After the Story Bridge climb Team Vodka assembled at 9am to do one final outdoor training session. We ventured up to the Glasshouse Mountains again but with the aim of climbing the smaller mountains. The aim of this weekend was to pull back on the training to give the body enough rest before race day. Due to time constraints (had to be back by 2pm) we picked Mt Beerburrum and Mt Ngungun.

Mount Beerburrum (278m) — 1.4km return (Allow 1 hour)

The carpark is just outside Beerburrum township, in Beerburrum State Forest. This steep, paved track leads you to a fire tower which offers great views. Mount Beerburrum’s fire tower is used to detect and manage fires throughout the surrounding parks and forests.^[1]

We found the paved track very steep and unrelenting, despite it only being 700m (one way). There is a disabled park at the carpark and we all wondered how a Wheelie (and the person pushing) could get up this path – let alone attempting the descent!

Mount Ngungun (253m above sea level) — 2.4km return (Allow 2 hours)

Mount Ngungun is about 3km from Glass House Mountains township via Coonowrin and Fullertons Roads. This summit provides spectacular views of all four major mountain peaks. The track starts at the carpark and is relatively short but steep in places and may be unstable in some sections.^[1]

With only twenty minutes left on our clocks before the point of no return, we made it up to half way (the hardest part too). We had reached the first rock apron where Owl Pillar guards the rocky and root ridden path. Rockclimbing in this section is forbidden out of respect for the Aboriginal beliefs in the cave and rock features of this section of Ngungun. At the top of this section we admired the views briefly before turning around and descending the mountain.

By retreating early, this allowed Team Vodka to indulged Strawberry pancakes at the nearby Fruit Shop near Mt Tibrogargan. A ritual Team Vodka seems to perform whenever in the Glasshouse area.

References:

1: EPA Glasshouse Mountains and surrounds