St Mary Peak is the pinnacle of the Flinders Ranges in South Australia. This is the story of how I beat the odds with hard work and determination to be able to climb to the summit of St Mary Peak from Wilpena Pound on one beautiful autumn morning.
Located just over 450 kilometres north of South Australia’s picturesque capital city, Adelaide, The Lady of the Outback – St Mary Peak (Ngarri Mudlanha) rises an impressive 1170 meters (3839 ft) above sea level and is the pinnacle of the Flinders Ranges. Situated on the north-eastern rim of Wilpena Pound, the route to the top is accessible via a well-defined and sign-posted track, beginning at the Wilpena Pound Visitor Centre.
Mind Games
With comments from past summiteers of the peak – “You will never make it, it is way too steep!” – my mind was often overwhelmed with thoughts of – “Hey, they must be right, I will never make this” or “They should know, they’ve already been to the top“. However, I knew deep down that if I put in that extra mile I would be capable of reaching the summit of St Mary Peak, just like back in 2008, when I was told that I had only 20% chance of regaining function in my legs, I would beat the odds.
Even more determined to reach the highest point within the Flinders Ranges, I planned a 3-month training program to not only strengthen my lower back, legs and increase my overall cardio fitness but to also eradicate all those internal negative thoughts that were cluttering up my mind.
Autumn was now well and truly at my doorstep, and with only 10 more days left until the big day I needed to step up the challenges. It was only when I had accomplished an 11 kilometre round trip to the summit of Mount Cavern (770m), combined with an 18km hike along the rocky track of Hidden Gorge within the Mount Remarkable National Park, Mambray Creek, that I was reassured that I was definitely ready to meet the Lady of the Outback – known simply as St Mary Peak.
Onwards and Upwards
My phone alarm went off at the ungodly hour of 2:00 am and although I had only managed about four hours of restless sleep I felt surprisingly awake. Overflowing with anticipation for the day ahead, I stepped out of my swag and onto a campsite bathed in the soft glow of a full moon. I could not have asked for a better start to the day.
After a hearty breakfast, countless vitamins, and triple-checking our backpacks one last time, we headed off towards the start of the track and our journey onwards and upwards. After initially thinking that the autumn morning would be relatively cool, we found it surprisingly warm, tropical in fact, and were already shedding the layers to cool down within the first kilometre.
Upon reaching the 2.5km point of the walk, the silhouetted outline of the peak was visible in the far-off distance; her sheer size still an overwhelming presence in the semi-darkness. What an absolute privilege it was to experience this magnificent environment in a completely different light – moonlight.
With Saddle Rock now only 2.5km ahead (the psychological halfway point towards the summit), the upcoming terrain suddenly changed from an effortless single track to a track littered with odd-sized rocks, boulders and vertical rock ledges – perfect for your common mountain goat. It was at this stage of the walk that I was truly thankful for my trusty walking poles, which have been a valued companion on many a long hike. The walking poles not only assisted in reducing the physical loads and stress endured on the body, but they also helped with balance and gave me that extra spring in my step.
Just prior to reaching the comforts of Saddle Rock we had one more obstacle to overcome, a sheer rock face where two hands for support are often not enough.
Thin Blue Line
Phew! We finally made it to the ridge of Saddle Rock, the midway point that separated us from the valley below. If it had not been obscured by darkness, I reckon the view from up here would have been spectacular.
The second leg of the journey started off remarkably easily, too easily in fact. Similar to the track near the valley floor, this track too disappeared and merged into a maze of large boulders and steep rocky ledges only metres after Saddle Rock. The only guidance now was from a labyrinth of strategically positioned blue reflectors on the rock faces up towards the summit – the thin blue line.
After spending another gruelling hour and nearly scrambling up the eastern face of this tangled web of rock ledges, unsteady table-tops and narrow rock formations, I unexpectedly found myself on an open plateau 1170 metres above sea-level and on the summit of St Mary Peak.
360° Perfection
The Lady of the Outback had been kind to us that beautiful autumn morning and, as I scanned across the moonlit valleys and far-reaching vistas of the Flinders Ranges, I was overcome with a mixture of relief, excitement and a feeling of total freedom that I was able to enjoy an adventure of such calibre in our very own backyard.
With a rising sun in the east and a full moon in the west, the 360° panoramic views of Wilpena Pound, Lake Torrens and the jagged backbone of the northern Flinders Ranges would forever be etched into my mind.
Heading Home
Two hours had come and gone and it was now time to pack up and head back down to the Pound. Although I could have stayed until nightfall on what felt like the top of the world, I knew that if we didn’t leave now we would be caught walking back in the heat of the midday sun.
As we headed back down to Saddle Rock we had two options: either retrace our steps back down the shorter, steep descent from where we came; or, take the longer, less travelled southern route through the centre of the Pound back to the campsite. We decided on the second option through the Pound as my walking companion had not been down this path before. In hindsight, I think we should have decided on the first option and taken the path more travelled.
