Climbing Mount Bartle Frere (Chooreechillum)

Elevation:  1,611 metres   Nearest towns:  Mirriwinni /Babinda

Difficulty:  Hard                  Date[s] climbed:  27/06/2010    Location:  Queensland    Author: Brian

Clearly this sign has been flown in by chopper. Note the envelope taped on the RHS upright. Also no view.

Mount Bartle Frere is Queensland’s tallest peak. Located approximately 50 odd km south of Cairns as the crow flies, it is a fitting challenge to conclude our quest to summit the State 8. The trailhead is at the Josephine Falls carpark which sits about 100 metres above sea level. Bartle Frere is situated in steep, dense, and at times impenetrable rainforest. It’s going to be a tough climb to the peak at 1,611 metres.

Warnings

This is a very challenging climb and should only be undertaken by fit, experienced climbers. There are two warning signs; one at the carpark, the other near the helipad. The sign at the helipad warns about proceeding to the summit through the Boulder Field if it is overcast or raining. This warning should be replicated at the trailhead as it could be a showstopper if it is raining heavily.

The round trip is approximately 15 km. The warning sign suggests it could take 10 to 12 hours. Be aware heavy rainfall during the wet season will result in the track becoming impassable. Climb during the dry season, but be aware very heavy rain can still occur.

Be aware the Boulder Field can be quite hazardous. This is the last big challenge after a demanding climb. Take it easy and you will be ok. There are big drops, possibly terminal, if you lose your footing. Be warned, this is the home of the Leech!

History

The mountain was named after Sir Henry Bartle Frere, a British colonial administrator and then president of the Royal Geographical Society, by George Elphinstone Dalrymple in 1873.

Located in the homeland of the traditional owners, the Noongyandbudda Ngadjon people, several members of that tribe helped guide colourful, Australian born explorer, Christie Palmerston to the summit of Bartle Frere in 1886. Thus, becoming the first non-indigenous person to climb the mountain. Apparently, it took him two days to reach the top. It is unclear which route he took.

Planning

The Bartle Frere climb is well detailed on the web. There are two routes. Real climbers take on the traditional route from the Josephine Falls carpark. The trail is reasonably well marked with markers every kilometre.

The Climb

The day before our climb we decide to eyeball the trailhead to make sure we have a smooth, early start. The trail is very well marked; however, we observe a couple of returning weary climbers and observe their leach bitten, bleeding legs. Not a promising introduction.

It’s finally Bartle Frere day and we leave the Josephine Falls car park with great enthusiasm to tackle Queensland’s highest. The rainforest canopy deflects the early onset of rain and jackets become the order of the day as we hit the first river crossing. Bartle Frere’s reputation for endless rain is intact.

The first 3 kilometres gently conditions our bodies for the much harder back end 4.5 kilometres. In spite of two river crossings (up to one’s thighs in places, even though it is the dry season), we arrive at the mini campground in under 80 minutes, however that rate plummets to around 1 kilometre per hour as we steadily attack the 1 km markers leading us upwards to our prize.

These markers become important mental milestones as we slowly labour up the steep, muddy, demanding track. The 5 km marker seems to take forever to reach however the strain dissolves as we move enthusiastically on to the 6 km marker. In places the track seems to be near vertical and the roots and small plants provide critical handholds as you pull yourself slowly upwards.

The battle with leech’s began around the 3 km mark near the campground but the Bushman aerosol applied liberally seems to keep them out of our vulnerable shoes and we are generally able to flick them off as they crawl up our exposed legs. (Notwithstanding, a few get through and we suffer bites to backsides and necks however the count is surprisingly low; under ten for the day)

With the introductory encounter with big boulders behind us, the 7 km marker, hut and helipad emerge out of the mist and rain and our expectation to summit quickly is uppermost in our minds. A short 500 metres to the top and it will be ours…. A few metres on and a sign warning climber’s not to try to summit if it is wet or clouding in, sets the scene for the Boulder Field. That warning viewed in swirling clouds and steady drizzle doesn’t discourage us, but we wonder aloud why the sign isn’t replicated at the car park.

