Mt Bartle Frere

Mt Bartle Frere is the tallest peak in Queensland and accessible from both the Cairns and Atherton sides of the range. Coming from the Atherton Tablelands side you have the advantage of starting at 700 m above sea level.

While the official site suggests that it takes two days to get to the top and back, it would seem from other accounts that it is doable in a single (long) day.

So I decided to have a go!

I camped slept in the car overnight at the start of the track and started out at first light. Another couple of guys, John and James, also turned up at the same time and were happy for me to tag along with them.

It took us about 5 hrs to get to the top and 4 hrs to get down. Thankfully I didn't attract a single leech, and we didn't see any snakes either. Now, 3 days later, my limbs are still aching, so it could be a while before I'd be willing to do it again - and it would have to be in the dry season too (hence the desire to get it done before October or so). But all the same it was a great sense of achievement, and a major walk ticked off my bucket list.

Mt Bartle Frere, viewed from the Atherton side. The track basically follows the ridgeline from the left

View from the boulders at North West Peak

The track passes around and over large granite boulders - some of them were quite significant obstacles!

Unfortunately the top (1611 m) is heavily forested. But it was also cloudy on this day - this was the most we had of a view from the summit, towards Innisfail and the coast

James, John and me at the summit

The track back down

Looking out over the Atherton Tablelands