#mtmaroon

[rie-k-photo]

Running Creek sunset by bpaties https://www.flickr.com/photos/98570101@N08/53256324366

[pr0crastinati0nqu33n]

Mt Maroon <3 Doesn't look like much because of the cloud but we were pretty high up. Favourite view in QLD (when not in cloud). #mtmaroon #qld #bushwalking #hiking #cloud #foggy #rekt #iwasalldirtyandwet #rain

[terratrekkers-blog]

It's always peaceful on the summit. ⛰ On our next post, we'll show you the amazing view from the other side! We highly recommend a trip to the scenic rim in Queensland. Beautiful place with a lot of tracks to do - some more challenging than others. ______________________________________________ #Australia#KiwisInAussie#tramp#hike#hiking#tramping#trek#adventure#nature#outdoors#trekking#mountains#mountain#whateveryouradventure#macpac#scenicrim#mountbarney#mtbarney#mountmaroon#mtmaroon#sky#summer#summit#peak#camp#camping (at Mount Barney National Park)

[terratrekkers-blog]

Under the edge 📶 looking up to Mt Maroon. A drop from the top, rock falls are no joke on these tracks 🙃 #mtmaroon #scenicrim #mtbarney #hiking #trekking #terratrekkers #tramping #camping #australia #summer #heat #nature #outdoors #adventure #whateveryouradventure #mountains #hike #trek #forest #summit #2016 #holiday #mountain #sky #climbing #rockclimbing #queensland (at Mt Barney National Park)

[terratrekkers-blog]

Atop Mt Maroon at 970m, looking out to Mt Barney and Mt Lindesay. Solid day hike to reach the peak, for our first hike outside of New Zealand (first of many 😎). What a completely different environment it is out here than to what we're used to back home in NZ. More photos coming soon. ☀️🌏 #Australia #scenicrim #brisbane #au #aus #hiking #tramping #hike #tramp #mountains #mountain #camping #camp #mothernature #outdoors #thegreatoutdoors #outback #adventure #summer #mountbarney #mtbarney #mountmaroon #mtmaroon #climbing #rockclimbing #mtlindesay #trekking #suunto #whateveryouradventure #roadtrip (at Mount Maroon)

[ascensionsquad]

Mt. Maroon

A small gem about 90 minutes west of the Gold Coast, Mount Maroon is probably best described as Mount Barney’s little sister, a smaller, yet no less impressive mountain that sits about a kilometre high, and definitely has a few challenges of its own. In early 2015, Sam and I decided to try out Maroon for a second time and took along Caylin as he’d never climbed it before. After the long drive out past Rathdowney we reached the carpark with plenty of time to spare. Thankfully, it was overcast when we started climbed at about 10am meaning the heat wasn’t yet unbearable. While Mount Maroon seems small in comparison to Barney it’s easily forgotten when you start climbing the first ridge line. The steepness and length is unforgiving, every step is a struggle  and when you look up it honestly seems to be no end in sight. Honestly, it was probably only about a kilometre in, but in my head it felt like I’d been walking for ages by the time we reached the point needed to turn right in the gully. For an unmaintained track the trail is pretty well defined, somehow we still managed to get just a little bit lost though, climbing up the ridge much further than needed until we ended up at the ominous eastern cliffs that for a second we thought we needed to climb without appropriate gear. After our small mistake however was where the real fun begins, a rock scramble up the gully between Maroon’s two peaks. Supposedly these are prime abseiling cliffs and I can see where they are absolutely massive, looming over you as you scramble up what is arguably the steepest section of the walk. According to the guy we met at the local driver reviver, some climbers sleep on the cliff at a ledge, before the crazy cats keep climbing up to the top for sunrise. For us, however, we just went on the *safer track*, which at this point was a never-ending vertical ascent, lifting ourselves up the rocky ladders. Finally we made it to the old campsite where a dry creek bed resides. From here the track is pretty easy, walking through a tiny bit of rainforest before the final scramble up to the top, but first we had to grab our rocks. Up the top of Maroon is a huge rock pile with the tradition of placing a new rock on it when you reach the top. Funnily enough, all the rocks near the top were taken so nowadays if you want something of decent size to add, you need to find your rock much lower down and slog it up. After finding our rocks the last scramble begins, there isn’t really a path at this point it’s basically a free for all climb, but with the summit in sight we basically ran to the top. The views at the peak of Maroon are still the best I’ve seen, perfect 360 degree views of the surrounding area including the lesser travelled north peak of Mount Barney, nothing can describe it really. After eating lunch and enjoying the scenery we headed back down, descents are always a bit of an effort but we made good pace and reached the car much faster than we reached the summit (it always works like that). It’s a shame really that more people don’t know about this place because it is a truly beautiful part of the world.

-Lewis