A well-worn but slippery track leads us to our nemesis, the much under-estimated Boulder Field. Confronting as they come into view, the granite boulders at first seduce you into thinking they are simply oversize stepping stones to the top however the first gaping holes between the mossy and slippery rocks brings the challenge and danger into stark reality. Whilst there are a number of climbing aids to assist you through the most difficult places, they are few and far between and sadly wanting in a number of critical places.

I’m starting to cramp in both legs as the unusual stretching and weight bearing scrambling becomes the order of the day and the large, deep crevices amplify my apprehension. It has become surprisingly cold as the rate of progress slows. Regardless I am going to get through this test which is probably challenging even on a dry day and it is one boulder at a time and it will be behind us. Adrenalin and the culmination of many years hard work and planning drive me on. Graeme seems to be making better progress than me; what is he on?

Finally, the Boulder Field is behind us and there is a very steep, crumbling, muddy track snaking inexorably up towards the summit. The gnarled roots that anchor the plants to this remarkable place are essential climbing aids as this last obstacle is overcome. It’s as if Frere understands that you have conquered her last line of defences but she is going to make the last few metres difficult. And suddenly the top emerges, a small, cleared area surrounded by rain forest which prevents any view even if the masking clouds could somehow be parted. Quite incongruously there is a formal sign heralding that you are on the summit of Mount Bartle Frere, the tallest mountain in Queensland! We have made it.

To mark the conclusion of my Big Eight challenge, Graeme has beckoned me forward, bestowing upon me the honour of being first to summit Frere. Emotions are mixed as the effort of summiting, the cold, the wet and the swirling clouds, impose upon us, as we perch on this small handhold on the top of Queensland; we share a strong sense of achievement and camaraderie as we respect Frere and ourselves for the challenge it has been for all three of us this day.

Out of the mist a sole climber summits and we share small talk and stories and reciprocate hastily taken photos using lenses dripping with condensation. Handshakes follow as we drink in the moment.

Just as we are about to retrace our steps, I notice what appears to be a message taped to the base of the Bartle Frere sign. Incredulously I see it is an envelope wrapped in a plastic bag which states on the outside “Please leave for Brian O’Neil and Graeme Alder”. Hell, that’s us! I hastily unwrap the gaffer tape and open the letter to find it is from a fellow climber, Allan Fielding we climbed Mt. Woodroffe with a month earlier. On his way home from Woodroffe via Mount Zeil, Allan has climbed Frere on the 9th of June and has generously left this note for us. Our elation peaks through Allan’s very thoughtful gesture, highlighting the strong fraternity we share as climbers and bushwalkers.

The long climb beginning at the base of Bimberi some years earlier has concluded here on Mount Bartle Frere. No time for inner reflections as we turn around and face the daunting reverse path down through the Boulder Field.

I glimpse the visible look of satisfaction and achievement on Graeme’s face and I know it has all been worthwhile.

Climbing Mount Bellenden Ker (Wooroonooran)

Elevation:  1,593 metres    Nearest towns: Babinda

Difficulty:    Very Hard        Date[s] climbed:  8/10/2019    Location:  Queensland    Author:  Brian

                                                                                             The hard fought for summit of Bellenden Ker

Mount Bellenden Ker is the second highest peak in Queensland at 1,589 metres (QLD. Govt 1:25,000 Topo map 2018) and is located roughly 40 kilometres south of Cairns. This is the final climb in our State16 and we left it until last given we had to first obtain the challenging, potentially show-stopping approvals, for Mt. Edward and Mt. Morris. Even though we had a real challenge climbing Mt. Zeil I would have to rate Mt. Bellenden Ker as technically the most difficult climb of the sixteen but given those challenges and the sheer, sometimes brutal beauty of the area, it was one of the most satisfying.

