sochi

1 walks ticked

This Year

0
Number of Walks Ticked
0.0m
Total Distance Ticked

All Time

1
Number of Walks Ticked
16.0km
Total Distance Ticked
Name Date Difficulty Distance/Duration
Mt Bartle Frere - Western Approach (Wooroonooran National Park)
3 May, 2015
Very Hard
16km return
12 hrs
I did Western approach in a group of people ranging from mid 20s to low 60s over a weekend. It took us around 5 hours to get to the Western Summit camp from the parking lot of the Junction camp. The Western Summit is a small flat patch by a nice creek. The camp is big enough for three to four of two-person tents. This year is one of the driest on record, but the creek was running, with plenty of drinking water. It is safe to drink, unless it is raining, in which case who knows what is being washed into it from the soil around it. So, drink the rain water instead.
I have done the Eastern approach before (in one day with a light backpack, took 4 hours to the top, 3 back to Josephine Falls). I found the Western approach with a full backpack to be quite a tough one, but not as difficult as the Eastern one. The trail was overgrown in places, but with paying attention one can spot the orange markers reliably. You can make it to the Western Summit camp with a minimum of 2 liters of water, knowing for sure you will get nice clear cold water by the camp. There are camping spots on the way, but no water. Make sure you have a headlamp, not only for the camping or emergency walking at night, but also to make your way to the summit in the early morning, to see a spectacular sunrise from the large rock near the summit. Swim in Millaa Milla Falls after the walk will fix your aching muscles. Go for it and enjoy.