After a challenging hour-long trek along the lengthy and extremely rocky pathway to the lower rim of the valley, a rewarding lunch break, and then a further three hours of plodding across the wide-open Pound, we finally found our way back to where it had all begun.
Final Thought
After a well-deserved afternoon siesta, a hot dinner and a review of the day’s photos, I thought to myself that without the inspiration, determination and hard work of 2008, this modest little adventure would not have been possible.
Debrief
- Thank you to The Lady of The Outback – without you this would not have been possible.
- When you feel a blister coming on, bandage it up straight away – I learnt the hard way.
- Carry a spare pair of socks on extended hikes – great foot recovery.
- Get decent walking poles – don’t leave home without them.
- 4 litres of water was just enough – never underestimate your water consumption.
- Take a healthy lunch and plenty of low GI snacks – avoid those hunger flats.
- Ensure you have a jacket (windbreaker), cap and beanie – it was cold at the top.
- Pack the essentials:
- Fully Charged Camera
- Good Binoculars
- Quality Head Torch + Spare Batteries
- First Aid Kit + Whistle
- GPS – Waypoints at the Ready
- UHF – just in case
- Spare Batteries
- Adventure and Fun!
![Oliver Pfeil](https://cdn.snowys.com.au/blog/wp-content/uploads/ultimatemember/8/profile_photo.jpg?1724580632)
Through sharing my humble adventures, I hope to inspire you to share with me my renewed passion for walking and the great outdoors.
Inspirational story mate, I spent a week in 07 in Wilpena Pound with a group from Para West Adult Campus studying Cert2 in OE.
We attacked St Marys Peak from the inside track and returned via the outside.
Got up the next morning, dropped off on the road outside at Bridal/ Black Gap and walked back to Wilpena, completed another hike around Brachina and finished off with 2 nights up by Hans Heysens Hut.
An amazing experience.
Wow Steve, that does sound amazing! And we totally agree with you – Oliver’s story is so inspiring. Glad you enjoyed it. Cheers
I did St Mary’s peak when I was 11 in 38 degrees and the difficulty really is exaggerated. Even then it didn’t feel like a huge effort. However the local indigenous people have requested that you do not climb to the peak, so this is well worth considering.
Good feedback thanks, Jeff. Oliver’s account was on the back of some medical challenges he had in the lead up to his hike which made it all the more challenging. On your comment regarding not climbing the peak, I’d love to see people become more aware and respectful of the indigenous history in the areas we visit.
Thank you for your thorough description of your track to St Mary’s Peak, I to have done this track twice, once in summer when it was 38 degrees and in the middle of the day but I was 20 at the time. However I am now 53 and have just climbed this peak again in early October. I set of at 3 in the afternoon maybe too late for some and was hoping to be back before dark. It is a very strenuous walk once you start climbing from the outside of the peak, scampering up boulders left and right and after 2 hours I finally made the summit it was 5 o’clock took some photos and had to quickly head back to camp to race the sun to the horizon. By the time I got back it was dark and I had no torch. Unfortunately it took me 40 minutes to find my camp site in the dark. Wilpena camp ground is terrible for finding your way around. I honestly thought my brother and son would have sent out a search party for me. But I did it and it was all worth it.
Sounds like you had an adventure Peter. I know I have been caught out in the dark after a long day of climbing, thankfully I had a head torch in my pack. Makes for good campfire stories though.
That was truly awesome Oliver. What you said about not giving up despite hearing comments that you will never make it made a really big impression on me.
I believe that this kind of determination is what everyone should apply in living one’s life.
Your post is truly inspiring. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
I am so pleased that my experience has made such a positive impression. I truly believe that once you conquer your psychological challenges, you become better prepared to conquer the physical ones..!
I recently went on a camping trip to the flinders rangers. Over 50 of us aged from 12-40 hiked up to saint mary peak. It was a truly amazing experience. The track feels endless but when you get to the top the sight is truly wonderful to behold with your own eyes. It was amazing how high up we were. We also took the second track on the way down and we also agreed we should’ve taken the first track back but it was still great. I dont know how I managed to get up there and back I hadnt done any exercise in over half a year. It was great reading your experience of it. We started the hike at around 5am so we didnt really get to hike under the moonlight like you did but it was magnificent all the same. I would definately recommend people to conquer saint mary peak!!!
It’s good to see so many people of all ages getting out ‘n’ about and giving it a go. Your experiences sound very similar to mine and it’s only once you have conquered the top, and made it back to camp, do you truly comprehend what you have accomplished.
See you at the top..!
Was there a cairn on the top when you were there? I had been to the top 3 times and the last time the huge cairn had gone!
Fantastic blog!
Richard
Thanks for the encouraging feedback Richard.
Hi Oliver
I really enjoyed your account for this adventure. Well done!
Also, what a great photos you guys did!
Keep walking!
Cheers
Paulo
Thanks Paulo!
I am glad that I could share my experiences with you. It is now your turn to explore St Mary Peak and take lots of great photos.