Mount Maroon Northwestern Ridge Via Maroon Caves (2021 update)
Trail photos
Author
Trail stats
- Distance
- 4.14 mi
- Elevation gain
- 2,717 ft
- Technical difficulty
- Difficult
- Elevation loss
- 2,717 ft
- Max elevation
- 3,197 ft
- TrailRank
-
75
4.3
- Min elevation
- 1,163 ft
- Trail type
- Loop
- Moving time
- 3 hours 59 minutes
- Time
- 6 hours 7 minutes
- Coordinates
- 1261
- Uploaded
- April 18, 2021
- Recorded
- April 2021
near Cotswold, Queensland (Australia)
Viewed 1717 times, downloaded 142 times
Trail photos
Itinerary description
This route involves a little bit of scrambling on both open rock and through loose scramly rock. The route is one of the most spectacular ways to climb Mt Maroon but it requires a high level of skill in both navigation and ability.
The trail starts by ascending quickly from the Cotswold Road normal start point for Mt Maroon. The Trail makes a b line up a spur to eventually ascend to the spur leading to the cliffs before descending below the cliffs to follow along to the caves.
From a caves you do a short descend down a ridge and then left under the cliffs to the left of the caves and then essentially traverse while maintaining elevation across a series of about 6 spurs to get to the northwestern ridge. As the trail closes in on the northwestern ridge you will start to ascend through a series of easy chimneys to the North Western Ridge.
You then follow this ridge up along the spur until just before the top where you need to rdge right to meet the easy route up to the granite runway which forms the top of Mt Maroon. The final ascend is through slightly thicker vegetation.
This track then essentially follows a course through the open rock up progressively through each of the minor peaks of Mt Maroon. The track then descends to the tourist track up Mt Maroon before concluding climbing to the main peak.
The return is via the Mt Maroon tourist track. Ensure plenty of water. Along the way the vegetation is quite sparse other than just before the top of the Northwesten ridge. You could probably get away wearing shorts.
The trail starts by ascending quickly from the Cotswold Road normal start point for Mt Maroon. The Trail makes a b line up a spur to eventually ascend to the spur leading to the cliffs before descending below the cliffs to follow along to the caves.
From a caves you do a short descend down a ridge and then left under the cliffs to the left of the caves and then essentially traverse while maintaining elevation across a series of about 6 spurs to get to the northwestern ridge. As the trail closes in on the northwestern ridge you will start to ascend through a series of easy chimneys to the North Western Ridge.
You then follow this ridge up along the spur until just before the top where you need to rdge right to meet the easy route up to the granite runway which forms the top of Mt Maroon. The final ascend is through slightly thicker vegetation.
This track then essentially follows a course through the open rock up progressively through each of the minor peaks of Mt Maroon. The track then descends to the tourist track up Mt Maroon before concluding climbing to the main peak.
The return is via the Mt Maroon tourist track. Ensure plenty of water. Along the way the vegetation is quite sparse other than just before the top of the Northwesten ridge. You could probably get away wearing shorts.
Waypoints
Waypoint
1,947 ft
Comments (3)
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Tough hike. Recommend this GPS route. Careful of cliffs just after the caves- if you’re not right on the GPS route you may find yourself too high up and have to backtrack. Lots of scrambling through bush up steep mountain. 4.5 hours up- just over 1 hour down. Incredibly rewarding and scenic!
I have followed this trail verified View more
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Easy to follow
Scenery
Difficult
I'm fit and experienced and I found this very tough. First thing to note is that there is no trail. You'll be walking up and across steep rocky hillsides, through sharp bushes and endless spider webs, with the app in hand most of the time. Do not attempt without the app or a map and good navigational skills. The caves are great as are the views at the top. I was very happy to finally meet up with the tourist trail near the peak! Took me 6 hours. Don't attempt in reverse and be prepared to be the only one on the side of the mountain.
I can concur with the reviewers that this track is not an easy one and when I do it I always do it with a team. I don't find a terribly difficult however I have been doing this route for some years. My words do articulate the difficulty. The key points are to drop down immediately from the cave to get under the cliffs. To progress laterally and not get wrapped up in any false tracks which rock climbers use to get across to the ridge which has a view towards Mt May. To progress up that ridge sticking relatively close to the middle of the ridge until you get towards the top where you need to drift slightly right to find the gully leading to the granite runway. In progressive years the correct route is becoming more traversed and hence is easier to find.