Man vs Mountain [or at least, very steep hill] take 2: Mt Beerwah
Mt Beerwah is the biggest of the Glasshouse Mountains with an elevation of 556m
I found myself driving back from Brisbane to the Sunshine Coast on Sunday morning last weekend. The trip would inevitably take me past the Glass House Mountains, and in the back of my mind I knew that I was yet to tackle Mt Beerwah. Maybe not that far in the back of my mind, as I happened to have some exercise gear and decent shoes in the car with me.
Tibrogargan loomed close to the highway like a menacing behemoth, daring me to try it again (to read about that particular adventure, click here). But far more alluring on that day was the more distant but bigger overall bulk of Mount Beerwah, tallest of the peaks. Mt Beerwah is tallest of the Glasshouse Mountains, rising 556m above sea level, with a prominence of around 380m from the carpark to the peak. By comparison, Tibrogargan rises to a peak of about 384m, with a prominence of approx. 305m from the starting point.
The view from the bottom of the climb.
The feedback on which was more difficult of the two climbs had been somewhat mixed to date, leaving me unsure on whether it would be easier or more difficult. I decided to find out for myself, taking the Steve Irwin Way turnoff and heading inexorably towards Beerwah.
It was late morning by the time I arrived. The carpark had a few cars but not too many. The information board of the climb wasn’t super effective at instilling confidence, showing an actual photo from a few years earlier of a rock falling from the cliff face. The rock being the size of a car, and allegedly taking all of ten seconds to plunge from its position to the ground below, right along the path that climbers tackling the peak typically take. There were many other warnings about falling rocks, including a “non-stop zone” which from what I could establish was pretty much the full first half of the climb. But in typical Aussie (and male) style, I figured I was already here, and it would be such a waste not to have a crack…
I hiked up to the base of the cliff, watching two climbers make their final descent. Speaking with the one who reached the base first, he confessed that he had found Beerwah a little more difficult than Tibrogargan. However, he then admitted that he had climbed Tibro earlier that morning. After a weights workout. So, it seemed to me that had the order of climb been reversed, he may well have found Tibrogargan to be the more difficult of the two.
Looking up at the climb I was not quite as intimidated as I had been with Tibrogargan. It was steep, certainly, but didn’t seem quite as sheer. Perhaps this was the case, or maybe I was just mentally a little more prepared and experienced this time around. Probably a bit of both. I started climbing and, while it was far from easy, I certainly felt more comfortable overall. There were small rivulets of water trickling down the cliff face courtesy of the considerable rain we’ve had over the prior few weeks, which added a small degree of difficulty through slipperiness.
There were far less climbers on the mountain, though I did pass a couple of climbers on the way down, one who admitted he was hung over as f*@%, and then later another climber that powered down past me without a word. I was relieved to see proper footwear on all of them (not a sandal in sight), and also no kids to upstage me on the climb.
A spectacular site to arrive at after completing the first leg of the climb!
About 60% of the way up, I reached a section where the cliff face gave way to full-sized trees and dense foliage. The trail continued steeply up, but more like a jungle path in contrast to the open cliff face below it. Not much further and I emerged at the base of a second cliff face; this one sheer, the white rock walls rose up and overhead, jutting out and over the higher they got, the erosion of millions of years carving out the base of them. Large boulders dotted the area; no doubt once belonging to sections of the cliff further up. Underfoot the fine white rock dust created the felling of walking on sand, an odd sensation knowing we were a fair way from the coastline, and I had just climbed 200m or so up a cliff face. It was a magical and spiritual place, cool from the shade afforded by the cliffs and the trees, and spectacular with the over-arching cliffs and the hollowed shapes carved into the rock from wind and water and time.
Was Beerwah definitely a volcanic plug? Parts of it resembled coral, as if it was part of some giant reef millions of years ago!
Looking directly up at the cliffs which incrementally jutted out and over the path presented an amazing view.
I spent quite some time marveling in this space, enjoying the cool and the grandeur of it. And maybe catching my breathe a little. A large though shallow hollowed out cave offered a sheltered place to stop. Knowing I’d have a chance to spend a little more time there on the way back down though, I pushed on, weaving my way along the base of the cliff, around and over the boulders littering the path. Presently the climb continued, steep again but easier than the first leg.
So maybe neither Volcanic plug nor ancient reef, but some colossal dinosaur long buried, with its bones starting to show. The Beerwahsaurus perhaps?
The path along the base of the cliff was like something out of an Indiana Jones movie. Thankfully no moving boulders…
As I neared the top, I was surprised to hear the drone of bees, and noticed that the bushes there were in full flower, and hundreds of small native bees were busy at work harvesting, even here 380m about the plain below. While it made sense, it was unexpected this high up, and something I hadn’t noticed on Tibrogargan’s top.
Oblivious to the amazing view around them, native bees were quite happy with this flowering bush (and many others like it) on top of the mountain.
The view during the climb had been stunning enough, but reaching the summit was magical, as it afforded a true 360-degree view of the plains. Most of the brother and sister glasshouse mountains had been obscured while I climbed, blocked by the bulk of Beerwah itself. But they were now fully visible, arcing around in what seemed a rough circle, looking impressive, if somewhat smaller from the high vantage point.
I found myself more able to relax and enjoy it that I had on Tibrogargan, less worried about the downward climb still to come. A couple of Irish climbers joined me up the top, and we marveled at the view together, reward for the effort.
Tibrogargan off on the left didn’t look so big from up here. But while I think it was still the harder of the climbs, if the sweat-o-meter in this photo is anything to go off, maybe Beerwah was the harder of the climbs…
But spending some time with this view, the sweat was definitely worth it. Well for me at least. Not sure how the two Irish guys felt about it.
On the way back down I decided to pause in the caves and take the opportunity to do my daily meditation (still tracking along with the DeZENber challenge!). The setting seemed appropriate, and if it allowed me to linger in that ancient and magical place a little longer then all the better. It also proved better for the many mosquitos that apparently hang there, a number of them enjoying a late lunch while I sat and concentrated. I got some genuine practice at trying to achieve equanimity with those little suckers hovering around.
The view of the cliffs from the side as the asent continued.
Somewhat reluctantly (less so after being feasted on for the prior 10 minutes) I left the caves and started to make my way back down the cliff. It felt far easier than Tibrogargan, though I was by this stage feeling far more comfortable with climbing in general. I was quite quick getting down and didn’t encounter any sections where I felt stuck and in any real danger of slipping and falling. Nor was I nearly as shaky or weak of knee as I had been when I had completed the Tibrogargan climb, having not expended as much adrenalin during the climb.
Climbing Mt Beerwah was such a different experience than Tibrogargan. While it still had difficult elements, I found it less challenging overall. Personally, I found it far more enjoyable; the unexpected section halfway up offering an amazingly tranquil and calm counterpoint to the physicality of the climb. While I’m not necessarily decided on whether I feel motivated to climb Tibrogargan again, I’d happily come back to Mt Beerwah.