Mt Greville

 I have not been up Mt Greville this year which is a real surprise to me as it is my favourite mountain walk in South East Queensland. I was supposed to take the club up here a few weeks ago but I had to ask another club member to lead the walk as I was a bit sick with a severe head cold.

They had a really good day and found a way to the summit that I have never done so I was keen to go out there and climb to the top. Colin from the bushwalkers was free for a mid week walk so I contacted him and we drove out to the Mt Greville National Park.

From the car park we headed up Waterfall Gorge, marvelling at the fact that such a barren looking mountain from the road could hide such a wonderful gorge as this one and a couple of other equally attractive gorges on its other sides. We had a late smoko on the northern rocky outcrop that juts out below the summit. Really great views down onto Moogerah Dam, north to Flinders Peak and everything in between.

From our smoko stop we rejoined the track and followed it south, slowly climbing all the way until we arrived at the base of the huge rock face that forms the summit of Mt Greville. Even though Colin had not been to the top before he had spoken to a bushwalker the week before who had given him a vague description on how to reach the summit on this track. As the track had petered out at this point we decide to turn right and try and get to the summit from this side.

It was very difficult walking between the base of the cliff and the scrub growing up to the rock face. We kept going until we found an old abounded climbers sling hanging from a rock anchor about 20 meters up the rock face. It was then obvious to us that if a rock climber could not get up here than there was no way a couple of walkers could.   We backtracked to where the track had petered out and after a bit of searching around we found the correct track and continued following the base of the cliff line. The track suddenly started to climb away from the base and up a bit of a gully and before long we had met the track that goes to the summit from Palm Gorge.

We had really enjoyed the track around the base of the cliff, this time of year all the wildflowers are out, the trees are covered in blossoms and bird life everywhere. This mountain has so much to offer the bushwalker, there have been times when we have seen rock wallabies and wedge tailed eagles up here.

Once we reached the original track it was just a steep uneventful walk on a well worn track to the top. Every time I get to the summit of Mt Greville I am disgusted at the mentality of a section of the bushwalking fraternity. Why do they have to build cairns on the top of peaks in National Parks? We know we are at the top; we don’t need to be told so by you spoiling such a beautiful spot by collecting every rock within carrying distance and building a rock mound to your own ego. Leave it how it should be, natural and wild. That is why we climb up here.

A late lunch was eaten on the rocks on the western side of the summit overlooking the Main Range National Park. A wonderful spot to eat your lunch. With reluctance we hoisted our day packs and headed down the track towards Palm Gorge. I have always returned via the South East Ridge which is the shortest way down but is also not a very easy walking track. The track is poorly marked and treacherous underfoot as it consists of loose shaly rock for a large section of the descent, very easy to have a fall. I don’t think I have ever been down by this route without at least one fall.

Today we are breaking with tradition and are going to descend to the car via Palm Gorge.

Palm Gorge is even better than Waterfall Gorge as far as beauty is concerned, giant trees and palms reaching for the sky and set in this absolutely stunning gorge that at time gets so narrow you feel you could almost touch the other side. All the way down there are smaller gorges going off on either side just beckoning for the bushwalker to explore. Alas, not enough time in a day to do this mountain justice.

Before we know it we are out of the gorge and back on the track through the eucalyptus forest and back to the car park for the drive back to Tamborine Mountain. This mountain has so much to explore that I must try and get out here more; there are a couple of other gorges up there that I would like to go and look at next year.