Glass House Mountains

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Glass House Mountains

Mount Coonowrin.

We arrived in Brisbane on a Sunday evening and were in our hotel near to the Glass House Mountains after 11pm. Our plans to get an early start the next morning were overly optimistic and so we got to the Mount Tibrogargan trailhead by about 8am. Even at that hour the temperature was already in the low 30s Celsius. A 45 minute hike and some searching around finally put us at the base of our chosen route on the Northeast Buttress of the mountain. Though this may seem like a less than an ideal aspect, fact is that at those latitudes and at that time of the year there are no shady faces if you decide to sleep in. We started up Blabbermouth (7 pitch, Australian 16). After one pitch we were baking; two pitches up we were starting to hallucinate. And so we threw in the towel and bailed. By the time we got back to the car the thermometer was showing 43C and temperature was rising. Next day, we woke up a touch earlier and were at the base of the route by 6am: Remains Of The Day (5 pitch, 17) once again on Mount Tibro which really has the longest and best looking multi-pitch lines of the area. That day turned out to be partly cloudy and so the temps never broke 30C during our morning climb. What little climbing we did there was fun: face routes on volcanic rock with a mix of bolts supplemented by a piece here and there and on surprisingly solid rock. Though we would not go out of our way to go back, we’d definitely stop by for another climb or two were we in the neighborhood. After a quick lunch, we hit the road and headed for our next destination: Warrumbungles National Park in New South Wales some 8 hours away.

Photos

Glasshouse Mountains Ecolodge

Glasshouse Mountains Ecolodge (Dec. 2019).

Glasshouse Mountains Ecolodge

Glasshouse Mountains Ecolodge breakfast in a railcar. Our first morning of the trip (Dec. 2019).

Glasshouse Mountains Ecolodge

Glasshouse Mountains Ecolodge – welcome to Australia (Dec. 2019).

Glass House Mountains

Starting the short but already plenty hot approach to Mount Tibrogargan (Dec. 2019).

Glass House Mountains

A bit jet lagged as well (Dec. 2019).

Blabbermouth

Starting up Blabbermouth (this is actually Blabbermouth VS or the direct start) in what were positively scorching conditions (Dec. 2019).

Blabbermouth

Shirley starting up pitch 1 (Dec. 2019).

Blabbermouth

Delirious Shirley arriving at the pitch 1 belay (Dec. 2019).

Blabbermouth

Starting the lead of pitch 2 (Dec. 2019).

Blabbermouth

Looking back at Shirley from the start of pitch 2 of Blabbermouth (Dec. 2019).

Blabbermouth

Higher on the scorching pitch 2 (Dec. 2019).

Blabbermouth

Shirley starting up pitch 2 of Blabbermouth (Dec. 2019).

Blabbermouth

Nearing the top of pitch 2 of Blabbermouth (Dec. 2019).

Blabbermouth

Mount Coonowrin (right) from Blabbermouth on Mount Tibro. Unfortunately closed to all activities (Dec. 2019).

Blabbermouth

Arriving at the second belay on Blabbermouth (Dec. 2019).

Blabbermouth

A close-up of Mount Coonowrin (Dec. 2019).

Blabbermouth

Bailing off pitch 2 with mild heat strokes (Dec. 2019).

Glass House Mountains

Shirley delirious with heat at the base of Blabbermouth (Dec. 2019).

Glass House Mountains

Hiking down in some oppressive heat (Dec. 2019).

Glass House Mountains

Resting “in the shadow” of Mount Tibrogargan (Dec. 2019).

Glass House Mountains

That white streak is the hiker’s route to Mount Tibro’s summit (Dec. 2019).

Glass House Mountains

It was hot (Dec. 2019).

Glass House Mountains

Glass House Mountains overlook. Mount Tibrogargan is on the right, Mount Coonowrin is on the left (closed to all use; Dec. 2019).

Glass House Mountains

Shirley and Mount Coonowrin (Dec. 2019).

Glass House Mountains

Mount Tibrogargan from the west (Dec. 2019).

Glass House Mountains

Mount Coonowrin from an overlook point (Dec. 2019).

Glass House Mountains

Cooling off in the car (Dec. 2019).

Glass House Mountains

Mount Tibro from the west (Dec. 2019).

Glass House Mountains

Mount Tibrogargan from the southwest (Dec. 2019).

Glass House Mountains

Mount Coonowrin (Dec. 2019).

Glass House Mountains

Stocking up for the next few days of the trip (Dec. 2019).

Glass House Mountains

Second time on approach to Mount Tibro – a much easier and a much cooler hike (Dec. 2019).

Remains Of The Day

Starting up pitch 1 of Remains Of The Day on Tibro’s Carborundum Wall (Dec. 2019).

Remains Of The Day

Shirley on pitch 1 of Remains Of The Day (Dec. 2019).

Remains Of The Day

Nice fun climbing on this pitch (Dec. 2019).

Remains Of The Day

We were quite grateful for the overcast that morning (Dec. 2019).

Remains Of The Day

Shirley arriving at the first belay (Dec. 2019).

Remains Of The Day

Moving the belay to the start of pitch 1 (Dec. 2019).

Remains Of The Day

Leading pitch 2 (Dec. 2019).

Remains Of The Day

Shirley starting up pitch 2 (Dec. 2019).

Remains Of The Day

Glass House Mountains is a National Park but a bit of an oddity: patches of protected land (around the volcanic plugs) are separated by swaths of farmland (Dec. 2019).

Remains Of The Day

Shirley nearing the second belay on Remains Of The Day; note the mix of bolts and (if you so choose) trad gear (Dec. 2019).

Remains Of The Day

More views from Remains Of The Day route (Dec. 2019).

Remains Of The Day

Shirley arriving at the second belay on Remains Of The Day (Dec. 2019).

Remains Of The Day

The steep opening moves of pitch 3 are the true crux of the route (at least for us; Dec. 2019).

Remains Of The Day

Looking back at Shirley from above the crux on pitch 3 (Dec. 2019).

Remains Of The Day

Shirley arriving at the third belay – a comfy one on a bushy ledge (Dec. 2019).

Remains Of The Day

Leading pitch 4 (Dec. 2019).

Remains Of The Day

Shirley on pitch 4 (Dec. 2019).

Remains Of The Day

Shirley arriving at the 4th belay on Remains Of The Day (Dec. 2019).

Remains Of The Day

Pitch 4 of Remains Of The Day (Dec. 2019).

Remains Of The Day

In the spirit of carrot bolts?

Remains Of The Day

Leading the 5th and final pitch of Remains Of The Day (Dec. 2019).

Remains Of The Day

Shirley on pitch 5 (Dec. 2019).

Remains Of The Day

Shirley topping out on Remains Of The Day route (Dec. 2019).

Remains Of The Day

Views from the top of the route (Dec. 2019).

Glass House Mountains

Shirley at the base of the Carborundum Wall on Mount Tibrogargan (Dec. 2019).

Glass House Mountains

Hiking down back to the car on a positively fresh morning (Dec. 2019).

Australia

Crossing over from Queensland into New South Wales (Dec. 2019).

Australia

Some grocery shopping before our next stop in Coonabarabran (Dec. 2019).

Australia

Getting there (Dec. 2019).

Go to Warrumbungles Failure.
Go back to Southeastern Australia Roadtrip.