Warnings

My apologies for this section being so large however it is quite a dangerous area to be in. Mt. Bellenden Ker forms part of the World Heritage listed Wooroonooran National Park and is classic high elevation rain forest. The rain forest is largely impenetrable. Hot and humid, it is home to a number of nasty florae including Gympie-Gympie or the giant stinging tree, which causes extreme stinging, and another beast of a thing known to the locals as the “Wait-A-While” or "Lawyer" vine. This vine can be many metres long, have many runners and can be interwoven with other plants, so quite difficult to see. You will not mistake it when you encounter it. It has vicious spikes which become even worse as the vine ages. If you happen to stumble into this vine, as the name suggests, rather than trying to push through, "wait a while", and slowly try to extricate yourself. We run afoul of this plant on a couple of occasions, with attendant blood, pain and expletives.

There are a large number of Cassowaries in the area and there are signs at Base station warning of the dangers if you encounter an aggressive bird(s). We saw evidence (droppings) of many on Mt. Bellenden Ker but fortunately didn’t encounter any, although we did hear some concerning crashing sounds in the dense scrub.

The mountain has many ridges and it would be easy to wander off the main ridges. We can’t stress how dense the rain forest is and if you get lost it could be calamitous.

Mt. Bellenden Ker has the highest recorded annual rainfall in Australia, at roughly 12 metres. The annual average is 8 metres. Amazing! June through November is the dry period however the average monthly rainfall can be up to 400 mm during that period. As it turned out we hit the mountain in October during a rare drought year, we didn’t encounter any rain and the conditions were quite dry. In fact, we didn’t encounter any water on the climb until we hit Top Station. The climb was extremely challenging even in the unseasonal dry and we “strongly” suggest not attempting the climb if it is at all wet, which is likely the norm.

At Top Station there is a lot of high-powered communication equipment on very tall towers. Graeme and I were both carrying GPS systems which were both working fine as we summited. However later when we tried to retrieve the data, both files had been corrupted. This is the first time this has happened to us on any climb and I suspect we were bombarded with nasties when we climbed across to Top Station about a kilometre away. Fortunately, our child creating days are well past!

If you get into trouble on this mountain there are a number of very crude helipads associated with some of the HV towers, however be aware access to these is very challenging if you run into trouble. We did have mobile cover at the summit. In conclusion, this is a two-day round-trip climb. It took us 9 hours to summit and that was in fairly good conditions. 

History

As for Mt. Edward there is very little published information about climbing Mt. Bellenden Ker. There are oblique references to the very first climbs by Europeans. Johnstone in 1874 and Sayer in 1888. A more detailed account is available, F M Bailey’s ascent in 1889 as a member of Archibald Meston’s scientific expedition which undertook a major taxonomic and zoology study of the area over a 6-week period. (2763_Dowe_2007.pdf – an interesting read) Bailey questioned whether the previous climbers had actually climbed Bellenden Ker Centre peak and there has been a lot of adjustment to names and elevations. Given Bailey’s measurements were based on barometric readings it is likely he may have confused both his location and the elevation, thus it is difficult to assess who the first European to climb Centre Peak was.

As an aside, there are three significant and similar elevations on the ridge, running south to north, Top station, where the comms towers are located, Centre peak which is the highest point and North peak.

John Bellenden Ker Gawler was a noted English botanist who never travelled to Australia. He changed his name in later life to Bellenden Ker. On 22 June 1819 Lieutenant Phillip King named the range after Bellenden Ker following the suggestion made to him by his ship's botanist, Allan Cunningham.

Planning

As mentioned previously we pushed Mt. Bellenden Ker (BK) out to last climb of the State16 given it was pointless until we had climbed the problematic Mt’s. Edward and Morris. However, we did undertake a lot of casual research so that we had a general feel for the effort involved. Again, there is very little published material and none regarding individual climbs.

