjoritja will be enough to show that people with disabilities are capable of many things given a modicum of support.

Gopro - $649

Gimbal - $200

We're also raising funds to cover post-production costs including:

The edit - (7500)

Audio mix and sound design - (2,000)

Music composition - (1,250)

Colour grade - (800)

Insurances - (250)

Essentially the film is a labour of love for the team. We will invest an equivalent amount of in-kind support to produce and distribute the film to the widest audience possible. We are committed to producing an engaging story that at the moment is untold. The team have a fantastic track record with the success of the multi-award winning Rummin documentary Lowest To Highest which has reached over tens of thousands of people through festival screenings around the world, and is now available to stream through Pozible and Vimeo on Demand.