Date: 22nd June, 2014
Distance: 12 km
Time: 2 h 40 min
Route: Ascent via Palm Gorge (1 h 20 min), descent via South East Ridge (1 h 10 min)
Before doing this hike I had two expectations, based on other walkers' comments, namely (1) Mt Greville would be difficult and (2) Mt Greville would be spectacular. It was certainly spectacular (much, much better than the nearby Mt Edwards) but I didn't find it overly punishing, although that may be because of the route I chose. Like most of the exposed, rocky peak walks in SEQ, it's probably best to avoid on a wet day.
There are three major routes that run up Mt Greville: Palm Gorge, South East Ridge and Waterfall Gorge. They all begin from a car park on the south eastern side of the mountain, so you can combine two routes for the ascent and descent. Waterfall Gorge seems to be rated the most difficult, but the other two still require some minor scrambling/route-finding skills, although I didn't have any trouble on my first trip here.
The first 5 minutes led uphill from the car park along an old dirt road, which seems to be composed of some clay-ish substance that added several extra kg of weight to my boots. I opted for Palm Gorge for my ascent based on the recommendation in the Take A Walk in SEQ book. The path is obvious (there is signage) until shortly before the gorge, and from there it's a matter of scrambling over rocks or navigating on either side all the way up.
The only confusing section was about 5 minutes into the scrambling, where it was necessary to follow the narrow gorge opening on the left rather than the large, open section to the right (shown in the image below).
Once inside the narrow gorge, the walls closed in tightly on either side and at one point couldn't have been much more than a few metres apart. It's obvious where the name comes from.
Scaling the gorge's boulders and winding my way through the towering palms was a lot of fun. This was probably the best part of the whole walk, and totally unlike anything else I've done before. That there is a mountain peak at the end was kind of a bonus.
After about half an hour in the gorge, it spat me out on a ridgeline at the top where it meets a track leading away to the right towards the other ascent routes. From here it was about 20 minutes more to the top, where there are great views to the north and west.
Unfortunately some dopes have dumped about a kilometre of blue rope strands all the way along this path (and all the way down the South East Ridge, as I later discovered) so I collected most of the big bits to bin later. I don't understand why someone would litter the path like that, particularly when most of it is very obvious and easy to follow. A small piece of coloured tape every now and then on a tree is more than ample.
There was a lot of burnt vegetation near the summit and at the start of the South East Ridge on descent. New growth on the grass trees appeared vibrant in the otherwise ashy understory.
Shortly after departing from the Palm Gorge path, there was a split to Waterfall Gorge (left) or South East Ridge (right). It is not signed but is obvious from two orange arrows nailed to the rock.
Unlike Palm Gorge, the South East Ridge is exposed and traverses several, large rocky slabs. In some sections there is no definite path but occasional orange markers and rock cairns indicate the general route. The views here extend from Lake Moogerah to the east (left), to Spicer's Peak to the west (right), and are spectacular. This would make a better break spot than the summit on a cool day, although shade might be hard to come by.
At the bottom of the first (and largest) rock slab, I veered too far left and missed the main track leading into the scrub. The track details in Take A Walk in SEQ were helpful here: I knew I was meant to exit the slab at the bottom right, so I just had to bushbash a short distance to the right to meet the main route. This would probably be much more easier to follow on ascent than descent. A small amount of water trickling over the rocks on the slab was very slippery, and would likely be very dangerous on a wet day.
From the bottom of the second rocky slab, I could see back into Palm Gorge from above.
Two large groups of walkers were headed up the South East Ridge as I went down, but otherwise I was lucky enough to have the mountain to myself. Obviously this is a favourite destination for bushwalking groups, so it paid to start early and avoid the rush. Mt Greville was an excellent walk and I'll be back again some day to tackle Waterfall Gorge.
There are three major routes that run up Mt Greville: Palm Gorge, South East Ridge and Waterfall Gorge. They all begin from a car park on the south eastern side of the mountain, so you can combine two routes for the ascent and descent. Waterfall Gorge seems to be rated the most difficult, but the other two still require some minor scrambling/route-finding skills, although I didn't have any trouble on my first trip here.
The first 5 minutes led uphill from the car park along an old dirt road, which seems to be composed of some clay-ish substance that added several extra kg of weight to my boots. I opted for Palm Gorge for my ascent based on the recommendation in the Take A Walk in SEQ book. The path is obvious (there is signage) until shortly before the gorge, and from there it's a matter of scrambling over rocks or navigating on either side all the way up.
 |
| Start of the three routes up Mt Greville |
 |
| Short rocky section before Palm Gorge |
The only confusing section was about 5 minutes into the scrambling, where it was necessary to follow the narrow gorge opening on the left rather than the large, open section to the right (shown in the image below).
 |
| Looks enticing but the actual route is to the left |
Once inside the narrow gorge, the walls closed in tightly on either side and at one point couldn't have been much more than a few metres apart. It's obvious where the name comes from.
 |
| Towering palms inside Palm Gorge |
Scaling the gorge's boulders and winding my way through the towering palms was a lot of fun. This was probably the best part of the whole walk, and totally unlike anything else I've done before. That there is a mountain peak at the end was kind of a bonus.
 |
| Forest at the top of the gorge |
After about half an hour in the gorge, it spat me out on a ridgeline at the top where it meets a track leading away to the right towards the other ascent routes. From here it was about 20 minutes more to the top, where there are great views to the north and west.
 |
| View north over the Fassifern Valley |
Unfortunately some dopes have dumped about a kilometre of blue rope strands all the way along this path (and all the way down the South East Ridge, as I later discovered) so I collected most of the big bits to bin later. I don't understand why someone would litter the path like that, particularly when most of it is very obvious and easy to follow. A small piece of coloured tape every now and then on a tree is more than ample.
There was a lot of burnt vegetation near the summit and at the start of the South East Ridge on descent. New growth on the grass trees appeared vibrant in the otherwise ashy understory.
Shortly after departing from the Palm Gorge path, there was a split to Waterfall Gorge (left) or South East Ridge (right). It is not signed but is obvious from two orange arrows nailed to the rock.
Unlike Palm Gorge, the South East Ridge is exposed and traverses several, large rocky slabs. In some sections there is no definite path but occasional orange markers and rock cairns indicate the general route. The views here extend from Lake Moogerah to the east (left), to Spicer's Peak to the west (right), and are spectacular. This would make a better break spot than the summit on a cool day, although shade might be hard to come by.
 |
| Descending a rocky slab on the South East Ridge, view towards the Minto Crags |
 |
| Descending the South East Ridge, the twin peaks of Mount Moon ahead |
At the bottom of the first (and largest) rock slab, I veered too far left and missed the main track leading into the scrub. The track details in Take A Walk in SEQ were helpful here: I knew I was meant to exit the slab at the bottom right, so I just had to bushbash a short distance to the right to meet the main route. This would probably be much more easier to follow on ascent than descent. A small amount of water trickling over the rocks on the slab was very slippery, and would likely be very dangerous on a wet day.
From the bottom of the second rocky slab, I could see back into Palm Gorge from above.
Two large groups of walkers were headed up the South East Ridge as I went down, but otherwise I was lucky enough to have the mountain to myself. Obviously this is a favourite destination for bushwalking groups, so it paid to start early and avoid the rush. Mt Greville was an excellent walk and I'll be back again some day to tackle Waterfall Gorge.
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