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(Queensland)
Mount Bartle Frere is Queenslands highest mountain and this walk takes you almost from sea level to 1622m at the summit.
Distance:
15km
Duration:
12 hours
Difficulty:
Hard
Getting there
Head north up the Bruce Highway from Townsville to cairns and 15 minutes after passing Innisfail you come to Miriwinni, turn off near hear and follow the signs to the Josephine Falls National Park.
Maps
No good ones found - the National Park leaflet (Josephine Falls Section) and the Bartle Frere summit section leaflet
Route/Trail notes
The walk should only be attempted in the "dry" cooler months of August to October. It is the wet tropics so expect to get wet. The summit is usually only visible for 5 - 10% of the year with the rest of the time being shrouded in cloud.
Start the walk as early as you can, you don't want to be returning in the dark. It is possible to camp on the mountain, but you'll have to carry all your gear. the lighter your pack the easier it will be.
There are two main sections to the track, in the rainforest and above the rain forest in the boulder field. The rainforest section is wet muddy and steep and probably accounts for about 2/3 of the track and you get no views through the thick trees.
The boulder field is very open and exposed, but provides excellent views over the coast (depending on the cloud cover). There is a marked track through the field and ladders and chains in places to assist. There is also a helicopter pad due to the high number of rescues over the years. At the summit there is a 10 minute climb through some thicker trees obscuring the view where the sign is indicating the summit.
There are several other routes including one to Broken Nose.
Permits/Costs
Free! - but you'll pay for a few days after with sore legs. make sure you let someone know where you are going and register in the book at the start of the track and also when you return.
Other References
http://www.townsvillenet.com.au/mountains/bartlefrere.htm
http://www.epa.qld.gov.au/parks_and_forests/find_a_park_or_forest/bartle_frere_trail_wooroonooran_national_park/
Comments
27 Nov, 2010
did this in 5hrs 39minutes from josephine falls car park to the summit and back to the carpark (where i collapsed, exhausted!!!), including 10minutes for a photo, drink & snack at the summit.. beautiful clear day before i left and when i returned but as other comments mentioned it is very cold at the top (which is nice because the leeches die off, after being present and annoying for almost the entire hike) once you get to the open area & closer to the boulders.. ive done a few around australia and i think this is one of the more challenging of the higher summits..kosciuszko is literally a walk in the park compared to Bartle Frere! if your lucky you will get some fresh water in the creek at the fork but nothing after that so take plenty.. always looking for other hiking partners in the area or happy to give advice on hikes ive done so get me on fb... search my name Lincoln murdoch... cheers and happy hiking!
6 Nov, 2010
Very hard going the area has had a lot of rain recently and washed the track out in places. Gradient would average 4:1 and in a lot of places near vertical with us having to drag our self up with exposed tree roots. The leaches were of proportions I have not seen before in my life and were a constant irritation, this walk is not for the faint hearted. We took the eastern approach and reached the summit in 6 and back down in 4. could be done faster if I was not coming of a week of flu sickness leading up to the walk.
22 Sep, 2009
A very hard steep walk or climb. Pity there are aids to climbing now. Spectacular views at top. Well worth it second highest ascent in Australia. Mind you the leeches are vicious!
15 Sep, 2003
I think this is when I did it. Check the track condition prior to going as there has been heaps of rain in recent years!
24 Jun, 2003
A wet cold climb in cloud. 24c in the forest but dropped to-2c on the boulder field. Very slippery on way down. Especially around the part where you down climb the roots of the tree. No views but very proud that I climbed it!
6 Mar
Beautiful, A tad dangerous after all of the rain...... Josephine Falls was amazing and absolutely gushing.
