There's Always Gonna Be Another Mountain...

If you know me, you know I love the outdoors. There’s just something about stepping back from life and appreciating the natural state of the world we live in. Being located in Brisbane means I’m lucky enough to have easy access to the Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast, and I love to spend my free days exploring their natural wonders, namely, mountains. I often get asked where I visit and what mountains are ‘good,’ so I’ve compiled a list of those I’ve climbed with some tips and a run-down on the overall experience. I hope to climb many more in the future, so this won’t be the last list you’ll get from me!

Mt Beerburrum

Mt Beerburrum is the fastest, but by no means easiest, Glass House Mountain climb. It consists of a paved 700m steep uphill walk to the top, where there’s a fire tower that offers a panoramic 360-degree view of the Glass House Mountains and Sunshine Coast hinterland. I really must stress that Mt Beerburrum is steep… although it only takes around 10 minutes to reach the top it sends my heartrate through the roof - despite having climbed it multiple times I always underestimate how steep it is! Don’t worry, there’s benches along the way to take a breather and admire the view through the trees. On the way down be sure to brace your legs to protect your knees from jarring.

When you arrive at the mountain, drive up the wide dirt road until you reach the carpark. There aren’t any amenities or water taps, so make sure you’ve got a bottle of icy cold water ready to go – carry if with you if you wish, but the climb is so fast I prefer to leave mine in the car.

Mt Beerwah

With a 385m climb and 556m total elevation, Mt Beerwah is the highest of the Glass House Mountains. I rocked up expecting to bushwalk to the top, but I hadn’t done my research and was confronted with a rock face only 100m down the path. I climbed halfway up before deciding to call it a day as my shoes were lacking grip entirely and I’d really had to rely on arm strength on the way up. Even from the first vantage point the view was incredible!

I highly recommend rock climbing experience before climbing Mt Beerwah, as the rock face is smooth and doesn’t have distinct foot holes. That being said, it can be done but make sure you have solid, grippy shoes and a friend to be the eyes in the back of your head. Leave any extras, like water bottles, in the car because you’ll need all four limbs. There are amenities at the base, as well as a table which would be an incredible picnic spot as it sports an unobstructed view of the mountain.

Mt Tibrogargen

Mt Tibrogargen offers the best of both worlds. After a short walk from the carpark slightly up the mountain, there’s a lookout with spectacular views of Mt Beerwah, Mt Coonowrin and Mt Ngungun. From here, you can choose from two routes. Firstly, you can do a flat walk around Mt Tibrogargen’s circumference, which is approximately 4.5km. Be careful, although the walk is easy the signage isn’t great so pay attention to landmarks while enjoying the scenic view of other Glass House Mountain family members on the way. On the other hand, you can choose to venture upwards where, after five minutes worth of steep stairs, you’ll reach Mt Tibrogargen’s renowned rock-climbing. I climbed to the first vantage point which offers spectacular views, but if you’re feeling confident you can climb even higher to the 364m summit height.

Most sites claim this to be the most difficult of the mountains so make sure you have grippy shoes and aren’t carrying extras, like water bottles; there are amenities at the base. Always climb with friends or family in case of an emergency or accident but don’t stress too much… if I can do it, you can!

Mt Warning

As opposed to the Sunshine Coast’s Glass House Mountains, Mt Warning is located in the Gold Coast hinterland directly inland from Coolangatta, about a two-hour drive south from Brisbane. Mt Warning is hard. With a 1125m summit elevation and 8.8km return track, it’s the most strenuous climb I’ve done; I would allow around four hours return taking rest stops into account. Climbing with friends is an excellent distraction from the seemingly endless journey upwards, and also is a safer way to go when you reach the rock-climbing scramble at the summit. Although it’s relatively easy with the provided hand-rope, be careful climbing at early morning or after rain as it can get quite slippery. Reaching the summit is an exhilarating experience after 2 hours of uphill walking, but the lookout can often be enveloped in clouds, which is still an outer-worldly experience.

Enter ‘Mount Warning Summit Trail’ into your map when travelling here as the surrounding area can be quite misleading. There are amenities at the base. For the ultimate day trip combo visit Cedar Creek Falls for a cold dip when you’re finished because there’s no better feeling than a cool down after exercise!

Mt Coolum

In my opinion, Mt Coolum is a perfect beginner climb. It’s only 208m high at the summit and takes approximately 40 minutes to an hour to return; this is a great one for families and young children. Most of the walk up is comprised of stairs which are guaranteed to get your legs burning, so it’s rewarding to stop at the top and absorb the panoramic view of Australia’s east coast, the Sunshine Coast hinterland and airport. If you’re looking for an extra burn or have done Mt Coolum a couple of times, challenge yourself to run as it would only take 10 minutes.

There are no amenities at Mt Coolum but there’s a refreshing juice and coffee truck in the carpark and plenty of shops nearby. I recommend climbing earlier in the day as the light sandstone reflects heat – definitely wear a hat and sunnies and apply sunscreen.

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Happy climbing!