Is an ADE camel trek or expedition for you?

Home > 2009 Itinerary > Trek Grade

We operate our treks in the cooler winter months (April to September) when the weather in Central Australia is superb for bushwalking and exploring the deserts. The average daily temperature is about 23 degrees Celsius, however at night it is not uncommon for the temperature to drop to zero or below.

Good physical fitness, a love of the outdoors and a constructive mental attitude are fundamental to the success of your trek or expedition. Due to the very nature of your journey and the remote areas that you may visit, conditions may be outside that of your normal experience. After leaving the comforts of civilisation behind, you should be prepared to enjoy the desert on its own terms. Group sizes are usually between 10 to 13 trekkers plus 4 crew.

How our journeys are rated - the difference between a trek and an expedition

Moderate –  all Treks are represented here. You must be reasonably fit but also be prepared to actively participate in the day-to-day running of your trek. Our walking pace is approximately 3 to 5 kilometres per hour, depending on the terrain being covered.The average distance travelled per day is usually between 12 to 15 kilometres with distances up to 18 kilometres sometimes covered depending upon the wishes & capabilities of the trekking group. Trekking may involve some spells of continuous, although moderate, dune climbing on firm sand. Occasionally, you will make camp at lunchtime, allowing the afternoon 'free' to explore or (if available) to relax by a waterhole. On other days you may cover a little more ground in search of a suitable campsite with enough feed for the camels. Water is available for drinking only but will not be strictly rationed. Travel will be cross-country, away from tracks and roads, unless specified in the trek notes and the itinerary of each trek is flexible allowing the leader to adjust the pace of the trek to the wishes and capabilities of the group.

Challenging – all expeditions fall into this category. These are genuine contemporary expeditions that travel in a traditional style just as the early explorers would have done, whilst encountering the rich desert diversity entwined with the rewarding experience of working with the camels. Due to their duration and terrain covered, these explorations are far more challenging than any trek. The expeditions may travel approximately 350 - 450 kilometres (unless otherwise noted) and have a definite objective, whether it be to cross an entire desert or to arrive at the designated base camp at journeys end. Full rest days during the expedition are not  guaranteed and  the average distance covered per day can be between 17 to 22 kilometres. Water rationing is strictly enforced and there are neither permanent camps nor any type of vehicle back-up. On such a journey it is essential that you are prepared, both mentally & physically, to fully participate as an expedition member. At journeys end you can expect to be tired but also fulfilled with a sense of personal accomplishment.

Common characteristics of all treks & expeditions are:

• Team participation & walking with a string of up to 18 camels

• Sleeping in swags under the stars

• Camping at non permanent camps (excluding the first & last nights)

• Camp cooking in camp-ovens & woks on open fires

• The subtle beauty of the desert landscape

• Self sufficiency – there is no vehicle back-up - and the desert silence!

• On all treks & expeditions, the camels carry all your personal gear, excluding your day pack.
  

Click here to read a first hand account of life on an Outback Camel Company commercial trek from 2008

'Tanami' - On Foot Across Australia's Desert Heart

Kieran Kelly's account of the Central Australian Expedition 2002 when he and Outback Camel Company owner Andrew Harper walked 750km across the southern Tanami with the objective of connecting the routes of 19th century explorers John McDouall Stuart and Augustus Gregory. Available at Dymocks Online and a great read for anyone with an interest in Central Australia or if you are thinking about joining us for a camel trek/expedition.

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