The highest summit in Australia's Glass House Mountain, this adventure is not for the faint of heart. Most of the climb is a scramble, much of it on steep and exposed Class 4 rock, to reach this prominent summit. But make it through and you will be treated to a wonderful view of this unique part of Australia.
Trail Info
Know before you go
This is a class 4 scramble on steep, smooth rock slabs. Seriously, it's dangerous and can result in serious injury or death. While technical climbing equipment is not required, experience on this type of route is essential to summit safely.
Do not attempt this if it has been raining. See above point, smooth rock slabs. My friend and I had a couple small slips when the conditions were perfect, so I don't think it'd even be possible to climb this if the rocks were more slick.
A helmet and gloves are helpful for this climb. You will see signs for rockfall at the beginning of the trail and the rocks can get hot in that intense Australian sun. Both items would be nice to have for this adventure.
This summit has spiritual significance to the Jinibara and Gubbi Gubbi people. While these indigenous groups have asked people to refrain from climbing it, it is still legal and open to the public. You will have to make a personal decision if you think it is acceptable make the climb.
Other Trails Nearby
The Glass House Mountains offer a wide variety of trails for those exploring the area, many of which are accessible without challenging climbs. A few I would love to try if I went back:
Mount Tibrogargan Circuit- this is less of a climb and more of a loop around Mount Tibrogargran. A great hike to get some perspectives of this prominent peak's base.
Mount Ngungun- A more tame but still demanding 1.5 mile / 3 km path to the top of Mount Ngungun. This trail provides a good stepping stone to some of the more intense summits.
Mount Tibberoowuccum and Trachyte Circuit Loop- A lengthier trek (6.1 mile / 9.8 km) that loops around several peaks and lookouts while summiting Mount Tibberoowuccum.
The Trail
After a short walk along a path from the car park, you get your first real glimpse of what you are about to climb. Yep that is it. Pretty much straight up.
The climbing begins. I hope your shoes are grippy. I was thankful my Merrill Moab's had such good grip as I traversed these slabs.
Action video of the climb here. Marc was working on the tan so of course he had to go shirtless.
The up in my opinion was not nearly as treacherous as the down. We did a lot of tentative crabwalking on the descent. At one point, I hit a section where I couldn't figure out a good path and ended up doing a 5 or 6 foot little slide on my butt down to a lower ledge. Not ideal, but sometimes you just gotta send it
While the climb is intense, it does level out some before the summit. After the steep scramble we reached a ledge under the mountain with this unique honeycomb looking structure. This landmark signaled the end of the climbing (on the way up at least). From here, you follow the path right to take the ridge to the summit.
An aerial view of the ridge up to the summit. Compared to the climbing we just did, this felt like nothing
Raise those arms in triumph because we made it to the top! I was struck by how unique the Glass House Mountains looked from this summit--I've never seen so many interestingly shaped mountains in a small area. Now remember to center yourself, because it's descent time...
SS Hot Takes
If I hade a sound bite for this hike, it would be my friend Marc's assertion "we almost died." Now, I think that some of that strong assertion comes from the fact that he was trying to impress some women at the Brisbane bars. However, even with my experience on some sketchy ridges in Hawaii, Beerwah stands out as one of the tougher scrambles I've attempted. Climbing those smooth rock slabs with no other hikers in sight made me wonder if this was a fool's errand..
But at the end of the day, we made it with no injuries, and those views at the summit were truly mesmerizing. And the fact that this climb is still vivid in my mind so many years later, means it was worth the risk to me.
Other Helpful Resources
We Seek Travel's writeup about summiting this peak