By way of introduction, Top Station which is to the east of Centre Peak, is a major broadcasting facility managed by Broadcast Australia, and as it unfolded the focal point of our research. There are a number of large communication towers at Top station with attendant buildings etc. all enclosed in a compound.

There is a cable car and a separate 12KVA transmission line which powers the facility, that runs from the base of BK, Bottom Station, up to Top Station. In the absence of the communications facility, it is doubtful there would be “any” access to Centre Peak!

Graeme came across one of the original surveyors, (Bob O’Sullivan) who was a member of the survey team in 1966 which established the route for the transmission line and cable car. Bob kindly provided some general feedback on that experience; however, that was 50 years earlier.

One would think that given the existence of the comms facility, cable car and power transmission line, there would be a very accessible track to the summit. Not so. The cable car does make the trip to the summit at least once daily to provide logistics for the facility plus reading of the rain gauges located there. That trip is about 7k each way and takes half an hour one way.

The cable car and transmission lines don’t always run together and at times bridge quite significant ridges. (Keep in mind we are starting at about 100 metres elevation at Bottom Station and going straight up to nearly 1,600 odd metres – If you have climbed Mt. Bartle Frere you will have a feel for what BK is all about)

Yes, there is a track of sorts that was cut to support the cable car and transmission lines. This is sort of maintained by Broadcast Australia. In places it follows the cable car and in other areas skirts around ridges and is quite separate from the cable car. The track does link into a couple of “very rough” helipads which are used for maintenance. It is this track that we used to climb BK.

We suspect access to Centre Peak BK, given it is in the Wooroonooran Range national park, is open to anyone who wants to climb there. However as mentioned, access to Centre Peak would be nigh on impossible for casual climbing unless you use the Broadcast Australia track. Getting to that track is at the rear of the Broadcast Australia property at Bottom station and that entire facility is heavily fenced and locked. There is a further locked gate on the track into Bottom Station.

Access approval must be made through Broadcast Australia. We won’t go into the fine details of that protracted endeavour but suffice to say we did receive informal feedback on the track and a very informal acknowledgement that we were going to climb BK using the track. At no stage did we receive formal approval to climb BK, but nor did they specifically deny us access.

Just to reiterate, unless you want to fight your way through largely impenetrable, brutally steep rainforest, you will need to use the track. Climbing must be undertaken when the weather is at its driest and please don’t take it on if it is really raining. Be aware, the track is in good condition in places but it is heavily overgrown in others. Track conditions can change rapidly due to the nature of tropical growth. It took us more than 30 minutes to get through one section of about 50 metres!

The Climb

It’s Monday October 7, 2019 and we fly into Cairns airport and pick up a rental car for the drive down the Bruce highway to the Babinda State Hotel at Babinda. Our plan is to pick up some supplies in Cairns, book into the hotel and also do an exploratory walk into the first tower on the track. We have allowed five full days for the exercise, including travel.

Getting supplies in Cairns was fine but for a stock of butane gas. We were unsure whether BK was going to be a same day climb or whether it is a two-day climb, so we come fully kitted out to stay overnight on the mountain if necessary. We scoured Cairns for compatible butane cylinders but to no avail. Oh well, we can probably do it in one day or else we will survive ok on non-cooked food. Also save weight.

Our foray came unstuck as we venture down the road towards Babinda. There has been an accident and we join a huge detour convoy and very slowly make out way around the accident. As a result, we are late getting into Babinda and in fact are lucky to get into the hotel. It's a public holiday, the Queen's birthday, and they closed at 5: 30. Our host did graciously let us in and we discover the wonders of the Babinda State Hotel. It’s quite old, and offers basic accommodation, but it is charming and has everything we need. Doing the exploratory walk up to “Tower 1” is now out of the question, so we will simply have to wing it tomorrow.

