Book Direct with the Owner at Bartle Frere Trail (Josephine Falls Trail Head) in Cairns with Tourism Townsville for all your holiday and travel needs.
Climbing the summit of Queensland's highest mountain offers a challenging way to explore part of the World Heritage-listed rainforest of the Bellenden Ker Range in Wooroonooran National Park. From Josephine Falls, walkers can walk to the summit and return or continue on to Junction Camp on the Atherton Tableland (both walks are 15 kilometres and take two days). The trail starts at an altitude of 100 metres and rises to 1,622 metres at the summit; an average gradient of one in five.
Josephine Falls to Big Rock camp (two hours). The walk from Josephine Falls to Big Rock camp is a moderate climb (rising 400 metres over three kilometres).
Big Rock camp to Eastern Summit camp (five hours). This section is a steep climb (rising 1,000 metres over four kilometres). Do not leave equipment on the camping pad at Eastern Summit camp during the day as the pad may be used to land a helicopter in an emergency.
Eastern Summit camp to Bartle Frere summit (one hour). The final ascent (rising 300 metres over 500 metres) to the Bartle Frere summit requires scrambling over boulders and can be slippery when wet. From the summit, walkers can either return to Josephine Falls or continue on to Junction camp.
Bartle Frere summit to Western Summit camp (one hour). The trail is scramble down through numerous granite boulders. This part of the climb can be very slippery when wet. Western Summit camp, a small clearing beside a creek, is suitable as a rest point or for an overnight stay.
Western Summit camp to North West Peak (two hours). On a clear day, enjoy excellent views of Bellenden Ker and the Mulgrave River valley from an exposed outcrop of rocks one kilometre from North West Peak.
North West Peak to Junction camp (five hours ). This trail is steep (descending 700 metres over five kilometres) and has occasional rock scrambles and long sections of continuous downhill walking. A short distance from the end of the trail is a turn-off to the picturesque Bobbin Bobbin Falls.
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