Just before first light we drive to Telecom Road and the locked gate, about 1 km back from Bottom Station. We park the car and get ready to climb the gate when we are challenged by one of the locals who wants to know what we are up to. We explain to him and he seems ok with us proceeding, not that he had any right to stop us. About 800 metres up the road and we are confronted by a massive ring mesh locked gate, standing about 3 metres tall. Clearly impassable. There is also a big sign warning of the dangers of encountering Cassowaries. We just want to get on with it.

Fortunately, there is a fairly ramshackle fence on the north side of the gate and we are able to scoot around that section and wend our way around to the back of Bottom Station. We look for the cable car tower and power lines and locate a fairly ordinary track heading upwards. We are on our way to tower 1. This track is quite steep but well maintained and we are soon at the base of tower 1.

Emboldened we head towards tower 2. The track initially heads sharply downhill and it becomes pretty rough and the term track is questioned. After a tough climb to tower 2 we discover that we have in fact branched off the track and have climbed up to tower 2 the hard way. If the entire track had been as hard as that section, we likely wouldn’t have made it. We also discover the term Helipad refers to a bunch of coarse rocks on a knobby outcrop. Clearly bush pilots! That helipad was typical of the others and obviously only used in an emergency.

On to Tower 3, which we encounter in about 35 minutes. The track is still tough but ok. At this juncture the track branches off to the south heading west and swings well away from the cable car and power lines. In fact, we bypass towers 4 and 5 although there are side-tracks for accessing those towers. The climb around this bypass is quite steep but well defined. We are still optimistic we can do this in one long day.

On to tower 6. This is quite a long section and takes nearly 4 odd hours. It’s a nice climb although steep but quite satisfying. The track has obviously been worked on recently and we are pleased with progress.

We suddenly lose the track, which is heavily overgrown. Pink guidance ribbon has been tied to trees etc at odd stages along the track and we are reassured when we see the next ribbon. (This is a challenge for Graeme as he is colour blind and can’t discern pink. LOL) There is no more pink in sight and we split vertically around where the track is overgrown. This section of about 50 odd metres takes us about 30 minutes to traverse. Graeme encourages me to join him down lower however the scrub is so thick he can’t see that it is nearly a sheer drop between us. I also encounter Wait-A-While and come off second best; pain, expletives and blood add to the moment. We finally reconnect and lo and behold another pink ribbon appears. That section is the worst we encountered.

Approaching tower 6 we stop for lunch. The top and return is starting to look pretty doubtful but as ever we are still optimistic. At tower 6 we cross under the cable car and power lines and head well north, it’s another large detour along the ridges. This leg is supposed to be about 4 hours and should take us in an arc towards Centre Peak. No more towers for us. It becomes painfully obvious that the track refurbishment we encountered up to tower 6 has suddenly stopped and the going is pretty rough. We debate whether to dump some of our gear at tower 6 but common sense prevails and we hang on to all our gear. A prudent move. It is a really hard vertical slog from here up towards Centre peak.

I am struggling a bit and we do roughly 50 or 60 vertical metres and take short spells. Graeme is also weary but offers great encouragement and it’s one step after another. We are so grateful that the track is virtually dry. This is a very testing stage and mud et al would be soul destroying. Only a couple of leeches so we are very fortunate with the conditions.

After nearly 4 hours we are approaching the top and keeping an eye out for a side track to take us to the summit of Centre Peak. However, there it is, a bloody formal sign announcing, CENTRE PEAK! What a relief, as we are pretty weary and still anticipating a side track before we are there. Elation and we can’t quite believe we have made it. The track actually does go right past Centre Peak. A branch to the north heads towards North Peak. It has taken us roughly 9 hours to summit!

There is no panorama view as we are well under the rainforest canopy. Some photos, which reveal two pretty dishevelled, but broadly grinning, happy souls. Not only have we summited but that’s peak number “16”. Wow, and we feel quite emotional. Probably a lot to do with the exertion but it is a very special moment for both of us. Bellenden Ker has certainly been our toughest climbing challenge and a fitting climax.

Reality sets in; we still have to get off this mountain and we obviously are not going to get back down today. It will be after midnight and there is no sense in taking the “track” on in the dark. In the distance we first hear the cable car. It is obviously going down the mountain. Oh, to have been on it. We are quite euphoric and begin to head over to Top station, which is about 800 metres to the south. Amazing how refreshed we are having summited. We even have time to contemplate things earthlier, such as discovering the Wooroonooran Tea tree, Leptospermum Wooroonooran, which is endemic to the upper ridges of BK. Quite large gnarly trunks and befitting sentinels of this unique place.

The track across to Top station is pretty rough but we knock it over pretty quickly, and out of the bush emerges Top Station, a huge monolithic edifice. Quite surreal; one minute you are in the entrails of tropical bush and then there is the comms. facility. It’s an old construction with large areas fenced off. We walk the perimeter and look for a place to settle in for the night. There is no wonderfully soft grassy knoll and we settle on the helipad base. It is firm to say the least, but hell it’s just for one night. Graeme and I quickly erect the tent in the strong wind. It is a two-man tent however somewhat cosier than expected.

We eat the sparse rations we have and a special liquid concoction which is nicer than expected. There is mobile cover, so we call our ever-understanding wives and let them know we are safe etc. It is great to hear their voices. There is much discussion as to how we will get back down. This was all about “climbing” BK – Right. We contemplate on how we can get a lift back down in the cable-car which would be a neat experience. A couple of phone calls and we luckily manage to get through to Broadcast Australia and explain the situation.

As luck would have it there is a scheduled drop off of some maintenance staff next morning and they agree to take us back down. Hallelujah! Time for bed. We spend one of the most uncomfortable nights I have ever spent in a tent. No hip hole, the wind is blowing like a banshee, the tent threatens to take off on my side of the tent and I reflect on how being tortured on a rack could have been no worse. A leak in the wee (pun) hours does nothing to relieve my discomfort.

Up early and we take some neat photos and speculate on and appreciate what we are seeing around us. A small track to where the power enters the facility underground; how nice it would have been to access the shower and accommodation facility inside the locked building; how the incoming crew are going to scale the towers and work on the upgrade; what it must be like staying in the facility for an extended period of time; how the counterweight works on the cable car; the prospect of walking back down if the cable car is a no show, the views down to the south etc. And of course, the occasional reflection on what we have finally achieved and how we are looking forward to a shower and food.

The cues as to whether the cable car is operating is firstly the sound of the apparatus starting to move, then seeing the huge flywheel turning and then the counterweight doing its thing. Around 7:45 AM we are delighted to hear the beast crank into action and we understand it should appear into view in about 25 minutes. There are pauses as the gondola passes through the towers on the way up. Cameras at the ready we are poised to take shots as the gondola finally appears; you can only see it as it approaches the last tower. The gondola is resplendent and obviously maintained to a very high degree.

We patiently wait for the gondola to empty and with great enthusiasm we finally climb aboard for the journey down. A fabulous experience above the jungle canopy and it showcases the wonders and magnificence of Bellenden Ker.

Back to Babinda we re-enter civilisation which includes a much-needed shower followed by a great lunch in the Bistro. Babinda is a quaint town and we take in a few of the local attractions before flying out the next day.

Mount Bellenden Ker is an enigma. It is home to a modern and integral component of the FNQ communications network tucked away at one end of the Wooroonooran Range, whilst the bulk of the mountain is steep, harsh and impenetrable rain forest and rightly, only handfuls of we climbers have had the good fortune to share its rugged grandeur.

In closing, an informal thankyou to Broadcast Australia is warranted, for their unofficial but supportive approach in helping us climb Mount Bellenden Ker.

Also, a special acknowledgement to my great friend and climbing partner Graeme, for his ongoing enthusiasm for this adventure and his wonderful company and encouragement when the going got tough. I can think of no other person I would rather have shared climbing the highest and second highest mountains in each State and Territory of mainland Australia, the State16.